A Thrill Ride.

Rating: 8/10 (17 September 2014)

When I first heard of this project, I initially disliked the idea because, I naively thought the old cast and crew of the original series or the Next Generation cast will return to the screen. Also another reason why I was turned off by it was because I had seen a couple of Star Trek films(did not watch the show) both original and Next Generation and I really didn't enjoy most of them, they just didn't do it for me.
However after seeing the trailers, it peaked my interest, and then I saw the film, and man was I dead wrong.
This movie is awesome.
Director J.J. Abrams revives this franchise with much needed flare. I understand there are some die-hard Star Trek fans out there that weren't okay with the fact that they used the time- traveling story device to throw aways almost 50 years of canon, but honestly I was totally fine with it.
I absolutely ate up everyone's performances. Chris Pine is sharp, full of wit and charisma with his Kirk. He evokes the iconic captain without a Shatner impression. Zachary Quinto is great as Spock, displaying his conflict as he is also half human, concealing his emotions. Pine and Quinto both emulate the Kirk and Spock relationship very well and brings more depth and complexity starting off as rivals.
Zoe Saldana brings the emotional support and is a strong female character, however I did find the romance between her and Spock a tad bit awkward at times. Simon Pegg and Karl Urban bring out the best humor among the crew with their dialog and delivery in their respective roles as Scotty and "Bones" McCoy. John Cho and Anton Yelchin provide good supporting roles as Sulu and Chekov, they both play an integral part within the crew of the Enterprise. Bruce Greenwood is great as Captain Pike and provides a mentor-like relationship with Pine's Kirk.
Eric Bana as Nero is the weakest part in the film. Bana's performance is fine for the most part, although his delivery here and there was a bit dry, however the major flaw is that his character is a bit underdeveloped. I also questioned his tactics and logic within the film, I don't understand why he had to wait almost twenty-five years for Spock Prime(a role reprised by Leonard Nimoy) to take his revenge, or drill a hole to actually launch the red matter that creates a black hole.
The visuals are incredible, the USS Enterprise looked great, all the action set pieces are gorgeously shot. Abrams also uses a lot of lens flares but it only enhances the visual appeal, although he could have toned it down a little.
The films is about a little over two hours but it does not feel like it, the pacing is incredibly fast and flows very elegantly. Give credit to J.J. Abrams for reigniting this franchise and to his crew, especially his writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman.
Do yourself a favor and watch it. It's very entertaining, full of fun, and a visual spectacle.
8.8/10