J.J. Abram's re-boot of Star Trek is exactly that: a completely fresh take on the old mythology, a thoroughly original, loving adaptation of the classic themes and ideas that manages to unburden itself of decades of continuity and yet somehow still feel definitively, absolutely, 100 per cent Star Trek.
Though some of the series' more ardent fans may shrilly cry blasphemy from their dingy basements, Abrams and longtime screenwriting collaborators Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (Mission Impossible III, Alias) take major steps to ensure that the re-imagined universe is explained within the confines of the old one. Suffice to say this creates sufficient precedent for the younger, less experienced, more flawed versions of the classic characters — and with fallible, vulnerable versions of the once-superheroes comes real tension, uncertain as it is that the legendary James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) has a clever solution to every problem or, indeed, that his survival is guaranteed at all.
Pine's version of Kirk is a sneering, boyish thug who, for all the character's flaws, is still a remarkably charming lead. A former juvenile delinquent, the new Kirk is a dirty fighter, a cheat and an all-around charlatan who cons his way onboard the USS Enterprise with the help of his friend “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban) after being put on Academic Suspension at the Starfleet Academy. Naturally, this puts him at odds with the hyper-logical Spock (Zachary Quinto), a half-human, half-Vulcan who has been saddled with his own bevy of psychological problems stemming from the rejection he feels by both races.
Though the film gives the majority of screen time to Kirk and Spock's horn-locking, each character is given a similar emotional ground wire that textures the sci-fi archetypes in a genuinely human way. Favourites: Bones is a cantankerous bastard due to a messy divorce and a deep-seated paranoia about space; Scotty's reckless genius gets him in trouble with his superiors; even Nero (the Romulan villain played by Eric Bana) has a deeply personal reason for hating the federation.
Star Trek's only real problems are nitpicking. The lens-flare effect Abrams uses in every scene, set abroad the bridge of a federation ship, quickly becomes tiresome, and a few of the classic characters seem only to be present so their names can be said aloud. However, these are hardly deal breakers. It's a rare action film that so effortlessly meets every expectation it creates for itself, and an even rarer reboot of a beloved series that's able to service the old fans and still be totally accessible to newcomers. Star Trek is an unqualified success in nearly every way, and is wholeheartedly recommendable to anyone who likes science fiction, adventure or fun.
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