Yes, I am a Star Trek fan. Like other Trekkies or Trekkers or whatever terminology is approved of, the thought of rebooting the original series must have been anathema. The idea isn’t completely unheard of as Babylon 5 creator J. Michael Straczynski wrote a treatment for a proposed remake series. Still, the very concept is like slaughtering a sacred cow. I approached the new Star Trek film with the same trepidation and disdain that I have with any other attempted remake from the Hollywood machine. I certainly didn’t consider J.J. Abrams to be the man that would be able to shepherd the franchise into the 21st century. Not to the mention the cast seemed as if they’d be more comfortable on a CW show than they would gallivanting through outer space. So it is with a great sense of surprise and satisfaction that I found the simply titled Star Trek to be a fantastic adventure film and the most fun theater experience I’ve had all year.
Abrams along with frequent collaborators Damon Lindelof (producer of Lost) and screenwriters Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman (Transformers) take us back to a time when the iconic Trek characters were still fresh-faced cadets in Starfleet Academy. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is a farm boy from Iowa whose father was captain of a starship for a only a few minutes and saved the lives of nearly every crew member including his wife and newborn son. This Kirk has a lot to live up to in more ways than one. He’s shunned Starfleet in favor of chasing girls and picking bar fights until a man-to-man talk with Capt. Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood). Light years away on the planet Vulcan, Spock (Zachary Quinto) has grown up torn between his Vulcan and human halves. Though he’s chosen the logical, emotionally repressed ways of his father Sarek (Ben Cross), he still possesses the fiery spirit of his mother Amanda (Winona Ryder). Long story short, they find their way on board the Enterprise along with plenty of familiar names with all new faces. These include; helmsman Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), communications officer Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), the cantankerous Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban), and eventually engineer Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg).
The maiden voyage of the U.S.S. Enterprise isn’t a smooth one as the crew must immediately go into battle against Nero (Eric Bana), a mad Romulan on a path to massive genocide. Nero has traveled back in time to avenge the destruction of his home planet by wiping out every world belonging to the Federation. Luckily for our heroes, an elderly Spock has found his way into the past to provide sage advice to the hotheaded Kirk.
Getting my nitpicks out of the way first, the script does feel rushed despite the film’s run time of over two hours. Kirk has an incredibly quick change of heart from rebellious youth to enlisting in Starfleet. From there, the story plays fast and loose as it assembles the famous crew of the Enterprise and gets them all in their proper place. Abrams manages to avoid the trendy shaky camera work that nearly everyone uses for action sequences in the wake of the Bourne trilogy. He does, however, utilize an awful lot of lens flare. It definitely works for many of the space scenes in accurately reflecting sun light off the hulls of the starships. I’m not so sure that it was needed for so many scenes, becoming quite distracting and obtrusive. Time travel probably wasn’t the most optimal choice for a storyline, but it was a necessary evil in order to placate the diehard fans in establishing this new Trek without wiping out or being beholden to previous continuity. It also allows Leonard Nimoy to take on a small role and symbolically pass the torch to this new ensemble. To their credit, the writers use time travel as a mere backdrop in order to avoid all the confusion and plot holes that usually comes with it.
The story, in and of itself, isn’t particularly original. It follows the basic journey of the protagonist into becoming the hero we know he will be while foiling the supervillain in his quest to destroy all life. Where the film shines is in its treatment of its characters and the actors who truly elevate the material they’ve been given. Chris Pine had the unenviable task of bringing life to James T. Kirk while the specter of William Shatner forever followed him. Pine captures the swashbuckling attitude of the original Kirk with a dash of Han Solo thrown in for good measure. His freewheeling ways stand in contrast to his restrained Vulcan first officer. Quinto not only looks the part of Spock, but captures his logical nature as well as the burning passions buried deep inside his human half. As expected, Simon Pegg provides the comic relief though neither he nor Sulu are given enough scenes to work with. Anton Yelchin nails Chekov’s Russian accent perfectly.
I’ve not been much of a fan of Eric Bana and found many of his performances a bit on the stiff side. I thought he was good in Munich though easily outshined by co-stars Daniel Craig and Geoffrey Rush. As Nero, Bana really relishes the villainous role and chews the scenery whenever he gets the chance. There are echoes of Wrath of Khan in Nero’s confrontations with the Enterprise along with a heavy influence from Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Both characters suffered the loss of their family and people thus dedicating their lives to battling what they feel are injustice and imperialism. Perhaps, the best performance out of anyone is Karl Urban who shows off amazing comedic timing as the grouchy, wild-eyed Dr. McCoy. Urban, a self-professed Trek fan, practically channels the spirit of DeForest Kelly.
For the first time in a long time, we have a Trek film that was truly meant for the big screen. Abrams and company have fashioned a widescreen spectacle packed to the gills with action and excitement. Will it please every longtime fan? No. This is a Trek accessible to the masses and unencumbered by past mythology. Just like Bond and Batman, this is a reboot that works. This is a new Star Trek that still pays homage to its predecessor not just in spirit. There are several scenes and lines of dialogue that call back to past episodes and films. At the same time, the film frees up the franchise to boldly go where no one has gone before.
There are still detractors. I know some fellow Trek fans who absolutely refuse to see the film. I also know several people (friends and relatives) who’ve never shown an inkling of interest in Star Trek and are either dying to see this new version or have seen it and loved it. If someone went to see Iron Man, loved it, and wanted to read some of the comics, I’m all for it. If Abrams’ Star Trek gets new fans to watch the original series or Next Generation or any iteration, I’m all for it. I don’t agree with the viewpoint that the new Star Trek detracts from classic Trek nor does it erase what’s come before it. I’ve been more than willing to accept this new vision as an alternate reality far removed from the original. Consider Star Trek to be a flickering light in the corner of your eye and ignore it if you choose. Me? I’m more than happy to enjoy all versions.
I’m also happy to see that in the future go-go boots and mini-skirts are still in fashion.
Rating: ****
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