Movie: Star Trek

As a franchise, Star Trek has been in troubled times.

The last film was not well received, for a number of very valid reasons. The last TV series was cancelled after run of just 4 seasons, again, for a number of good reasons. Rumours of a new film had been circulating for a long time and the publicity machine has been winding itself into a frenzy over the new film. It's not really a make-or-break movie for the franchise, but it will determine if Trek goes dormant for another few years or is re-energised (pun intended) with life.

So with all the hype and publicity, the generally good reviews and a few personal recommendations, I went to see the film at the weekend. I was dubious that they would capture the essence of what I believe Trek is all about (the last film missed it by a mile), and I was doubtful that a gaggle of young actors could successfully step into the shoes of such well know and well loved characters.

As the film starts, it is obviously Star Trek, but the way it's photographed is rather new, rougher, more organic. The opening sequence grabs your attention and sets the quality and pace for the entire film.

Establishing the main characters is a thankfully swift sequence. We then start to meet other characters and there are jokes, both obvious and subtle, woven in to both the dialogue and situations. Much as I'd like to, I won't include any spoilers here, but if you've a passing familiarity with the previous films, there are some great things to look out for.

The second act brings us to the Enterprise and some wonderful performances, both serious an light hearted - the crew briefing was so ludicrous I just can't help chuckling, even now. The pace is perfect and the story is engaging and compelling, with enough action and character development to produce a well rounded film.

The cameo sequence works much better than I expected and Simon Pegg obviously had a fantastic time as Scotty.

The final act proceeds mostly as expected, not to say that it isn't thoroughly enjoyable. There is a little over-sentimentality at the end, perhaps, but it's quite well executed.

Overall the actors did a great job. Quinto was especially pleasing as the young Spock, with Urban also doing a fine version of McCoy. Pine had a tough job, as the central protagonist, to emulate Shatner's Kirk whilst not compromising the character, but he had just enough of the classic to make it work.

The film is not without its flaws - for me, mostly technical issues. I can understand those who take exception to these flaws, but the film works well overall, brining an immediacy and energy back to the series which has perhaps been lacking in recent outings. The pace is perfect, with plenty of action but also time for reflection, the effects work very well and the cinematography, although not the Trek norm, works well in the action settings. Basically, it's just good fun - an entertaining film which works well on it's own but even better as part of the long franchise. It deserves to be a success.

9/10