The first remarked-upon instance of “mood hair” since Mickey Rourke‘s appearance as the sometimes white-haired, sometimes grayish-black haired, sometimes grayish white-and-brown-haired Det. Stanley White in Year of the Dragon (1985) has been pointed out by Variety critic Todd McCarthy in his rave review of JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek.

Chris Pine in Star Trek; Mickey Rourke in Year of the Dragon.

McCarthy doesn’t make a big deal out of it, but he does note that the mane of young Chris Pine, who plays a kind of surfer-dude version of Cpt. James Kirk, “varies from reddish to blond in some instances [so] someone should decide about his hair color.”

The term “mood hair” was coined 24 years ago by critic Elvis Mitchell in his review of The Year of the Dragon. It was quoted by New Yorker critic Pauline Kael in her review of same.