The Blockbuster Is Back!

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2009)

I love the new Star Trek. It's riveting, vital, sexy, fun and surprisingly emotional. Simply put, this is blockbuster heaven.
This movie opens with a vicious attack by a mysterious Romulan (alien) ship, captioned by vengeful time-traveller Nero (Eric Bana), on Starfleet ship U.S.S. Kelvin. Just before he courageously pilots the Kelvin into the belly of the Romulan ship in an act of self-sacrifice, Captain George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) is able to help decide the name of his evacuated newborn child; Jim.
Several years later, James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) is an amazingly talented delinquent. After being brought to the attention of Starfleet Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) after a bar fight with Starfleet cadets, Kirk decides to join the Starfleet academy. Soon, he comes into conflict with the equally troubled Spock (Heroes' Zachary Quinto), who is struggling to come to terms with the fact that he has both Vulcan and human blood due to his mixed parentage. However, their rivalry will have to take a back seat if they are to stop Nero from taking his vengeance on actions that Spock takes in the future by destroying Federation planets, which include Spock's home planet Vulcan and our very own Earth
Everything in this movie clicks together to create an almost flawless ride of a movie. All of the cast and crew have created something fresh and exciting which not only pumps a ton of adrenaline into a flailing franchise, but also pays tribute to the show on which it is based. You've got the red-shirted crew member who meets a violent fate, a green-skinned girl who Kirk gets up close and personal with and quotes from the old TV series with a new spin on them. When Quinto delivers the infamous line "Live long and prosper", he makes it ooze with dislike. He may as well be giving the people who he's talking to the finger. This is one of the refreshing spins used on the Star Trek formula.
The acting is brilliant without let-down. As Kirk, Chris Pine captures the essence of cool. He's relentlessly charming, quick with the one-liners, resourceful, reckless and good-looking enough to make many men (including me) jealous of his appeal to the ladies. Pine also pulls off the difficult trick of being arrogant without becoming grating. That is one of the signs of a star. However, he is still over-taken by Zachary Quinto's exquisite portrayal of Spock. Beautifully conveying the inner struggle between the character's Vulcan and human emotions, Quinto gives a performance of subtle intricacies which is a delight to watch.
The other cast members are all great fun to watch. Karl Urban is fantastically grumpy yet endearing as Dr. McCoy. Zoe Saldana gives communications specialist Uhura an unexpected strength and sensuality. Anton Yelchin is naively charming as 17-year-old Russian genius Chekov, and John Cho brings a dominating physicality and understated presence to helmsman Hikaru Sulu (to be honest, both Sulu and Chekov were slightly underused, but that's something which can be fixed in the inevitable sequel). Although he turns up late in the proceedings, Simon Pegg is sheer hilarity personified as engineer Scotty. Eric Bana is wickedly twisted yet somewhat sympathetic as the psychopathic Nero, whilst Bruce Greenwood is strong as the tough Captain Pike. Leonard Nimoy, the original Spock, also appears in a crucial role which he performs with great grace and dignity. Even the actors with only a few scenes, such as Ben Cross and Winona Ryder as Spock's parents, do wonderful jobs.
A film like this needs to get the action sequences and the visual effects right. Fortunately, both are handled inspirationally well in Star Trek. The first twelve minutes of the film are thunderous, creating a rollicking sequence in which the U.S.S. Kelvin comes into conflict with Nero's ship, the Narada. What makes this, and the other action sequences, so phenomenal is that we are drawn into the conflict of the characters in split seconds, intensifying the action even further. Another great sequence is when Kirk, Sulu and a red-shirted crew mate (oh dear) plunge from space towards a drill that Nero is using to destroy a planet. The plunge itself is stunningly executed, but it's the following fierce, hand-to-hand fight which really causes the blood to start pumping. Meanwhile, the visual effects are truly magnificent. When Kirk and the audience first see the U.S.S. Enterprise being constructed, it is a pure piece of movie magic which will have even non-fans grinning from ear to ear.
The man who's truly responsible for the resurrection of Star Trek is J.J. Abrams. From the very beginning, in which he wipes the slate clean for a fresh start with one simple yet ingenious move, Abrams brings endless energy and respect to his direction. It's also to his credit that this movie has a beating heart underneath the action and special effects, and that the narrative is actually unpredictable. It's great to be surprised by a blockbuster. The script also adds a new spark to the franchise. The writers have had previous experience with blockbuster movies (their previous credits include Transformers, which I actually enjoyed). The reason why the script delights is that it sticks to the blockbuster formula whilst deferring from it enough in order to stand out on its own.
Technically, the film's a colossal success. The sound effects are stunning, the score's suitably epic and the editing's tremendously snappy, brilliantly complimenting Abrams' ability to juggle both action and characters on the run.
Star Trek's a fantastic movie. Abrams has not only created a hulking piece of escapist entertainment, but he has also breathed new life into a franchise which faltered with the dismal Star Trek: Nemesis. This movie will make both Trekkies and non-fans cry with glee, and I hope that the cast and crew live long and prosper.