Acho
Posts: 3903
Joined: 3/10/2005
From: Dublin, Co. Ireland
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quote:
ORIGINAL: elab49
And are there any reviews hanging around from anyone who doesn't think Abrams is the second coming and might have an objective film based look at a Star Trek film for non trekkies?
Happy to oblige! Saw Star Trek this morning (my first ever proper press screening, very exciting  ) so shall attempt an actual review of sorts, before this thread gets completely swamped!
Right, first off, I'm not a Trekkie. Not remotely. I've never seen any of the films (not even Wrath of Khan!) or watched the TV series; so I wouldn't say I dislike the Trek franchises, I just know very little of them.
With that in mind...I thought Star Trek was excellent. Extremely enjoyable and entertaining, it's a summer blockbuster that's okay to like. There is plenty of action and humour (leaving scope for the sequels to inevitably "go darker" I'm sure), it is thankfully free of excessive sci-fi/tech mumble jumble jargon, it offers a well-balanced cast, allowing the key players to be introduced and set up very nicely for subsequent films in the franchise. Those who are new to the Star Trek universe do not feel left out and yet, if the scattered laughter around the cinema told me anything, there seems to be enough nods and references for more dedicated fans too.
There is a fast-paced and explosion-heavy, yet still quite moving, pre-credits sequence (it made Helen O'Hara cry! Click.), followed by some Iowa- and Vulcan-set scenes introducing the younger Kirk and Spock, and their entries into the Star Fleet Academy. We fast forward pretty quickly to their first mission aboard the USS Enterprise. Various hi-jinks ensue, but that's enough plot chat for now.
I used a few words in that there above paragraph that are exclusive to the world of Star Trek and they are not words I've probably ever typed out before (Star Fleet? Vulcan?). Yet no one is excluded from enjoying the adventures of Kirk and co. Star Trek is more slick action film that pure sci-fi (I can't say if this is par for the course throughout the other films and series), which I think is the point that Colin Kennedy was making in the Empire review; there is no great dilemma or principle at stake. This is a film which seeks to introduce a group of key characters, provide some context as to how they've come to be here and to establish their relationships with each other. But mostly, it seeks to entertain. To this end, it succeeds well.
Not every character gets as much development as the rest (Sulu and Uhura aren't given a whole lot to do, and Chekov provides some laughs, although we never really hear anything about him other than his age), but the central pairing of Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto as Kirk and Spock works well; Pine, much moreso, delivering a very good performance. His roles to date haven't set the world on fire, but this is quite the star-making turn. Simon Pegg as Scotty is a great little part, it's just a pity we don't get more of him, and Karl Urban as Bones performs well, bringing both humour and a genuine sense of a friendship with Kirk.
So, the new kids do pretty well on their first outing. Old school gravitas is then provided by Leonard Nimoy (in an exposition-riddled part, but one which helps tie up a lot of the plot strands, quite neatly it must be said), Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike, and Eric Bana as the Romulan baddy, Nero. Bana is pretty effective, although the role he's been given mostly involves shouting, looking menacing and storming about - he's far from being a classic villain, with his revenge motive being sufficient, if not particularly engaging.
Returning to the core group, humour is a key point; there are plenty of laughs in this film. Some of them are outright gags that anyone can appreciate; others are the more knowing nods to Star Trek lore (thanks to many viewings of Galaxy Quest, and general pop cultural awareness, I know what it means when a red-shirted crew member joins a mission... ). Even a non-Trekkie such as myself can appreciate, with a smile, when lines such as "beam me up" and "set phasers to stun" are used. The film is light without being too slight, and I hope that this levity carries through to any subsequent films, while also engaging in somewhat meatier storylines. The film is also quite accomplished from a technical point of view. The special effects are impressive, but not ground-breaking. There are plenty of explosions and action set pieces. The score is also strong, but I felt there was one scene too many which chose to use stirring music over slightly slowed down action. But Abrams is a slick director and there are no real clunky, badly-composed scenes. Abrams has created a very effective and entertaining film. It is accessible to non-Trekkies and is in no danger of ever being a "guilty pleasure" - it earns its own valid merit through energy, action, wit and charisma. The Enterprise team has been assembled and are well set up for further adventures.
< Message edited by Acho -- 24/4/2009 4:35:33 AM >
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RE: Pegg - 
Trekkie geekiness! It's catching! 
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