Star Trek: A Review

We're off to a good start.

J.J. Abrams, of whom I have been a fan since the very first episode of "Lost", proves that when it comes to sci-fi he is the king. Not only has he taken Lucas' crown and raised the Star Trek franchise to new, greater heights, he has without a doubt altered the course of cinema itself. The look, the intensity, the smarts; an Abram's film will be as instantly recognizable as Kubrick or Hitchcock. Here's hoping the man has only just begun...


On to the film. I want to first mention Karl Urban and Simon Pegg. You may recognize the names, as both men have established themselves as character actors par excellence on both sides of the dramatic spectrum over the past few years. Urban has been popping up in crappy B movies a lot following his break-out as Eomer in LOTR, and I was worried that he had been relegated to Billy Baldwin-ville. Yet, his casting as Bones was perfect. He utterly inhabits the character, gets at least half of the films laughs, and shows off a whole new dimension of talent that his participation in films like Doom, and The Chronicles of Riddick belied. I honestly believe Deforest Kelly would have been proud.
Simon Pegg is, of course, Shaun from Shaun of the Dead and in the film he plays Scotty in the most excellently comedic way. He, as an actor, is able to convey with his eyes more humor than most can manage with pages of dialog, and when he finally yells "I'm givin' er all she's got!" the crowd in my theatre burst into delighted laughter and applause. Pegg succeeds in not only filling the shoes of Scotty, but adding a whole new level of awesome in the process.

Star Trek is fantastic, in a word, and in more words is a perfect example of how pure entertainment can be smart, engaging, and emotionally resonant while still essentially being about big, explosive battles in space. The story is a true reboot, and I can't really delve into the plot without ruining the surprises, but suffice to say if you watch "Lost" or "Fringe", you'll be familiar with Abram's time bending tactics.
I went and saw the film with a few people, one of whom was a Star Trek virgin, and she gave it her seal of approval having had no prior knowledge of the franchise--which is a perfect indicator of how well Abrams succeeded in "pulling it off" (i.e. getting the nerds approval) and still making an awesome, accessible summer blockbuster. The movie is going to make buckets of cash, and it deserves too. The pacing is pitch perfect, the effects are outstanding, and the movie is just plain fun. The sound track is powerful and grand, and even though it does tend to call attention to itself, I felt that Michael Giacchino perfectly captured the scope and wonder of the film musically. I was so affected by the soundtrack that I went straight home and (acquired) the OST. Good stuff.

Yet, the true star of the film is the cast and how well each actor nailed the character they were filling the shoes off. Chris Pine is Kirk, with all of the snark and humor of Shatner on a good day, and with twice the intensity. That kid from heroes nails Spock, and since he (SPOILER ALERT) shares screentime with Nemoy, you actually get to size the two up--and the kid passes the test. Over all, everybody knocks the ball out of the park, including Eric Bana who portrays a suitably ruthless, yet strangely quirky villian (he actually gets a few well deserved laughs himself.)

The last thing to be said is that the film is big. Abrams perfectly manages to scale things up so that really, this is a film that must be seen on a large screen to fully appreciate the magnitude of the long wide shots in space with the Enterprise opposite Bana's Romulan monstrosity, or coasting past Earth, or being sucked into the massive emptiness of a black hole. Star Trek is not a film you wait for on DVD.

The film is one that most will likely want to see again immediately, and I personally will be heading back before too long. Summer movie season is cranking away splendidly now, and it is up to Terminator: Salvation to keep things humming.