Star Trek*****

To boldly go where no man has gone before… okay, many have gone to Starfleet’s USS Enterprise but not as stylishly as director JJ Abrams, the man who took television by storm with Alias and then Lost. He also directed Mission: Impossible 3 which was such a joyride.

But Star Trek remains JJ Abrams’ most ambitious film and easily beats all his predecessors.
To call Star Trek just another film from the franchise would be unfair. It’s the rebooting of one of the most iconic sci-fi franchises. Star Trek has been around for the last four decades with six television shows from 1966 till 2005 and 10 previous films.

This is the eleventh film but for a generation that remains unfazed by the Star Trek phenomenon, this is a must-watch because this film takes us back to beginning, the birth of James T Kirk and his ultimate rise as captain, the Vulcan Spock and his rational brain versus human emotions, and the camaraderie between Dr. McCoy and a young Kirk who hadn’t been captain.

Chris Pine takes on the juiciest role of his career as James T Kirk, Zachary Quinto (famous for his role as villain Sylar on Heroes) becomes Spock and Karl Urban takes on the mantle of Dr McCoy aka Bones.
Eric Bana goes for a full-on makeover in this film as Nero, the Vulcan-hating Romulan evil in space, looking to take down the United Federation of Planets. And the USS Enterprise is the ultimate trophy for him. It’s a ship but one with many stories, and a crew that exceeds 400 people.

It isn’t the story – the battle between Nero and the Enterprise – that is the biggest draw of the film but the subtext to the story, the developing relationships between Kirk, Spock, Bones and the history of Starfleet and USS Enterprise that intrigues and entertains.

The spotlight shines on Zachary Quinto’s Spock who has a human mother and a Vulcan father, the only Vulcan on his planet to have such a unique mix of genes and remains torn between rationale and emotions. He is conflicted between being logical and taking down the man who destroys his home.
Meanwhile James T Kirk has the burden of the past. His father captained the USS Enterprise and he is expected to do the same. But while he remains a bright young guy, he is also a rebel, one who breaks rules and likes living on the edge. His initiation to the Enterprise remains in turmoil and his relationship with Spock is one that remains the film’s highlight. Two stubborn and opposite men whose disdain for each other is palpable.

As the two meet, their dislike for each other is open and in-your-face.
“Kirk: Are you afraid or aren’t you?
Spock: I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion.
Kirk: Then why don’t you stop me?”

Amidst all this is Nero who hits USS Enterprise with all his might. And does begins the odyssey to
Another coup is the cast itself. Australian actor Eric Bana is nothing like the incredible Hulk. Eric Bana’s Nero is to Star Trek what Ralph Fiennes’s Lord Voldermort is to Harry Potter: pure evil who will stop at nothing. At first, Bana is unrecognizable because he immerses himself into the role completely. He is despicable as Nero and that is where he stands out.

Chris Pine is no William Shatner or Patrick Stewart. But he is young much like the rest of the cast. Mostly he takes on the legacy of Captain James T Kirk without a glitch. His young rebellion and his quick wit, flirtatious ways – Star Trek has never been this much fun before.

Karl Urban’s Bones is a spot-on reminder of DeForest Kelley.

The biggest asset of the film remains its director JJ Abrams. He knows how to shoot spectacular sequences and that fact hasn’t changed since his days of television. The fight-off between USS Enterprise and Nero in infinite space is jaw-dropping. The Vulcan world is another highpoint. The scenes between James T Kirk and Bones, the close shots and impeccable sound, it makes up for the slightly week story. But the subplots within the film are so textured that it makes up for the mistakes.

A special cameo from the original television series (which we won’t disclose) is nostalgic and a major coup for Abrams because this actor has refused many roles from the same franchise time and again. To watch him after years was delightful.

There have been many Star Trek films and movies but the one that still remains the all-time favourite of Star Trek fans or “Trekkies” as they call themselves is the original television series which was made in the 1960s and featured William Shatner (Captain Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock) and DeForest Kelley (Dr. McCoy aka Bones).

Star Trek from JJ Abrams can stand tall right next to it. From the beginning, it becomes clear that JJ Abrams made this film as a prequel to the legend of Star Trek. And as the film closes, the iconic phrase from the franchise:
“Space… the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life and new civilizations; to boldly go where no man has gone before” – its clear that JJ Abrams just might revitalize this franchise for the long haul.
– Star Trek is currently playing in cinemas

– Maheen Sabeeh

*YUCK
**WHATEVER
***GOOD
****SUPER
*****AWESOME