Whatever I was expecting it wasn't this!

Rating: 8/10 (25 May 2013)

Oh my goodness I'm actually in shock. JJ Abrams has created not a just a Star Trek film but a true standalone film as well. I should probably add that his description is coming from a STAR WARS fan and so yes this may well be illegal but I actually enjoyed this film a lot! The first movie was entertaining and all, but it fell slightly short with regard to the action and the story and so we all came away from it saying "great" but not remembering it. This film still managed to retain the original highlights of the first which we all loved - the acting, the humour and the special effects but added a real feeling o heart to the proceedings which cam from a number of factors:
Firstly the acting: Chris Pine was good in the first one but I felt he was trying a little too hard to go from zero-hero. In this one it's easy to identify he's found his character, it feels a lot more relatable and emotional. Zachary Quinto, delivered an awesome performance - which even draws a tear from some at one scene which I won't spoil for the benefit of any who haven't seen the film. Everyone upped their game but none more so than Simon Pegg - who's definitely taken the time to refine his Scottish accent but also his character as Scotty has a more predominant role in this story. But the stand out performance HAS to go to Mr Benedict Cumberbatch: he created a performance in which the audience could, in a way, feel sorry for him at one point - yet still manages but to be incredibly menacing with a villain who people want to see take on Kirk and Spock.
The action is on a much larger scale with the battles in space but also on the ground - it's fair to say that the final fight in particular is reminiscent of the scene in attack of the clones when Anakin jumps between speeders, but it a lot more effective as we as the audience feel a lot more involved with that fight due to the raw emotion from the actors and the brilliant fight choreography.
The script has been written so much better, so there are a lot less cheesy lines and a lot more decent ones.
The only reason as to why this movie got a 9 out of 10 is because for me some characters were lost in terms of why they were there in this movie - Zoe Saldana is a great actress yet, as in the case of the first one, I simply didn't understand why she was there. The same can be said of Karl Urban's McCoy - a character who I'd previously liked in the first one but who struggles to shine in this one other than perhaps the last few scenes.
Overall however even if you're no Trekkie - GO AND SEE THIS FILM, it's definitely worth it! And if this is a preview of things to come regarding Star Wars I can say we're in for a treat from Mr Abrams!