Premise: Return to where it all began. Kirk. Spock. McCoy. Sulu. Uhura. Chekov.
Stars: Chris Pine * Zachary Quinto * Eric Bana * Karl Urban * Leonard Nimoy * Zoe Saldana * Bruce Greenwood * Simon Pegg
Story: A young boy grows up without his father, a captain who died when he was born. Another young boy grows up as a child of two worlds, one alien, one human. Their futures entwine when they both go to Starfleet, one as an instructor, the other as a cadet. Their paths cross, the stage is set as they both end up on the Enterprise, the new flagship of a spaceborne United Nations. Unfortunately, a villain from the future has entered the current reality hellbent on revenge, including destroying the homeworlds of both Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto).
Review: The acting is pretty much spot-on for all actors involved. Pine is arrogant and brash, but has that intelligence and wit to prove he's capable of leadership. Quinto does a great job portraying the conflict within Spock (I've never heard a better placed 'Fuck you' as when Spock says 'Live long and prosper' in one pivotal scene.) as his emotions roil beneath a calm exterior. Urban does homage to DeForest Kelley's performance as Doctor McCoy, with mannerisms, statements, and profundities that pay tribute as well as establish his bona fides as a character actor. Pegg plays Scotty, in a role that seemed destined for the star of Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead. The rest of the cast plays well in supporting roles, providing depth and characterization to the re-imagined Star Trek universe.
The only acting disappointment is Bana as the villainous leader Nero. Coming across as more like a spoiled child than a tortured grieving victim, it's easy to see that the writing concentrated on the main acts - the Enterprise crew - and let other pieces fall where they may.
Story-wise, the plot is simple: Bad thing happened in the future, Nero and Spock Prime (Nimoy) travel into the past via accident, Nero sets out for revenge, setting the stage for a confrontation with our heroes. Meanwhile, our heroes have to cover a little background history, set up a confrontation between the two main stars (Kirk and Spock), and let the final showdown resolve the issues in a somewhat predictable manner.
There are holes in the writing - matters of inconvenience are papered over for expediency (Kirk and Spock Prime meeting in a fortuitous ice cave, Nero somehow being able to predict within minutes where Spock Prime would appear in space, a few others), some logic was sacrificed for impressive effects (massive ships being built in farm country planet-side as opposed to in space, the future has robot/android police, why not robot/android military figures?) - and the pacing does seem uneven.
There are plenty of Easter eggs in the movie referencing the different television series as well as most if not all of the ten previous movies. It's easy to geek out over this movie, and I must admit that the first time I watched it, I clapped at the end. (A little golf clap.)
I'm not a fan of J.J. Abrams' use of the kinetic shooting method - the camera moves from eye level to close-up to farther away over the course of a few frames too often for my taste - but it is muted in many spots and doesn't distract in the way that it did in Mission Impossible III or the Abrams-produced Cloverfield.
However, the story does stay true to some aspects. Star Trek was never about space battles - at least not until the big screen and the later series. Trek was always about character first and foremost. It's about who we are, where we're going, and what one man - Gene Roddenberry - thought was the way it could be done. As one planet. As one people. Among many other peoples. Thinking before fighting, but fighting when necessary. And that's what Trek boils down to. Abrams may have created this film based on Roddenberry's vision, but it holds true. It may anger some fans, but it most certainly delighted this one.
Overall: Good
Other Sites: IMDb * Wikipedia * AllMovie * Rotten Tomatoes
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