STAR TREK

Director: J.J. Abrams
Stars: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Leonard Nimoy, Bruce Greenwood, Ben Cross, Winona Ryder
Year: 2009
Rating: PG-13

In short and cutting to the chase for this review: this film kicks ass.

Never a "Trekker" growing up, the initial Star Trek films back in the 1980s peaked my interest a bit more ... and then, being a J.J. Abrams fan especially, I was really curious as to the cojones he had in updating/remaking the characters and a story for modern audiences. That took guts - many Trek fans are prime examples of why the word "fan" is short for "fanatic" - and had the film been anything less than loyal to them and the characters, the ensuing uproar could have been quite ugly.

This film blew me the hell away from its opening, when a Romulan attack on a ship being piloted by the father of the soon-to-be-born James T. Kirk starts the film off with a heck of an action sequence - the battle ending pretty much with Jim's birth. Flash Forward some years later, and viewers are given a further glimpse into the daring rebel the Jim was as a boy - and would, later, remain as a young man, before finally being convinced to join the Starfleet like his father. The James T. Kirk here, played enthusiastically by Chris Pine, is a scoundrel and womanizer with a big chip on his shoulder - yet somehow, thanks to Pine, you respect and care for the guy hugely. On his first day flying out to join the Academy, Kirk meets his first friend - a newly-divorced doctor by the name of McCoy (Karl Urban), and it's easy to see the two will become friends right off, even though both are combative, argumentative, and stubborn men.

Flash-forward a few years, when Kirk is caught cheating on a field test at the Academy (by Academy staff member Spock - played by Zachary Quinto - no less), and his cockiness gets him suspended ... just in time for the planet Vulcan to issue a distress signal, calling for the Starfleet's help as they are under attack. But as the Academy hurriedly prepares for action, to go and help, Kirk recognizes - in the distress signal - that a trap has been set by the Romulans similar to the one that had caught his father off-guard years and years ago. Trying hurriedly to warn the captain of the newly-christened U.S.S. Enterprise, Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) - the man responsible for getting Kirk to join the Academy in the first place - Pike ends up believing Kirk's story, ushering him aboard the ship and preparing a more stealthful approach to Vulcan.

Things don't work out as planned, of course, but in the meantime viewers are introduced to the crew of the Enterprise during its maiden voyage: Sulu (John Cho), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekov (Anton Yelchin, whose Russian accent is thicker than bleu cheese dressing) - and even Spock is aboard, trying to help in preventing the destruction of his own planet. Spock and Kirk, still nursing a fair dislike for each other, are forced to work together, however, when Pike is captured and puts Spock in charge of the ship as acting captain ...

And that's pretty much what can be said, without giving away anything more.

But we know this is Kirk's story - and Kirk's ship - and the ride getting there is brilliant. Involving time travel and bitter revenge and a substance that can destroy entire planets with one drop, the film never lets up in pace, and is nothing short of an absolute thrill to watch. Each cast member seems perfectly suited to his or her role - even Simon Pegg, as Scotty, is hilarious when finally brought aboard - and some of the tell-tale lines of dialogue or bits of sarcastic humor that crop up in the film from time to time will feel like revisiting an old friend if you've seen the series (or the original films). Even Leonard Nimoy pops up for more than a cameo appearance, in a fully-realized role that is also an integral part of the story (as well as a nice side dish of humor, from time to time).

J.J. Abrams, along with writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, have succeeded in revitalizing the franchise with an update that's both fresh and yet true to the original show. Some absolute purists of the series would disagree, citing the over-use of action sequences and lack of much scientific jargon (among other things) as disrespectful to the original series - or Roddenberry's vision.

Instead, what Abrams has created here is a thrilling roller coaster ride; one that should bring a whole new fan base to the characters and Star Trek brand. The film is enthralling, fun and inventive, perfectly balanced in both dramatic/emotional pull and humor, and visually stunning to boot. Not only did it leave me breathless and excited and cheering in the end - it also left me remembering why, as a young boy long ago, I fell in love with movies in the first place. And that is magic. ***** Reel Must-See