I have only ever been a casual Trek fan. I enjoyed the original show when i was a kid because of the dynamic between Kirk and Spock. I also enjoyed a few eps of the Next Generation and its many spin offs, but i also hated a few! The movies have been awful, decent and very good...In the case of Wrath Of Khan and First Contact excellent. But this new movie is really something special!
Its been hyped up so much that while i knew i would enjoy it, i was also afraid of leaving a bit disappointed..I didnt. It was better than i ever expected.
It begins with James T Kirks birth and his journey from angry young man to Starfleet cadet. This is contrasted with Spocks repressed childhood and his struggle to keep his emotions in check. But we all know where these 2 end up. I dont want to go into the plot too much because its very difficult not to give away spoilers if i do. But the crew of the Enterprise(for reasons i wont go into) find themselves in conflict with a vengeful Romulan called Nero (a brilliant Eric Bana) and Kirk and Spock must put their considerable differences aside and work with the fledgling crew to save Earth and come out in one piece.
The cast are pretty much perfect. I had issue with Chris Pine after seeing the trailers and thought him far too boyish looking and annoying but he actually makes a great Kirk once you see everything in context. (he is still just a tad annoying!). Zach "sylar" Quinto would have run away with the movie if it were not for Karl Urban as Dr Mcoy who screams for more screen time in the next movie. Zoe Saldanna is a sexy, assured Uhura. Jon Cho an ass kicking Sulu. My only problem cast wise was Anton Yelchin as Checkov. Hes not bad exactly but his accent is far too cartoonish and he really hasnt got that much to do. Simon Pegg suffers similarly with lack of screen time but is great comic relief when hes around.
The action scenes are awe inspiring. Space battles, sword fights, punch ups..theres never a dull moment. And even when it does slow the pace the cast ensure that the quieter moments of drama work just as well
All in all i cant recommend this enough, both to Trekkers(trekkies?) and even those of you who wouldnt be caught dead giving the Vulcan salute..see this movie, you wont be disappointed.
*****
About The Author:
Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.