I loved this film. Let that be perfectly clear. Poor choice of actors not withstanding, lens flair overuse included, I absolutely adored this movie.
But the score?
With the death of Jerry Goldsmith, I just couldn't imagine anyone writing the score to a reboot of Star Trek. And the eventual choice was more lackluster than I could have expected.
The "main theme", heroic and grandiose, IS quite pretty... but after maybe 30 minutes of movie, you are so thoroughly sick of hearing it, that it just has no effect anymore when it DOES pop out again all grandiose and dramatic.
One example of the main theme being overused and most importantly BADLY used, is during the destruction of the Narada. The Enterprise is not responsible for this destruction. Come to think of it, neither is James T. Kirk. It seems, therefore, illogical that the main theme that we are asked to associate with the Enterprise and its future captain is the entire underscore for this scene of destruction.
There IS a lot of quite interesting music in this filmscore (I am speaking purely from the perspective of listening to it within the context of the film, as I felt no need to rush out and buy the CD), except it ends up getting short shrift to its more bombastic sibling.
The saddest moment (musically) in the film is when the end credits roll, and we are treated to the original Trek's theme. At this very moment, we realize just how bland and two-dimensional this "new" music is compared to the original series' score.
Criticize the score to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home all you want, it contains the single most effective use of Alexander Courage's theme from Star Trek the original series (at the very end when we see the rebuilt Enterprise).
I have watched the Star Trek reboot film 4 times now (I only just got the DVD yesterday... and yes, I loved the movie that much), and I cringed every single time the music repeated ad nauseam that main theme. Even my better-half, handicapped with two quite solid "tin ears" said: "dammit, that music sure is repetitive!"
