Star Trek - Directed By J.J. Abrams

Review of the Sci Fi Blockbuster Featuring Zachary Quinto

Jul 8, 2009

It's Star Trek - but not as we know it. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek re-opens a popular film franchise to explore the origins of The Starship Enterprise's crew.

Star Trek chronicles the early years of James Kirk and his crew during their time at Star Fleet Academy. We first see Kirk (Chris Pine) as a talented but down and out trouble maker, struggling to make his way in life until he is convinced to follow in his father’s footsteps and join the Academy. From there he crosses the paths of ‘Bones’ McCoy, Uhura and other recognisable characters, including Spock (Zachary Quinto, Heroes) the erudite Vulcan who airs immediate contempt for Kirk’s cocky, rule-breaking nature.

However, the cadets training is put to the test when they are thrown into immediate action when a mysterious Romulan, Nero (Eric Bana) appears, hell bent on wreaking havoc across the galaxy. Soon it materialises that both Spock and Kirk have more motivation than most to hunt down the ruthless killer and before long, the Starship Enterprise as we know it begins to take shape.

J.J. Abrams Directs Star Trek Stylishly

Star Trek is surprising in that it succeeds where so many others have failed. With such iconic characters to recreate, the casting is of course crucial. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto deserve particular credit as they encompass the essence of both Kirk and Spock respectively without ever overflowing into a caricature performance. The same goes for the rest of the Enterprise’s eclectic crew. Bones, Chekov, Uhura, Sulu and Scotty (Simon Pegg) all have comical moments and show signs of the on-screen dynamic that made the original series work so well. The often strained friendship in the original series between Bones and Kirk is given particular exploration, showing the two forming their allegances early on in their bid to make it through cadet school. Bones, as always, picking up the pieces left by the haphazard but determined Kirk.

For me, the crowning glory is that the special effects do not seem over enforced at any time, there is the even mix of real action and CGI which makes the world of Star Trek that more palatable.

If you haven’t the ability to suspend your disbelief then you could say that there are more holes in the plot line than in the Enterprise itself and that the film’s conclusion does border on sickly, but on reflection, wasn’t that what Star Trek was like in the first place? How the die-hard Trekkies will react to the film remains to be seen but from a neutral perspective, Star Trek deserves to take credit where credit is due - a good effort.

Star Trek Is A Summer Blockbuster Worth Talking About

The beginning of May heralds the start of the Blockbuster season in Hollywood. A time when studio executives rub their hands to the sound of box-office tills and the munching of overpriced popcorn. This is when the big money pictures come to play. In days gone by this time of year was something to look forward to but in recent times the summer season has become laden with poorly written, un-imaginative epics with special effects applied thicker than Katie Price’s make up. Big money re-visitations to old classics have fallen foul of the ‘never go back’ rule of filmmaking, the likes of Indiana Jones, Superman and The Incredible Hulk to name but a few. So the release of Star Trek is met with serious scepticism and low expectation.

However, Lost creator J.J. Abrams is able to direct a film that offers a sense of nostalgia yet forages new ground at the same time. It's a refreshing alternative to the exhausted blockbuster franchises that often blight our summers. You can tell that Abrams cares about this film and is respectful to the legacy of Star Trek, it's something that shines throughout the course of the film.

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