J.J Abrams has got balls; big shiny brass balls that must drag on the ground when he walks into the offices of Hollywood CEOs. Taking on a franchise is a surmountable undertaking, period, let alone one the most fervently worshipped franchises in history. Sure Star Wars is the poster child of the science fiction genre, but the workhorse and quite frankly, the eternal torchbearer, has been Star Trek, in all its glorious and not so glorious forms.
Some call Abrams take on the Star Trek brand a re-imagining, but he’s gone beyond that; he has in fact hijacked the entire Star Trek universe and time-line, smashing the boundaries and conventions that has rendered previous Star Trek films quite flaccid.
Abrams directing of wonderfully cast youngsters make what many believed to be a questionable setting work wonders. Set in the years preceding the original television series, Chris Pine plays a young James T. Kirk, a rebellious Iowa teenager who is goaded into joining Star Fleet after a barroom bust-up; of course from that point we are treated to the wonderful unfolding of a very familiar family.
Our introductions to iconic characters such as Spock, Bones, Uhura and Scotty tug at the romantic heart strings and Abrams’ exquisitely deft touch keeps these necessary developments fresh and valuable.
The spirit of each and every character has been captured across the board, especially that of Kirk. Pine’s performance as the swashbuckling spaceman is nothing short of incredible. His mastery of William Shatner’s mannerisms lock you into this story almost immediately and are carried throughout the entire film.
Eric Banner also does a sterling job portraying Captain Nemo, this films evil genius. His thirst for revenge fuels the constant tension and the amazing space battles that lend this film more action than all of the Fast and Furious movies combined!
From go to whoa, there is little more you could want from this film. For Trek fans it is the saviour of their religion, and for normies, it’s simply the best film of the year.
