Star Trek Movie Review

Star Trek

Movie Review

Batman, The Incredible Hulk, James Bond. Hollywood has gone “year zero” on so many of its franchises that I'm surprised they haven't received a strongly worded letter from Pol Pot's executors. The latest series to reset the continuity odometer is Star Trek, and they've done it in some style.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, (co-creator of the never-ending bank of unanswered questions that is Lost), the movie is a prequel of sorts to the original Star Trek series, dealing with the first flight of NCC-1701 and its precocious young crew. The plot also contains a time travelling element (similar to the Voyager episode “Year of Hell”), which cleverly detaches the events of this and any further features from original canon.

Casting is the main reason this movie works so well. Chris Pine leaves all of Shatner's sixties campiness at the bead-curtained door, but retains Captain Kirk's recklessness and cockiness. The result is an alluringly fresh take on a previously anachronistic character, without the distractingly staccato delivery of old. Zachary Quinto holds the emotional centre as Spock. It’s a tough, pivotal task which leaves him less time to charm the audience, but he pulls it off with seasoned aplomb.

Outside of the two leading men, the players are equally well chosen. Anton Yelchin and Simon Pegg are underused as Chekov and Scotty respectively, but when called upon both give fun and funny performances. Special mention must go to Karl Urban, who captures the essence of DeForest Kelley's Doctor McCoy flawlessly. I found that after the character's introduction my mouth would form an expectant smile whenever he entered frame. Elsewhere, Zoe Saldana as Uhura is, willingly or not, poured into the inevitable strong female character role while Winona Ryder continues her pilgrimage back into Hollywood's good books playing Spock's human mother.

The script is a Swiss clock of perfection. It introduces the characters at its leisure, giving each their moment in which to become memorable. The humour is as accessible for Trekkies as it is for newbies and the time travelling portion of the plot (featuring Leonard Nimoy as future Spock) never becomes convoluted.

However, there are some bum – well, slightly off key – notes. Eric Bana (which my spell check would have me aptly change to Eric Banal) doesn't bring everything that you would expect of him to Nero, the time travelling antagonist. His features get lost behind the make up and his performance with it. Plus, Leonard Nimoy feels like a bit of a bolt on at times. His appearance in the centre of the story is random in an otherwise well contrived plot. I wouldn't have felt as though something were missing had he not made an appearance.

On the whole though, Abrams et al have done a wonderful job of retrofitting what, with the cancellation of the TV series Enterprise, seemed a dead franchise. All I can say is roll on the inevitable sequel. Although, maybe in this alternate Star Trek universe all the odd numbered installments will be turkeys...

8.5/10