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.jpg) I’m not a Trekkie.
I’ve never seen a complete episode of Gene Roddenberry’s long running television show, mostly because I couldn’t tell you what the heck was going on in the series. I don’t know the difference between Klingons and Romulans. I couldn’t tell you which star system the planet Vulkan could be found in. I know nothing of Star Trek.
In a lot of ways, this made me J.J. Abrams’ target audience for his re-launch of the Star Trek series. Abrams’ film serves as a solid starting point for non-trekkies like me. I have to say, I left this adrenaline rush of a film with a big, goofy grin on my face.
I understand that the hard-core Trek fans will not like this reboot, as the feel of their beloved Trek is gone. The Star Trek to Star Wars comparison goes like this; Star Trek is like a submarine battle, while Star Wars is more like aerial dog-fighting. I’ve always been a Star Wars fan and found Trek’s long-form battles to be somewhat boring, so Abrams’ rocket-fueled reboot was right up my alley.
As the film opens, we meet the young George Kirk as he’s sending his family on a shuttle to escape a deadly battle with a massive Romulan craft. George is played by Chris Hemsworth. His wife, Winona played by Jennifer Morrison, is pregnant with the couple’s first child, James, which George names before taking his craft into a kamikaze mission. James is born on the shuttle, barely escaping the Romulan threat.
Years later, James Kirk is a smart, but undisciplined twenty-something. He’s not going to enlist in Starfleet, but after a discussion with Pike, played by Bruce Greenwood, and the incentive of the attractive but unattainable Uhura (played by Zoe Saldana), he agrees to enlist. Kirk doesn’t change his ways, though. He’s the same smart-ass wise guy, but now he’s got a uniform. Kirk’s ways raises the concerns of Mr. Spock (played by Zachary Quinto). Due to some controversy with Spock, Kirk isn’t placed on a starship just yet, but when the Romulans begin attacking the peaceful planet of Vulcan, James joins the crew of the USS Enterprise to defeat the growing threat.
Ultimately, the reason I loved this Trek is simple. It’s a lot of freaking fun. I don’t know of another movie that I had this much fun watching in years. Abrams, along side long-time contributors Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, threw everything we know about Star Trek out of a window and started from scratch, creating a full-throttled, unapologetic thrill ride that delivers on solid drama, humorous jokes and non-stop fun.
The cast in the flick is insanely good. I was as big a skeptic on Chris Pine as any other when it came to bringing a new Kirk to live, but he delivers with a hard-edged, charming and exciting Kirk. I had a feeling I was going to hate him, but I left the film being a huge Chris Pine fan. Now, I more than likely won’t go back and watch “Just My Luck,” but he has a huge future in film.
I don’t understand the public’s fascination with Zachary Quinto. I’ve always found his acting style to be dead-like and emotionless, but that’s what makes him a perfect Spock. Quinto’s blank and soulless nature actually serves his character well here, where he drops the dark edge and goes for innocence. It works, Quinto makes an amazing Spock.
While Kirk and Spock will always be the focus of any Star Trek movie, Abrams’ Trek features a rounded out cast that helps create an exciting and enjoyable universe. Zoe Saldana plays Uhura. While not given a lot to do outside of being hot, Zoe’s scenes with Quinto’s Spock ring authentic. Karl Urban is a revelation as Bones. If there was a character that I wanted to see more of, it was Urban’s. Of the very little original Trek I’ve scene, I honestly can’t remember Bones, but Urban makes him memorable. Bones is funny, intense and humorless, which makes him that much more funny. His first line to Kirk is one of the funniest in the film. Urban creates a Bones whose hard edge and dry wit makes him one of the highlights of the film.
There were two performances that I was particularly interested in seeing. First was John Cho as Mr. Sulu. Cho isn’t known for an action hero and Mr. Sulu was never known to be funny, which would fit Cho’s comedic chops. The Sulu in the film isn’t really funny or is he meant to be, but Cho does have some action chops as he’s featured in one of the best action sequences in the film. The other performance I was interested in seeing was Simon Pegg as Scotty. This may be the Pegg fan in me, but he was perfect as Scotty. He’s not overused and his appearance in the Enterprise is a highlight of the film.
The big surprise for me was Anton Yelchin as Chekov, the Enterprise’s insanely young co-pilot. His youth and charm turn into humor which steals every scene he’s in. He’s not used all that much, but when he’s in the film, he’s the focus of the scene.
Abrams shows his hand as a master of creating exciting and complex action sequences. His cast, the cg-effects and Abrams’ masterful staging creates sequences which are tension-filled, but don’t abort the excitement and fun-filled nature of the film. His battle scenes do not feel CGI, but have a real weight and feeling to each impact and phaser blast.
I quickly fell in love with Abrams’ Star Trek. Even at 127 minutes, the film flies by and gives a non-trekkie like me something to cheer about. I had a blast watching this movie and cannot wait to see what Abrams thinks up next.
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