Strictly speaking, the Star Trek franchise has never been a big moneyspinner at the Box Office. First Contact, the most lucrative of the movie series thus far grossed a decent but not amazing $30 million on its opening weekend in the US and while the fans have ensured a reliable level of modest success, it's always been more of a Television stalwart than a cinematic titan.
Those days could well be over though because this brand new version of the classic original is blockbuster film making at its very finest. Brimming over with colourful characters, big set pieces and a genuine sense of wonder, it's the first must-see attraction of the summer-movie period. Significantly, it's also guaranteed to be just as enjoyable to eight year olds as it is to their parents, even if they haven't the faintest idea what a Tribble is.
JJ Abrams Can Do It! He Has Got The Power!
Revolving around the earliest meeting of James T. Kirk, Mr. Spock and co, Star Trek is conclusive proof that not all remakes and reimaginings need to be tarnished as pale imitators of their original sources. Warp speed is engaged right at the start with a jaw-dropping pre-credits sequence and the film positively vibrates with energy and good cheer.
Central to this is the relationship between Kirk and Spock and the new cast do a tremendous job. Chris Pine is the hero of the tale; his Kirk is a rebellious, arrogant smart-alec who has charisma practically gushing out of his ears and he keeps the entertainment high throughout.
Zachary Quinto meanwhile is absolutely spot-on as his pointy-eared crew mate, delivering a dignified portrayal of the turmoil between his Vulcan and human sides. Kirk may be the hero, but Spock is the story's heart. One scene where he stands in the teleport deck, just staring at the matter-transporter carries more emotional heft than all three of the new Star Wars films put together.
I'm A Doctor! Not A Physicist!
The dynamic between the two is played out perfectly and the rest of the ensemble cast put in some delightful supporting roles. Simon Pegg is reliably light-hearted as Scotty, John Cho makes for a surprisingly credible action-man as Sulu and Karl Urban's 'Bones' McCoy is an instantly likeable elder-statesmen. Zoe Saldana meanwhile does a great job as Uhura. Her quips with Kirk and quieter scenes with Spock show a fine actress just itching for more screen time and if anything is missing from this movie, it's more scenes with her.
Visually meanwhile the film looks terrific. Space, despite being largely empty, is a colourful backdrop of nebulas, collapsing planets and epic starship dockyards. The battles between ships are explosive bursts of laser energy, beams of light zipping all over the place. There are no wobbly plastic sets in sight, this is retina-burning, ear-drum shaking chaos of the highest order.
I...Will Always Be...Your Friend...
Purists of course will still prefer The Wrath Of Khan but you'd have to be a basement-dwelling uber-nerd who can speak Romulan in all three dialects to walk away from Star Trek without a Cheshire Cat grin traversing your face. This may be a classic that's been pro-tooled to fit into the current blockbuster climate of sexy young casts and really loud noises, but for two whole hours it provides exemplary popcorn-munching joy. George Lucas take note, this is how it should be done.
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