Star Trek is back!

Rating: Null/10 (18 February 2014)

When doing a reboot of a famous franchise, the director can either attempt to make a remake of the original or can make it his or her own and completely tear apart even the most basic part of a franchise. J.J. Abrams' reboot Star Trek (2009) toes the line between these two options. Abrams delivers a modified Star Trek universe but still manages to remain rooted in the franchise's origins.
Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek franchise has given its audience a new and unique beginning to the popular franchise. The film opens with a time traveling Romulan spaceship emerging from a black hole. The Romulans (an extraterrestrial humanoid species) are seeking vengeance for an event that has yet to occur and in the process destroy the star ship that Captain Kirk's father was piloting. This event and various other atrocities committed by the Romulans throughout the film deviate from the original Star Trek timeline. By constructing an alternate timeline, Abrams allows himself to work freely within the Star Trek universe without confining himself to the intricacies of the franchise's canon. This opens up a new world of possibilities for Abrams to explore. He can revisit formerly vanquished nemeses, while also broadening the franchise's horizons.
Abrams' Star Trek is set prior to the original series. The audience witnesses the maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise crewed by inexperienced cadets. We observe a period in the Star Trek timeline before the Enterprise's crew became a close-knit group of companions. The audience is able to look on as bonds form amongst the crew.
The relationship between Jim Kirk (played by Chris Pine) and Spock (played by Zachary Quinto) is in the forefront of the film's plot line. Initially, Kirk and Spock have a tense relationship. Each character views himself as the alpha male of the group and more deserving of a leadership role.
Kirk is a confident, arrogant, and hotheaded human male who makes major decisions based on his emotions, often without considering the repercussions of his actions. Spock, on the other hand, is a calm and rational thinking Vulcan who always takes into consideration the most logical course of action. Spock appears to be the better leader, but ultimately the confident and fast thinking Kirk takes command. Initially, their conflicting personalities serve as the reason for their rivalry, but such differences will eventually result in the two becoming lifelong friends.
Abrams ends the film where the franchise ultimately began in 1966 with the USS Enterprise's mission statement: "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before." As the original series has soared to lofty heights, so shall Abrams' rebooted franchise. He has created a film that not only fans of the Star Trek universe will enjoy, but also common moviegoers. Thanks to Abrams, the Star Trek franchise will continue to live long and prosper.