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He can put together thrilling action - so long as we're not meant to think anyone's in real danger.
And
he can pace a film so you barely have time to catch your breath - which
is only a good thing when the story and the characters don't require
any kind of in-depth analysis.
In his previous projects, these strengths have often verged on weakness: here they are exactly what this reboot of the Star Trek franchise needed.
Tthe result is one of the most fun and exciting Hollywood blockbusters of the decade.
The
story is surprisingly easy to follow, especially considering it
involves time travel and two versions of one character walking around
at the same time.
When the evil Nero (Eric Bana) appears from
the future in a giant spaceship and starts trashing the galaxy, it is
up to cocky space cadet James T Kirk (Chris Pine) and the emotionless
half-Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto) to figure out how to get along for
long enough to save the galaxy from the bridge of the Starship
Enterprise.
All your favourite characters from the original Star Trek
are here, and they all get just enough on screen time to be both funny
(Karl Urban as Dr. "Bones" McCoy is a kak) and competent, while the
interplay between Kirk and Spock is the heart of the film and both
actors play it to perfection.
With a very large cast of
characters (Spock's parents also get a look in) and a lot of action to
cram in, something had to give and sadly it is Bana's role which ends
up being more of a plot device rather than a classic Trek villain.
But that is the only flaw here and it's a very minor one.
It's a
near impossible task to please the type of fan-base that comes with
something like Star Trek.
They've had a tough time of it of late - let's face it, those die hards
have endured eleven of the most underwhelming genre films of all time.
Well, fear not Trekkies, the movie you have yearned for has
finally arrived!
JJ Abrams has well and truly delivered, not only the ultimate Star Trek movie -
but quite possibly the ultimate action movie experience.
The casting is fantastic, with enough detail to soothe the worries of
fans - and enough humour, fun, sex and spice to appease the wants and
needs of a mainstream movie audience.
Simon Pegg is a stand out (are his references to "being hungry" a tip
of the hat to the portly incarnation of Scotty Trek fans know and
love?), while Pine brings a gritty edge to Kirk (one that the girls
will just love).
If there is a better blockbuster of any kind this year, then 2009 will be an amazingly good year for movies. DVD Special Features
Commentary—By director J.J. Abrams, writers Robert
Orci and Alex Kurtzman, producer Damon Lindelof and executive producer
Bryan Burk, Featurettes including "A New Vision", "To Boldly Go",
"Casting", "Aliens" and "Score" which give comprehensive insights into
just about every single aspect of the film (especially JJ Abrams
obsession with shaking the camera).
There's also a, fairly lacklustre, Gag Reel plus a bunch of Deleted Scenes with optional commentary.
J.J. Abrams knows what Star Trek fans want when it comes to DVDs... and he hasn't let them down here. Bring on the next chapter!
Conclusion:
Movie 90% Extras: 80%
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