Star Trek Posted by Matt Smith 14 May, 2009 - 11:14 AM

Star Trek

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana and Simon Pegg.

The 11th installment of the Star Trek franchise sees director J.J Abrams (Mission Impossible 3 and T.V's Lost) taking on this year's most popular trend, the prequel. Star Trek chronicles the vastly different introduction to the space game and first mission on the USS Enterprise for screen icons James T. Kirk and Spock.

From the outset I must admit to knowing very little about the Star Trek phenomenon. I know Spock has pointy ears, followers are the most fanatical of all film lovers and Captain Kirk went on to become the fat, nymphomaniac lawyer on television's Boston Legal. So, with virtually non-existent knowledge of the previous ten films and the super popular TV series, can I fairly judge this film?



Thankfully the answer is a resounding yes, and this is one of the main reasons Star Trek is such a wonderful film. Regardless of whether you travel every year to Vegas to attend Trekkies conferences or you just couldn't care less about Klingons and Romulans, Star Trek is an adrenalin ride like no other action flick so far this year.

The film is, for the most part, less about science fiction film and more about action and adventure. It has as much to do with discipline, loyalty and friendship as it has to do with spaceships, black holes and creatures from outer space. Despite the film's various references for the initiated-only it never appears to be a film just for bona fide Trekkies.    

The special effects of the film are wonderful and modern technology has given the franchise the look and feel it so desperately needed in it's hey day. The casting agents for the film also have to be commended for picking relative new-comers who are perfectly cast as the iconic characters.

Home and Away star Chris Hemsworth is excellent in early scenes as he sacrifices his own life to save that of his new born son James T Kirk. Chris Pine is superb as the cocky, but charismatic, James T. Kirk. Zachary Quinto has made a huge leap from the small screen (Heroes) to the role of Spock with a performance certain to please both fans and non-fans of the legendary character.

Fans of the cult phenomenon will argue Star Trek was never just about how it looked on screen, but I can safely say the shiny new, upgraded version will recruit a whole new era of Trekkies (or sub-group Trekkers) to the fold.

Four out of Five Stars.

Leave your comment

• xREVENTONx says

  I watched it and im not a fan, and I tell you what this movie is way up there with Nolan's Batman series, and Michael Bays Transformers, this movie in my opinion is equivalent to the Dark Knight in all aspects. its not how I thought it was going to be (boring space movie) it was actually full on action packed movie with good morals. I rated the trailer 7/10. after seeing the movie...10/10 all the way.

  http://www.youtube.com/xreventonx

  Posted Thursday 14 May, 2009 3:23 PM
• Sarah says

  I never was a Star Trek movie but my husband and some of our friends are and so we all went to see it - I LOVED IT!!!!! It was really good - want to watch all the series now!!!

  Posted Thursday 14 May, 2009 3:48 PM
• Deane Coxall says

  As a bona fide Trekkie and have been for most of my 22 years, I found this film ABYSMAL! There were just too many inconsistencies with 40 years of sci-fi history that has already been built, in fact I found it quite insulting -- I believe J.J. Abrams has completely refuted everything the Star Trek franchise stood for; the exploration, the politics, the entire philosophy surrounding the Federation. The ONLY solace I take from this is that it might get people who wouldn't ordinarily give a damn about Star Trek, actually interested in it's roots.

  http://home.amnet.net.au/~dospcrs

  Posted Thursday 14 May, 2009 4:13 PM