Zachary Quinto (Spock, left) and Chris Pine (Capt. James T. Kirk) are part of the team that helped resurrect the Star Trek franchise in the new Star Trek.

Ebullient filmmaker J.J. Abrams and the rest of the cast & crew of the new Star Trek went boldly and brilliantly to re-invigorate a tired franchise.

Even fans of the original series -- including me because it was one of the TV highlights of my teen years -- rejoice in what Abrams & company did. Their collective creative talents produced one of the best action thrillers, and one of the best sci-fi movies, of 2009. With the doubling of Oscar's best picture category, can it earn a surprise nomination? Will boxoffice success now be a blessing instead of a curse?

More impressively, perhaps, even cast members from the original franchise are on board the new Enterprise, literally in Leonard Nimoy's case. Nimoy, now 78, plays Spock Prime in a time-warp version of his iconic character.

"I'm really impressed with the casting of this movie," Nimoy says in tomorrow's Star Trek DVD and Blu-ray releases. "Not only are they people who know what they're doing and how to do it," Nimoy says about all the key actors -- including Chris Pine as the new yet still cheeky James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as the new yet still emotionally repressed Spock -- but all have attributes that "extend" the vitality of the original characters. That is high praise from the original Spock.

The 2009 Star Trek, which cost a reported $150 million, earned $385 million in worldwide box office, according to Box Office Mojo. It is no leap to guarantee that it will be a home entertainment best-seller. There is a single-disc DVD for rentals of those who want to cut to the chase. I recommend instead the two-disc Special Edition DVD with generous bonus material, a digital copy and a free trial of the forthcoming Star Trek video game for XBox 360.

Then there is Blu-ray. This three-disc set offers everything from the special edition DVD, plus a lot more. While making-of materials are generous on DVD, they are over-the-moon on Blu-ray. For example, there is a Blu-ray exclusive called Gene Roddenberry's Vision in which Nimoy, Abrams and others pay homage to the humanism of the original Star Trek creator.

"He had great, great faith in what humanity could accomplish!" Nimoy says, referencing Roddenberry's penchant for infusing his Star Trek universe with stories that spoke to the highest impulses of the human race.

Many Blu-ray releases do not maximize their potential. But Star Trek does the job with panache. I predict that, along with titles such as X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Star Trek will boast a higher percentage in Blu-ray sales. It is exactly the kind of movie that appeals to those who have already converted. And the visuals of Star Trek are just spectacular in Blu-ray.

It helps that Abrams went as old-school as possible in his special effects. The paradox of the digital age is that things look more real and more cinematic when decades-old filmmaking techniques are employed. That is one of the themes that is pushed hard in documentaries on both the special edition DVD and Blu-ray.

For example, Abrams shot 60% of Star Trek on sound stages and 40% on real locations. Original plans called for an 80-20 split but Abrams wanted to open it up and make it as "real" as an invented, futuristic world could be. Whenever possible, he employed miniatures, matte shots and other in-camera techniques instead of computer effects. He personally jiggled the cameras for a sense of action. He manipulated lens flare to make the image come alive.

The results are not just spectacular to witness, they are organic. This version of Star Trek begins a whole new cycle for the franchise -- and the DVD and Blu-ray versions explain how with a real sense of style.