Director: J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield, Lost, Alias)Cast: Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces), Zachary Quinto (Heroes), Leonard Nemoy (Star Trek), Eric Bana (Troy, Munich), Bruce Greenwood (St. Elsewhere), Karl Urban (Lord of the Rings), Zoe Saldana (Guess Who), Simon Pegg (Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead), John Cho (Harold and Kumar), Anton Yelchin (Charlie Bartlett)
The Deal: James T. Kirk (Pine) meets Captain Pike (Greenwood) in a bar after a bar fight, and is challenged to join Starfleet. Having been reminded that his father saved over 800 lives in his 12 minutes of command, Kirk gives in and enlists. After defeating Spock's (Quinto) Kobayashi Maru test, which is designed to be a no-win situation, he is put on trial for cheating. Before a verdict can be reached, a distress call arrives from Vulcan, where the Romulans, under the command of Nero (Bana), have set out to destroy the planet out of revenge for a future event. With the aid of his friend "Bones" McCoy, Kirk finds his way on to the U.S.S. Enterprise, and sets out on his quest to prove himself worthy of becoming starship captain.
Thoughts: Abrams has successfully reenergized the Star Trek franchise with this film. Though Trekkies may have their issues, and I will address this later, the film is action-packed and very enjoyable for all movie goers. The story, which delves into a parallel timeline that offers a new origin for Kirk, is fast paced, clever, and an all out thrill to watch. The visuals are very beautiful and the action sequences are well choreographed, a big change of pace for the Star Trek universe. The only slight annoyance was the overuse of lens flares, a fault Abrams admitted to in hindsight.
The acting was good and very fresh for such a young cast. Pine did an excellent job becoming William Shatner's Kirk without resorting to the ridiculous mannerisms Shatner is known for. Quinto was similarly pleasing as Spock, though I found it hilarious that he needed rubber bands to do the Vulcan salute. I could continue breaking down every character, but in the end, it would be the same for each. I thought they felt right for their respective roles, and Yelchin's Russian accent was perfect.
I enjoyed this film very much, but I am not a Trekkie, so I feel it necessary to include some of the comments my brother (who is a Trekkie) made. He felt that they abused their creative freedom with the script, mainly the parallel timeline portion, slightly crushing his love of Star Trek. He hated Quinto as Spock, and felt he was completely wrong for the character. He thought rest of the cast was fine, though he said that Yelchin's Russian was absolutely perfect. From a Star Trek perspective, he hated it. From a movie perspective, he liked it.
I'll just cut through the confusion with my brother's final thoughts and say that it was in fact a good film. It was full of action and suspense, and the comical lines came at the right times. The story was very engaging and fast paced, and it leaves me viewing the Star Trek universe as a whole in a more positive manner.
Verdict: An action-packed thrill ride with a great, fresh cast. Though Trekkies may grumble a bit, it was a very good film, and I highly suggest seeing this in theaters if you haven't already. ☆☆☆☆
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