Having tackled clever (if not complex) science-fiction concepts in his own projects such as Lost and in elements of Alias, wunderkind JJ Abrams decided to take a new approach to the 43-year old concept loved by hundreds of millions across the globe, that of the Star Trek legacy.
With so much riding on its success, Abrams opted to give new life to the beloved characters, while allowing his actors to make the famous roles their own. The end result is not only highly entertaining, but it also remains faithful to the essence of the original.
The late Gene Roddenberry, "The Great Bird of the Galaxy" (and creator of Trek), would no doubt be proud.
Star Trek Synopsis and Backstory
Back in the time before Kirk's birth, a Federation starship, the U.S.S. Kelvin, encounters a gigantic ship emerging from what appears to be an unstable wormhole (or what they often refer to in Trek techno-babble as a spatial anomaly). This behemoth is revealed to be run by renegade Romulans, origins unknown.
Before long, the captain of the Kelvin is killed by his opponent while negotiating a truce, leaving his young First Officer George Kirk in the command chair. In a selfless act, George Kirk ensures the crew and their families (including his pregnant wife Winona) reach a safe distance, before setting a collision course with the enemy ship. Shortly before he hits, his wife tells him she just gave birth to a baby boy....James Tiberius.
Meanwhile, a young half-human half-Vulcan boy named Spock is constantly bullied by his peers, on his home planet. The young lad is torn between his split heritage, and discusses this at length with his wise father Sarek (Ben Cross, Chariots of Fire).
Jump ahead several years, and we witness a brash young Iowa teen named Jim Kirk (Chris Pine) having a pint at a local bar. When he tries to make the moves on a young cadet named Uhura (Zoe Saldana), poor Jim gets into a fist fight (the first of many through the course of his illustrious career!) against 5 Academy bullies. When the fight comes to a halt, Kirk is talked into enlisting in Starfleet, by an experienced veteran, Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood, I Robot, Thirteen Days).
While at the academy, new friendships are struck, namely between Jim and Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban, The Lord of the Rings films). The film jumps ahead three years, when cadets are pressed into service, when it is announced that Vulcan is under attack from a gigantic ship last reported almost 20 years back.
Together, Kirk, Bones, Spock (Zachary Quinto, Heroes), Sulu (John Cho, Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle), Chekov (Anton Yelchin, Charlie Bartlett), Scotty (Simon Pegg, Hot Fuzz) and Uhura, follow Captain Pike into this dangerous mission, which may force them to grow up a little faster than experience would allow them.
This new and relatively inexperienced crew is faced with the Romulan renegade, Nero (Eric Bana, Hulk), and his vengeance fuelled mission of destruction throughout Federation territory.
For the sake of newcomers and lifelong fans alike, let us not spoil the many good plot points which follow, suffice to say this film is truly designed to be enjoyed by both types, for a solid two-hour plus running time.
Star Trek Overall Analysis
This film is the true definition of a summer blockbuster. Not only does it ensure that ginormous masses of existing fans get a good time revisiting old cinematic friends, but the producers also made sure the project would attract new hordes as well.
Without resting too much on the potential box office returns this film will no doubt earn, suffice it to say that JJ Abrams has reinvented the wheel somehow, after so many pundits claimed that the Trek franchise had run its course.
Star Trek explores that yet unexplored frontier of the classic show's lore, that of life before the Enterprise, when all of the familiar characters were still trying to make a name for themselves, as up and comers within Starfleet Academy.
With much baggage which comes with embodying icons such as Kirk, Spock, et al., this new crew make sure to avoid imitating their original counterparts, lest the whole idea become an unwanted parody.
The Cast of Star Trek
Chris Pine retains Kirk's bravado and disregard for rules and regulations (see the re-enactment of the infamous Kobayashi Maru test early in the film), while Zachary Quinto offers a haunted and conflicted Spock, inner struggle and all. Karl Urban nails the right amount of cynicism and pessimism know to McCoy fans, and the rest of the cast offers variations on their characters, each with memorable lines.
Eric Bana doesn't get much of a chance to shine in this film as the villainous Nero, however this was to be expected, in that this film is more of an origin tale, rather than a standalone storyline.
Yes, Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) is in this film, his involvement in the plot won't be discussed here (to avoid further spoilers), suffice to say his presence is a fitting passing of the baton to the younger cast, in ensuring some continuity occur in future films.
Future sequels are sure to come, given the likely success of this excellent space adventure, it is refreshing to see such a well executed, honest reinvention of a beloved classic.
9.5 out of 10 for arguably becoming the best Star Trek film yet, possibly even beating Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, and that's saying a lot.
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