Star Trek - Review

I've never been a big fan of Star Trek. The original series has a quaint nostlagic feel to it, Patrick Stewart's Next Generation I watched when young with my Dad, but the other shows I found slow, turgid and lacking in dramatic conflict or action sequences. Thank God then for JJ Abrams who has taken the prime directive and shoved a dynamite up it's arse. Star Trek is not only a resounding success, it will probably be the best summer blockbuster of the year, and it's only May. Add to that, it may well be the best Star Trek film ever. First Contact was great, The Wrath of Kahn equally brilliant, but Abrams film is so great, that when the closing credits came I was sat in my seat secretly hoping he'd made part 2 and it would begin straight after.

After a farly slow, and not gripping opening sequences the film very quickly threatens to get better and better, and one sequence aside it delivers with aplomb.

The script is full of sharp wit, nods to the original series and is so intricately plotted it could only have come from the creator of Lost. As the final act wraps itself up there is not a single lingering doubt over how the events unfolded. Something not always easy when dealing with alternate universes and quasi time travel.

The cast is excellent bar none. Every character feels unique, memorable and, one of the truly marvellous elements of the script is that no character is shoehorned into the story. The manner in which Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu and Chekhov come together feels organic, natural and their actions completely justifies there eventual crew membership aboard the Enterprise; a crew fans and non fans know all too well.

Having said that, there are slight problems. For a script which manages to zip along like a photon torpedo, the writers somehow find themselves on the Star Wars world of Hoth, complete with "there's always a bigger monster" cliche. Thankfully the CGI is very good and this sequence is quickly replaced with more Star Trek fun. Fun, not a word usually associated with Star Trek, it's usually the reserve of George Lucas' opus. Star Trek instead is a show which spent more time naval gazing than blowing stuff up. Abrams changes that without sacrificing the philosophical elements and also throws in a some pretty hefty universe changing moments to boot.

One sequence sees Kirk running around the Enterprise whilst McCoy injects him with different vaccines, and inocluations and gives the audiences plenty to laugh about.

It's Kirk and Spock who play centre stage more so than the supporting cast who really pull you in. One surprising element is that this is as much Spock's story as Kirk's, and both have character arc which feel satisfying and forges a strong relationship based on trust and respect. Opposites definitely attract. Chris Pine and Zachery Quinto are both excellent and from their opening scenes you can see them at the helm of the Starfleets greatest Starship. Pine especially feels like the young Kirk the franchise always needed if this film was to be a success.

The best film of the summer? Only time will tell, but its competitors will need to be pretty special if Abrams reboot is to be unperched as the biggest and best summer blockbuster of 2009.