The Trek franchise may have lost its spark somewhere in amongst the miriad of diminishing returns, but prepare to put all that behind you. JJ Abrams' brave new reinvention has not only reignited the spark, it's also burning damn hot, and I'm not just talking about the cast.
Bringing iconic characters from a legendary and ground-breaking series back to life was not something to be taken lightly, but JJ Abrams, cult god, took the helm and was clearly the right man for the job. Taking the original show back to its roots, Star Trek tells the story of how Kirk and the rest of the classic crew first came to be together, with a twist I won't spoil.
With inspired casting everywhere you look, each introduction will put a huge smile on your face. Chris Pine doesn't impersonate the Shatner - how could you? - he brings his own take on the role and it's spot on. Everything is there: the rebellion, the smirk, the playfulness and yes, the womanising! And at some point during the film, you'll realise you really missed that guy.
The star of the show, however, is Zachary Quinto and it's not just because he makes my thighs tingle. Playing both Spock's human and Vulcan sides with equal skill, Quinto nails the role in such a way it's as if he were born for it. The casting perfection doesn't end there. Karl Urban is somehow more Bones than Bones and Zoe Saldana brings fire to the role of Uhura as she's made more of an integral part of the crew (and given a relationship that made me exclaim 'oh my!'). Even Simon Pegg blew my doubts out of the water and gave a great performance as Scotty.
You'll feel as if you're watching history being made as the film unfolds, and you are in more ways than one. Thanks to time-jumping bad guy Nero (Eric Bana), and JJ Abrams crack team of writers, by the end of the movie the Trek franchise has been updated, refreshed and restarted. It's a new beginning and it isn't a slap in the face to fans - it's a more like a hug and handshake.
Honourable mentions also have to go to the faultless special effects, cinematography, soundtrack and score! I want to shake the hand of the man who decided to put the Beastie Boys in a Star Trek movie. Fuck yeah.
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