James Trowbridge, an 11-year-old Trekkie from Manoa, is among the fortunate fans who have already seen the new "Star Trek" movie, opening nationwide on Thursday.

It's all thanks to his friend Leonard Nimoy, or the iconic Spock, as he's best known by sci-fi devotees.

"The movie was a lot of fun," said James, a 6th grader at Mid-Pacific Institute. "It was more than I hoped for."

James and his family — parents John and Jill, and younger siblings Holly, Henry and Alastair — attended the Hollywood premiere of "Star Trek" last week at Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The newest "Star Trek," which looks at the early years of James T. Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise, is directed by J.J. Abrams and stars Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock) and Nimoy.

The dream-come-true opportunity came after James and his father met Nimoy two years ago at a "Star Trek" convention in Las Vegas. Nimoy was so taken by the knowledgeable young fan that he personally invited James, then 9 years old, to attend the movie premiere at his expense.

The meeting also led to James' current stint as youth correspondent for www.TrekMovie.com, a Los Angeles-based Web site that focuses on the movie and everything else related to "Star Trek." James writes "Trek for Kids" blog posts for the site.

In an e-mail to The Advertiser, Nimoy said he was "delighted" to meet James.

"James is the future of 'Star Trek,' " Nimoy wrote. "His interest and his passion for the show touched me. He's intelligent and caring, and, for me, represents the best of what our audience represents: a hopeful outlook and an interest in positive ideas."

FAN FROM WAY BACK

Wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt, a replica of the Starfleet uniform that Spock wore in the original series, James perked up with a bring-it-on face when told of a surprise "Star Trek" quiz.

What does the "T" in James T. Kirk stand for?

"Tiberius."

The name of Spock's father?

"Sarek."

Type of pet Capt. Jonathan Archer had on "Enterprise," the series?

"A dog. Porthos."

James would answer all 10 questions correctly — and instantly — including the name of all 10 "Star Trek" movies.

There's no question James is the real deal.

"He had this game when he was 2 or 3 years old, he'd put out his hand and say, 'Nice to meet you, Spock!' " recalled his dad, John Trowbridge, 38, the Asia Program director at Hawaii International Child, an adoption agency.

Trowbridge, also a Trekkie, said James was just a toddler when he became a "regular viewing companion" as they watched reruns of the original series or new episodes of "Enterprise" together.

"It's kind of cool when you have a child who's interested in the same thing that you're interested in, of their own accord," Trowbridge said. ... "He gave it a life of its own. He's into some aspects of the series more than I am."

MEETING AN ICON

James' bedroom is a treat to other Trekkies' eyes, with his displays of various Enterprise starships, including the NX-01 and NCC-1701E models; communicator pins; and tribbles — those furry balls of cuteness. He also has a phaser and flip-top communicator from the original series, various Starfleet uniforms, books, and DVDs, among other "Star Trek" memorabilia.

As a gift to James for his 10th birthday in August 2007, Trowbridge surprised him with a trip to a "Star Trek" convention in Las Vegas.

During a question-and-answer session with Nimoy, James braved a crowd of thousands to ask Nimoy how it felt to die in the movie, "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan," and to also direct some of the "Star Trek" movies.

"Have you seen the 'Star Trek' movies?" Trowbridge recalled Nimoy asking his son.

"Yes," James replied.

"How old are you?" Nimoy asked.

"I'm turning 10."

Nimoy then invited the Trowbridges on stage and offered them an invitation to the "Star Trek" premiere as the crowd cheered.

"My heart was beating faster than it ever did before, out of happiness and nervousness," James said.

AN ONLINE HIT

Anthony Pascale, founder and editor of www.TrekMovie.com, was in the audience when the Trowbridges met Nimoy.

"When I first saw James at (the) 'Star Trek' convention, I was immediately impressed with how knowledgeable, thoughtful and articulate he was," Pascale said. "After Mr. Nimoy brought him on stage, I knew that I wanted to add his voice to the family at www.TrekMovie.com."

James' "Trek for Kids" posts have included a commentary on how "Star Trek" can appeal to kids today and a review of "Star Trek" toys.

"James' posts have been very popular and I imagine they have helped bring in some younger readers," Pascale said.

After returning home last week from the movie premiere in Los Angeles, James was eager to share his thoughts about the new flick.

"The movie explained everything pretty well," said James, who ranked it a "9.9 out of 10."

James hopes the new movie will draw more "Star Trek" fans his age.

"The way we're headed right now, on this path, there are a lot of problems, like pollution and unnecessary war," he said. "It shows in this series that we get past a lot of these troubles."

So much more than shows and movies packed with action, adventure and special effects, "Star Trek" offers a positive vision of the future, James said.

"Eventually our generation is going to have to do a lot of work to help fix the world," he said. ... " 'Star Trek' represents that goal, what we want to be able to accomplish."