Saw the new Star Trek film at the Peace Cinema today. Although it’s an eminently forgettable film, I still enjoyed it. No, it did not deserve multi-page coverage in Newsweek, yes it deserved to make a bunch of money. No, it’s not going to breathe new life into Mission America, yes it’s the best Star Trek installment since Wrath of Khan.

What really struck me though was the movie-going experience itself. Here in China, it’s truly monumental. For two full hours I felt as American as I ever do anymore. But more than that, I felt completely disassociated from my surroundings. When I walked out of the theater, I was surprised to find myself in Shanghai surrounded by Asian-looking people. For a moment I was unsure what language they spoke. For a moment I was sure that we had a language in common.

It happens every summer when the blockbusters come out. Last year it was Transformers. The year before was Spider Man. The year before was Pirates of the Caribbean. The sublime escapism of the cinema experience was one reason we ran our Admit One cover story around this time last year where we road tested Shanghai’s cinemas and made some picks for summer flicks. The thing that was missing from that story was the part about identity suspension and reality transcendence. Being an American and watching a big-budget Hollywood blockbuster in China is a two hour plane ticket back home.

Terminator Salvation opens May 21 in the States and June 9 here in China. After that the next big one is Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen on June 24.

See you at the movies.