As good an action film as you will see

Rating: 9/10 (25 May 2009)

For the most part, negative reviews of this film come from fans of the original TV series who are disappointed about the remake's "unfaithfulness" to Gene Roddenberry's universe. I have read reviews, for instance, disparaging the new film's intellectual inadequacies, or its lack of a tidy, coherent moral message--to loyal fans, these were an integral part of what made "Trek" so fascinating and ahead of its time.
But in enumerating the myriad ways that the new Trek differs from the old, the die-hards are completely missing the point. They are simply reinforcing what has been made explicitly clear: this is not Roddenberry's Star Trek, but J.J. Abram's.
And when we judge Abram's Trek on its own merits, it is quite difficult to dislike. This Trek is able to transmit much of the wonder and excitement of the original, while excelling in aspects where the older series lagged. One such aspect, of course, is special effects--even most Trekkies will be excited that their beloved Enterprise now has an arsenal truly fit for the 23rd century.
Regardless of its detractors, the film isn't pure muscle and action--the young actors excel in their challenging roles, and the writing is sharp, witty, and, yes, intelligent! The end result is a Star Trek re-make much like (I would suggest) a Lord of the Rings re-make: a quality film which stakes out new territory, but which is able to harness the compelling uniqueness of the original universe.