Star Trek (12A)

SciFi (2009)
126mins US

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Bruce Greenwood, John Cho, Leonard Nimoy, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin
Director: JJ Abrams
Writer(s): Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman
Listings: London | Rest of UK and Ireland

Big budget re-imagining of the science fiction franchise, exploring the formative years of the popular characters. Following a family tragedy that scars him for life, James T Kirk enrols at Starfleet Academy. Impetuous, flirtatious and partial to a drink, he soon clashes with Captain Christopher Pike, who has the unenviable task of polishing the raw recruits into gallant crew members. In turn, Kirk forges alliances with Spock, Uhura, Chekhov, Scotty and Bones as they lead the heavily armed USS Enterprise into battle against Romulan despot Nero and his denizens, risking everything to save the Vulcan homeland from annihilation.

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LondonNet Film Review
Star Trek

Space: the final frontier...

This is the maiden voyage of a shiny, new Starship Enterprise under the captainship of director JJ Abrams. Its mission: to revitalise a flagging yet beloved franchise, to breathe new life into iconic characters; to boldly go where so many have gone before. Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who penned the recent reboot of Transformers, Star Trek is a big budget re-imagining of the series, exploring the formative years of Kirk, Spock and their interplanetary cohorts. Ardent fans of the universe, created by Gene Roddenberry in the early '70s, will take issue with some of the changes here, including the introduction of a forbidden romance and a time-travelling narrative thread. The new Star Trek also lacks an imposing villain and two hours simply isn't long enough to establish all of the crew in sufficient detail, but like the first X-Men, Abrams' film is a solid building block for the future.

Michael Giacchino's orchestral score is deafening (take earplugs or pain relief) from the opening sequence set aboard the USS Kelvin, captained by George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth) whose wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) is about to give birth. "We can name him after your father," says Winona as she goes into labour. "Tiberius?! That's the worst," quips George, as a Romulan warship under the control of Nero (Eric Bana) opens fire. Many years later, a cocksure and impetuous James T Kirk (Chris Pine) enrols at Starfleet Academy, making an instant friend in Dr Leonard McKoy (Karl Urban). Some of the other recruits prove more difficult to win over, especially Spock (Zachary Quinto), until a Romulan attack on the Vulcan homeland unites the young men and women. With Captain Christopher Pike (Greenwood) at the helm, crewmembers Uhura (Saldana), Chekhov (Yelchin) and Sulu (Cho) guide the pristine USS Enterprise into battle against Nero. The wily Romulan has a few tricks up his sleeve, pushing poor Spock to the brink as he races to save his father Sarek (Ben Cross) and mother (Winona Ryder).

Star Trek is a boisterous adventure incorporating that most reliable of plot devices, a black hole, which allows the filmmakers to ride roughshod over the past. Action sequences are orchestrated at breakneck speed, enlivened with slick digital effects. A monstrous interlude on a snow-laden planet, recalling The Empire Strikes Back, is unnecessary though, but does introduce a familiar face, who plays a pivotal role in the fates of the crew. Pine inhabits his role with authority, but it is Quinto's portrayal of the emotionally conflicted first officer, struggling to control the rage within which lingers the memory. Simon Pegg plays Scotty for laughs, providing comic relief from the bombardment of explosions, bone-crunching fist fights and edge of seat escapes. Before this Star Trek even blasts off, a sequel is already pencilled in for stardate summer 2011. Set phasers to stunning.

- Kim Hu

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