J.J. Abrams’ second feature film is a fast, fun, and ultimately successful reboot of the floundering and practically disappeared Star Trek franchise from modern media.
Aboard the USS Kelvin, the ship is responding to an anomaly coming from a supposed black hole only to come across a huge Romulan ship coming through said Black Hole to which a fierce, if one sided space battle begins to erupt in space. Suddenly, fire ceases from the Romulan ship just as it was about to be finish off the Kelvin. The captain of the Romulan ship Nero demands the Kelvin’s captain’s presence on his ship as to find out more about the location of a ship being manned by Spock. As the captain turns leaves, he turns the ship over to his 1st officer, George Kirk who after tragedy on the Romulan ship orders a full evacuation of the Kelvin and is able to save the lives of hundreds of the ships crew, including that of his just born son James Tiberius Kirk as he has to sacrifice his own for the sake of his crew. Meanwhile on Vulcan, Spock, who is a half human, half Vulcan son of the planets ambassador to Earth excels as a student of the country and carries the element to have emotions unlike others in the Vulcan race due to his human lineage. Presented with the opportunity to stay and go to school at the revered Vulcan academy Spock refuses due to his own peoples smugness towards his human side and enrolls in the Starfleet Academy. Meanwhile James Kirk is growing up as a farmer in Iowa, a townie bar hopper that likes to dust it up after being raised without his parents most of his life. The Starfleet academy is based out of Iowa and after a visit from a Captain Pike after Kirk gets into it with a pack of cadets, Kirk is convinced to join up himself after hearing the harrowing story of his father’s selflessness and ability as a captain, for however short a time. After a three year jump in time over the majority of their cadetship, Kirk and close friend ‘Bones’ McCoy are close to graduating from the Academy and finding a home on a ship. At about this same time, we see Nero capture a small ship coming through a similar black hole as they did, and it is the same ship he was looking for 20 some odd years earlier when he attacked the Kelvin. Kirk then manages to get court marshaled for seemingly cheating an unbeatable simulation created by Spock who has risen to the status of a Commander in the Starfleet. The two are in a heated argument when an emergency distress call is received from the plant Vulcan and all cadets are assigned to ships as they set out to find out what the issue is at the planet. And from here, the wheels have been set in motion for the picture and for the story of Kirk and Spock to begin on their lives on the USS Enterprise.
Now, that was a bit long winded to set up the film, but I have spoiled little and there is plenty more to discover after the fleet takes off for Vulcan. As for the film as a whole, it is a whole lot of fun, filled with fantastic and top notch special effects, and has a well rounded and solid cast all around. The pacing on the film never drags and is full of action from start to finish. The film is very accessible to those that are virgins to the franchise while still holding a number of winks and nudges to Trekies out there and keeping the cannon of the series in tact by creating an alternate path for these characters once Nero traveled back in time and destroyed the Kelvin.
Now, I will say, there are a couple of glaring questions to be asked about some over sites on the film that might cause the nitpicky to run amok. For instance, after Nero destroyed the Kelvin, we are supposed to believe everyone just forgot about him for and he hid for the next 20 something years? Also, the film can’t overcome a couple of all too convenient moments, most of all the fact that elder Spock, Kirk, and Scotty just all happen to end up on the same desolate planet so that they can pass on the appropriate information and join aboard the crew of the ship like they were destined to be. There is also a couple of fairly cheesy, sentimental moments in the film that might rub some people the wrong way, but nothing was too distracting or too much for me. Also, a couple gags seemed out of place, most of all an allergic reaction joke that seems both unnecessary and out of place in the context of the film. With all that said, there is a whole lot more to like in the picture then there is to nitpick and the filmmaking is top notch work by everyone involved.
The cast is great from mostly top to bottom and that really helps the picture shine and take on a life of its own. Chris Pine carries himself with a swagger and cocky personality that works for the angst driven Kirk who feels he is and wants to be the best. Whether he is barking out orders, chasing tail, or beating on cadets, Pine handles it all and is a fun guy to have commanding the Enterprise. Zachary Quinto is fantastic as Spock, easily injecting humor, confidence, and the duality of the man and his conflictions as he works his way through the plot. Quinto just shines from start to finish and he is reason enough to want to see another Star Trek film. In the supporting roles, Karl Urban is funny and pitch perfect as McCoy, supplying advice and a voice of reason for Kirk while trying to keep him straight all the same. Simon Pegg has a few scenes as Scotty but is hilarious in every one of them and I can’t wait for more of him in the sequels and getting quips from throughout the entirety of the picture. John Cho and Anton Yelchin are both solid as supporting crew members, with Cho even getting an action scene to boot that he handles surprisingly well. Zoe Saldana is adequate as Uhura but isn’t really given a moment to shine, while Bruce Greenwood does what he does best at turning in another solid effort as Captain Pike who recruits Kirk and commands the Enterprise. Lastly, Eric Bana as the villain Nero is good enough, but doesn’t really have a whole lot to do, and one wishes they would have given as gifted an actor as he is something more to do and bigger scenes to chew on; same goes for the Romulan 1st mate played by Clifton Collins Jr., another great actor underutilized.
In the end, Star Trek is a fun and compelling sci-fi adventure that lays the path for some potentially more substantial and superb sequels down the line. With enough action, humor that works for the characters, and superb filmmaking all around there is plenty to enjoy in Star Trek and to keep one entertained. There might be a few plot holes and might leave people that are unfamiliar with the franchise scratching their heads in a couple moments/jokes, but the film remains an accessible and worth sci-fi film for the fans of the genre. I look forward to future endeavors of the Enterprise and I hope they can bring the whole cast back again and again for each potential film as Kirk and Spock are now cool again.
Star Trek is a B+