Breathing new life into the difficult science fiction genre.

Rating: 8/10 (9 May 2009)

J.J. Abrams enters the cockpit full of belief and faith in this year's ultimate re-franchising of the enormously popular TV-series 'Star Trek' - and in the hands of Abrams it becomes the most spectacular science fiction film since 'Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith' - and now in 2009 it outdoes it in fantastic special effects and Abrams outdoes Lucas in rethinking the science fiction genre. He refills the tank with smart casting (two fresh-faced, talented lead performers and a load of interesting supporting acts by Simon Pegg, Eric Bana and John Cho to mention a few), character-driven humor and a vivid imagination in good Abrams spirit that sweeps the screen with brilliant set-pieces and a story that's true to the Star Trek-heart and is in the same time easily fed to Star Trek newbies. It's in many ways the same challenge that Zack Snyder and his 'Watchmen' had to face when creating a film for the old-school fans but in the same time appealing to a fresh audience - the biggest difference is that 'Star Trek' is such an immediate hit right off the opening scene, it's an easier and better watch.
Abrams kickstarts the film with effective introductions of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto), handling the human textures with a slick ease (as we've seen him do so brilliantly on ABC's 'Lost') before boosting us into space where the heart of the film forms brilliantly. He manages the visual effects better than most (Michael Bay and his gang in Transformers will have a hard task surpassing this) as he captures the three-dimensional layers and intertwine live action and CGI remaining the essence of realism and spectacular excitement. 'Star Trek' deserves to be this year's biggest blockbuster, and let's hope that everyone stays around for the second installment that's inevitable to come.