Space: The Final Frontier...
Well, I guess you could say that this movie does indeed boldy go where no one has gone before (in the series): mainstream appeal. I'll have to say that I enjoyed this movie immensely the two times I watched it. The movie was superbly cast, had great action scenes and a distinct artistic style that pays homage to the original series' set pieces while updating them to have less of a chessy 60' sci-fi show feel with more of a sleek futuristic setting.
The movie follows the early days of the famous Captain James T. Kirk, whose father sacrificed his life to save the crew and passengers from a deadly Romulan attack. Poor young Kirk has a lot to live up for, and already the film establishes his journey to become the future captain.
Star Trek features new actors assuming the roles of familiar characters and to their credit, brings new life into the role without feeling like a carbon copy of an the original actor's portrayal. Chris Pine channels kirk without becoming Shatner, he is equal parts Space bad boy as he is a rebel. Zachary Quinto is plays the role of Spock, balancing a fine line between showing emotions and logic that the character is famously known for.
Nero, played by Eric Bana, feels a little light on the villainy. Despite commanding a massive starship with technology from the future, Nero never feels quite threatening as the circumstances make it out to be. The real stars of this show are in fact, Kirk and Spock. They start off on the wrong foot; rebellious Kirk cheats on the infamous Kobiyashi Maru test and is brought to academy judicial affairs where Spock teaches him a lesson about leadership. They have a rocky starting relationship that begins to blossum once the two characters realize how valuable they are to each other. A bromance if you will.
The film does suffer a little from a weak plot. While Nero's intentions are well founded, his scheme to destroy the federation seems rather rushed. By the film's frame of time, not soon after that Romulan was destroyed that Nero vowed vengeance against Spock and set his plans in motion. In retrospect, it is forgiveable since this is more of an re-imagined origin story (origins always seem to have a weaker plot than its inevitable sequel).
I'm not going to lie, I was immensley impressed with Star Trek. Unlike other tentpole summer movies of this year, (Looking at you Logan) Star Trek never feels like it betrays the audience. It manages to pay homage to Trekkies who have been with the series since the beginning without alienating the newcomers with overcomplicated plots and a truckload of cameos that may advance the plot but are unnecessary. J.J. Abrams understands that movies like this aren't just about the razzle dazzle of explosions and actions, but are about the journey of the characters.
4.5/5
