The Photonic Torpedoes

Rating: 10/10 (30 July 2013)

Who is this Abrams? (I had remarked his name on Lost's credits—but regardless. I mean, did you expect something as good as this, from him? Did he make the previous one, too?) Having just seen this newest Star Trek installment, I am still excited by the viewing—a hugely enjoyable movie, and of the best Sci Fi movies ever made—one can make a case for Abrams being an amazing director of genre cinema, established as such by this new Star Trek.
I don't know the previous movie, and whether Abrams made that one, too (perhaps that one was the reboot), but this installment is a pinnacle of craftsmanship, eventful, colorful, exciting, galvanizing, the story is good, a Khan movie, and you can see Khan almost taking over, the cast is likable, Spock, Scott, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu, Marcus' daughter, a comic books movie, it reminded a bit of the stylish Alien installment, and Abrams brings a certain finesse, one could say: 'Indiana Jones on Kronos', but I like Abrams better than Spielberg and Lucas, and his take isn't patronizing and mock—referential, he is more assured, more focused on adventure, as opposed to flattering the presumed spleen of the masses; a comic books roller—coaster, Abrams' exquisite taste, an enthralling adventure movie, from a generation who has forgotten, it seems, about the '70s and '80s sense of humor, and the '90s torpor, and it happened with 'Bond', with some superheroes, a shift in the genre cinema, a shift from mindless, say, to finesse—the fistfights are good, all involving Khan: on Kronos, on Marcus's shipboard, and above the city.
(Having read a bit about Abrams, I have found out that he directed the previous movie, too.)
There is a goofiness in Spielberg or Lucas' genre cinema, something that often comes across as goofy, they like making the action look goofy, or faked—which is patronizing to us, condescending. And when the two play it goofy (to be fair, Lucas less than Spielberg), Abrams plays it straight, as he should; the comparison with I. Allen, the MoD, is useful. Spielberg and Lucas' genuine inferiority to Abrams comes from their goofiness, from what comes across as goofy in their movies, the ironic consciousness, etc..
Abrams has sharpness and finesse; also, the score is engrossing, and the sets look great.
In Abrams' reboot, Khan makes a great villain, and the fact is that the script and the direction boost him, boost his performance, with his 72 torpedoes; also, I liked Spock, because he's a genuinely likable and interesting actor. So, the thing could be done. At last, a movie without the TV cast! I know the cast of the original series only from the movies, but I found them mainly annoying, Jimbo including; in Abrams' rendering, Chekhov is the only one from the crew to border somewhat on annoying—but even him doesn't quite!
The aboriginals who chase the humans in the opening scene seem to have a writing, maybe a papyrus, left hanging from a branch by the hurrying tandem of selfless astronauts dressed like monks, which is a bit unconvincing (but the Maya undertones are delightful, they are in fact very generic aboriginals, with not only American, but African and perhaps Australian, Pacific marks); and why does Khan pick a frock, that only slows his run, when he is chased by Spock?
I have read the comment of a discontent, who makes pointless, and by now predictable, objections about the movie's script, style, etc., the now standard chicanery of the discontents—nonsense, rubbish.