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This week saw the release of one of the most anticipated movies of the year. The Star Trek franchise has not had a movie release since the arrival of Nemesis in 2002. This new film from JJ Abrams serves as a reboot of the saga, the aim being to draw in new fans as well as pacify old ones. The trailers and preview scenes were promising, but the question is: did it live up to the hype?
Star Trek is often perceived as a series for “geeks”. While popular, it has never had the universal following of the Star Wars saga, and it appeals largely to a niche (although passionate) audience. The new film, simply entitled Star Trek, could change all that. Popular director JJ Abrams (Lost, Alias) brings us a film with an exciting new and original plot, fresh-faced up-and-coming actors, but doesn’t abandon the die-hard fans as the inclusion of Leonard Nimroy proves. Having never watched an episode of Star Trek in my life, but being intrigued by the trailers, I decided to give the film a chance.
I was glad I did. The film centres largely around a young James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and the story of how he came to join the Federation, forge a friendship with Spock (Zachary Quinto) and become captain of the Enterprise. The plot is gripping from the beginning, with high-octane action scenes balanced out with touching character pieces. Pine and Quinto are both fantastic as Kirk and Spock, with Pine capturing Kirk’s rebellious attitude flawlessly and Quinto managing to get the audience to engage with a character who, for the most part, shows little to no emotion. We feel their internal struggles, Spock agonising over his part-Vulcan, part-human ancestry and Kirk dealing with the death of his father. Simon Pegg is highly amusing as Scotty, pulling off the Scottish accent very convincingly.
Not only are the action and characterisations good, but the special effects are, to use an over-used adjective, epic. The shots of earth from space are simply breath-taking, and even the pictures behind the ending credits look amazing... And although I’m not a fan of somewhat cheesy comedic moments, the use of them in this film makes what would otherwise be a somewhat hard-going plot (containing complex themes such as genocide and time travel) more accessible for casual movie goers. I went into the film expecting that it would be an entertaining two hours. It was that and more. This is definitely the one to watch this month. A treat for Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike.
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