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Star Trek. A name which some sci-fi fans swoon over, a sacred franchise that shall not be tampered with. It must have involved a fair bit of trepidation then for JJ Abrams to tackle the franchise head on by completely turning it on its head.
Any lesser director would suggest a new crew and a different era, a next-next Generation as it were, but Abrams has taken the herculean task on his shoulders of bringing us a new cast playing some of the most iconic roles in sci-fi history. It’s brave, bold and most importantly; it pays off.
Why does it work? Well, firstly because of the cast. Chris Pine, the new Kirk, is great, despite the plot trying to make us hate his initial ‘space-brat’ character. He makes the part his own without tripping over the obvious clichés of William Shatner-esque old Kirk. Zachary Quinto seems to have been born to play young spock, with Nimoy going on record as being suitably impressed with his protégé. Karl Urban does his best Bones impression, maybe trying too hard at times to be a young Deforest Kelly and to those who doubted Simon Pegg could pull off Scotty for the whole film – you’re wrong!
Then there’s the plot. It’s here that Abrams shows the rabbit up his sleeve. This is not just a prequel, oh no. Those who are familiar with Abrams’s other projects (Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield etc) should know better than to expect mere prequels and simple storylines. No, this involves {holds breath} an alternate universe. It’s such a simple concept and one that is used a million times in Star Trek already, but it’s done in such a way that it opens the page for the story to be fresh and new. It means the characters could do anything, be anything. With this one move the film releases its ties to the past while still staying faithful to the much-loved series (and trust me, it’s more faithful than you might first think, right down to the end scenes).
Of course, there are always going to be some errors in judgement or pitfalls, you get the feeling that Urban tries too hard for that Bones impression and THAT music is missing from the start of the film (how dare they!). The plot doesn’t really let up enough to develop character beyond the initial half hour of introductions and the whole ‘red matter’ is explained away all too simply for the Star Trek universe (where are the complicated chemical names?) wrapped in a simple plot with little in the way of sci-fi overtones. But who cares when it feels so right?
Star Trek is a sight to behold, the detail, the explosions, the new bridge of the Enterprise. It looks good, sounds good and most of all it feels good. Abrams has done the impossible and the franchise is all the better for it.
9/10
Any lesser director would suggest a new crew and a different era, a next-next Generation as it were, but Abrams has taken the herculean task on his shoulders of bringing us a new cast playing some of the most iconic roles in sci-fi history. It’s brave, bold and most importantly; it pays off.
Why does it work? Well, firstly because of the cast. Chris Pine, the new Kirk, is great, despite the plot trying to make us hate his initial ‘space-brat’ character. He makes the part his own without tripping over the obvious clichés of William Shatner-esque old Kirk. Zachary Quinto seems to have been born to play young spock, with Nimoy going on record as being suitably impressed with his protégé. Karl Urban does his best Bones impression, maybe trying too hard at times to be a young Deforest Kelly and to those who doubted Simon Pegg could pull off Scotty for the whole film – you’re wrong!
Then there’s the plot. It’s here that Abrams shows the rabbit up his sleeve. This is not just a prequel, oh no. Those who are familiar with Abrams’s other projects (Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield etc) should know better than to expect mere prequels and simple storylines. No, this involves {holds breath} an alternate universe. It’s such a simple concept and one that is used a million times in Star Trek already, but it’s done in such a way that it opens the page for the story to be fresh and new. It means the characters could do anything, be anything. With this one move the film releases its ties to the past while still staying faithful to the much-loved series (and trust me, it’s more faithful than you might first think, right down to the end scenes).
Of course, there are always going to be some errors in judgement or pitfalls, you get the feeling that Urban tries too hard for that Bones impression and THAT music is missing from the start of the film (how dare they!). The plot doesn’t really let up enough to develop character beyond the initial half hour of introductions and the whole ‘red matter’ is explained away all too simply for the Star Trek universe (where are the complicated chemical names?) wrapped in a simple plot with little in the way of sci-fi overtones. But who cares when it feels so right?
Star Trek is a sight to behold, the detail, the explosions, the new bridge of the Enterprise. It looks good, sounds good and most of all it feels good. Abrams has done the impossible and the franchise is all the better for it.
9/10
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Star Trek. A name which some sci-fi fans swoon over, a sacred franchise that shall not be tampered with. It must have involved a fair bit of trepidation then for JJ Abrams to tackle the franchise head on by completely turning it on its head.
Any lesser director would suggest a new crew and a different era, a next-next Generation as it were, but Abrams has taken the herculean task on his shoulders of bringing us a new cast playing some of the most iconic roles in sci-fi history. It’s brave, bold and most importantly; it pays off.
Why does it work? Well, firstly because of the cast. Chris Pine, the new Kirk, is great, despite the plot trying to make us hate his initial ‘space-brat’ character. He makes the part his own without tripping over the obvious clichés of William Shatner-esque old Kirk. Zachary Quinto seems to have been born to play young spock, with Nimoy going on record as being suitably impressed with his protégé. Karl Urban does his best Bones impression, maybe trying too hard at times to be a young Deforest Kelly and to those who doubted Simon Pegg could pull off Scotty for the whole film – you’re wrong!
Then there’s the plot. It’s here that Abrams shows the rabbit up his sleeve. This is not just a prequel, oh no. Those who are familiar with Abrams’s other projects (Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield etc) should know better than to expect mere prequels and simple storylines. No, this involves {holds breath} an alternate universe. It’s such a simple concept and one that is used a million times in Star Trek already, but it’s done in such a way that it opens the page for the story to be fresh and new. It means the characters could do anything, be anything. With this one move the film releases its ties to the past while still staying faithful to the much-loved series (and trust me, it’s more faithful than you might first think, right down to the end scenes).
Of course, there are always going to be some errors in judgement or pitfalls, you get the feeling that Urban tries too hard for that Bones impression and THAT music is missing from the start of the film (how dare they!). The plot doesn’t really let up enough to develop character beyond the initial half hour of introductions and the whole ‘red matter’ is explained away all too simply for the Star Trek universe (where are the complicated chemical names?) wrapped in a simple plot with little in the way of sci-fi overtones. But who cares when it feels so right?
Star Trek is a sight to behold, the detail, the explosions, the new bridge of the Enterprise. It looks good, sounds good and most of all it feels good. Abrams has done the impossible and the franchise is all the better for it.
9/10
Any lesser director would suggest a new crew and a different era, a next-next Generation as it were, but Abrams has taken the herculean task on his shoulders of bringing us a new cast playing some of the most iconic roles in sci-fi history. It’s brave, bold and most importantly; it pays off.
Why does it work? Well, firstly because of the cast. Chris Pine, the new Kirk, is great, despite the plot trying to make us hate his initial ‘space-brat’ character. He makes the part his own without tripping over the obvious clichés of William Shatner-esque old Kirk. Zachary Quinto seems to have been born to play young spock, with Nimoy going on record as being suitably impressed with his protégé. Karl Urban does his best Bones impression, maybe trying too hard at times to be a young Deforest Kelly and to those who doubted Simon Pegg could pull off Scotty for the whole film – you’re wrong!
Then there’s the plot. It’s here that Abrams shows the rabbit up his sleeve. This is not just a prequel, oh no. Those who are familiar with Abrams’s other projects (Lost, Fringe, Cloverfield etc) should know better than to expect mere prequels and simple storylines. No, this involves {holds breath} an alternate universe. It’s such a simple concept and one that is used a million times in Star Trek already, but it’s done in such a way that it opens the page for the story to be fresh and new. It means the characters could do anything, be anything. With this one move the film releases its ties to the past while still staying faithful to the much-loved series (and trust me, it’s more faithful than you might first think, right down to the end scenes).
Of course, there are always going to be some errors in judgement or pitfalls, you get the feeling that Urban tries too hard for that Bones impression and THAT music is missing from the start of the film (how dare they!). The plot doesn’t really let up enough to develop character beyond the initial half hour of introductions and the whole ‘red matter’ is explained away all too simply for the Star Trek universe (where are the complicated chemical names?) wrapped in a simple plot with little in the way of sci-fi overtones. But who cares when it feels so right?
Star Trek is a sight to behold, the detail, the explosions, the new bridge of the Enterprise. It looks good, sounds good and most of all it feels good. Abrams has done the impossible and the franchise is all the better for it.
9/10
Nice review pb :)
Thanks Chris.
Have you seen/are you going to see the film?
Have you seen/are you going to see the film?
I'm not particularly a big fan of star trek, seeing as i haven't really watched the series, so i haven't considered seeing the film. But it'll be one of them series where i'll watch an episode, and be instantly hooked. That's what happened when i watched Buffy the Vampire Slayer anyway. Then again, William Shatner isn't as hot as Sarah Michelle Gellar....
No, but Jadzia Dax is...Seven of Nine not too bad either :P
As this is set before the original series, I don't think you'd need to see the series before watching it - you'd just understand some of the references a bit better...
Nice review PB! No spoilers yet still detailed enough.
Makes me want to see if even more now!
As this is set before the original series, I don't think you'd need to see the series before watching it - you'd just understand some of the references a bit better...
Nice review PB! No spoilers yet still detailed enough.
Makes me want to see if even more now!
Thanks Edgy, and you're right, despite all the obvious fan references to TOS, Enterprise et al it is still very watchable by anyone who hasn't ever seen a Star Trek.
I'm tempted to go watch it again, only the £7 entry fee stands in my way!
I'm tempted to go watch it again, only the £7 entry fee stands in my way!
You definitely don't need to be a fan of the series to enjoy this, I went with 2 other people who had never seen Star Trek in their lives their only knowledge was of references that have made it into the 'mainstream' and they both enjoyed it as much as me.
I should be going again this week with another mate who couldn't make it on Friday. Love my unlimited card during the summer!
I should be going again this week with another mate who couldn't make it on Friday. Love my unlimited card during the summer!
ButchML wrote:
> Love my unlimited card during the summer!
Amen - i may go watch it again with my mates, i went with my girlfriend so will be interesting to see other people's perspective on the film.
Need to check what else is on and go watch that, i always enjoy going for something to eat then going to the cinema in the summer, makes for a nice evening!
> Love my unlimited card during the summer!
Amen - i may go watch it again with my mates, i went with my girlfriend so will be interesting to see other people's perspective on the film.
Need to check what else is on and go watch that, i always enjoy going for something to eat then going to the cinema in the summer, makes for a nice evening!
I've seen Star Trek now so for those who don't mind spoilers, my review is hidden below...
9/10
*I could have mentioned everything PB did but there would be no point in repetition :)
9/10
*I could have mentioned everything PB did but there would be no point in repetition :)
Nice summing up Edgy. Completely agree with what you've said and spotted all those references too.
The bit about
The bit about
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