Saw the movie Friday.
If you go to the movie looking for things to pick apart, you'll find plenty there.
On the other hand, if you went looking to see references to the old series and familiar things, you'll find plenty of that, too.
I'll try to avoid spoilers as much as I can in the following.
Good Things (IMHO):
The guy who played young McCoy nailed it. It was obvious he studied the part and the actor who defined it.
The guy who played young Spock pretty much looked the part, although he seemed to be supressing a smile (and failing) through much of the movie.
The "Main Seven" each got their time in the celluloid sun, as it were.
Plenty of action.
Starfleet female personnel still wear mini-skirts.
Kirk is still the #1 horndog in the galaxy, and his penchant for alien babes is apparantly unabated.
Familiar standard things from the old series (i.e., the Vulcan neck pinch, the Vulcan mind meld, "Damn it, Jim, I'm a doctor, not a physicist!", and things like that).
Uhura's character looks to be set up to show more depth in the sequels. The actress reminds me of a young Robin Givens (circa "Head of the Class", not the Mike Tyson era). Her relationship with one of the other of the Seven could be interesting.
Reboot rather than just a prequel. With a reboot, some of the main characters could be killed off without harming the established continuity. Changes can be made without violating canon.
Things which I didn't care for
A third year cadet is promoted to captain of the Starfleet flagship? I know he performed a great service, and was worthy of commendation, but a captaincy? C'mahhhhn!
Checkov's actor did well on the accent (although we didn't get to hear him talk about "nuclear wessels"), but didn't have the right look. The guy looked as though he would've been better cast as Jimmy Olson.
Klingons fly birds-of-prey, not warbirds (I know- pick, pick)
Diverging timeline or not, the people on the Kelvin should have not known much about Romulans.
There was no need to shoot Kirk out in an escape pod, as the Enterprise has a brig.
Trapped on an ice planet, chased by a hungry predator, having no weapons, Kirk certainly would've run. But he would not have screamed like a wussie.
The guy who played Scotty was too shrill and frantic. I always pictured him as an enlisted man who came up the hard way. That may not be the way that canon describes his history, but it's the impression he made on me. Sort of like that tough master sargeant type who helps the snot-nosed young lieutenant to not get himself and the others killed. BTW, hated the goofy hat in the first scenes with him.
All in all-
I really enjoyed this movie. I don't know if I'll see it again before it comes out on DVD, but I'll definitely buy it when it does. I'll also recommend the movie to all the Trek fans I know (an embarassingly large number).