Star Trek World Premiere Film Review
Director JJ Abrams wasn’t really a fan of Star Trek before he directed this film. Either were actors Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto or John Cho. And perhaps that’s what makes it one of the most breathtaking moving and enjoyable science fiction films of recent memory – while the film is true to the core elements of the franchise, it’s reinvigorated with an incredible freshness that comes from the actors moulding the characters in their own way.
Warning – there are spoilers ahead. I’ve tried to keep them at a minimum, but read at your own risk.I have to admit – I have never been a Star Trek fan. I, (like the lead actors) came from a generation that was raised on a strict diet of Wookies, Jawas and Ewoks, with Lightsabers and a mysterious “Force” controlling the universe. Of course, that doesn’t mean I was completely oblivious to the Star Trek universe – as a geek (of varying aptitudes), I have seen episodes of each Star Trek series, although never enough to get me hooked. But after last night’s world premiere at the Sydney Opera House, I’m a changed man. If JJ Abrams mission was to bring new fans into the Star Trek family, he has succeeded.
From the opening sequence, where Jim Kirk is born in a rainstorm of photon torpedoes, danger and tragedy, the tone of the film is set – not only as a fast-paced, edge of the seat action ride, but as an emotional journey where you discover the true nature of the characters you have known for so long (whether you’re a Trek fan or not). And as mind blowing as the special effects are in the opening sequence (and throughout the film on the whole) what really drives this movie is the fantastic script and compelling performances from a relatively unknown cast.
When you boil it down, this Star Trek film is as much about the relationship between Kirk and Spock as it is an origin story. Perhaps the biggest surprise (and stroke of genius) is that even though it’s an origin story for the crew members of the USS Enterprise, it’s not the origin story of the original Star Trek crew. It’s set in alternate history, brought about by the inadvertant effects of time travel of the film’s villain, Nero (Eric Bana) and the original Spock (reprised by Leonard Nimoy). That may sound complicated here, but in the film it makes perfect sense.
And because of this twist, the actors are able to really make their respective characters their own. Quinto as Spock offers a deep, conflicted performance, with his Vulcan side continually battling his human side as he tries to discover his own identity. Pine as Kirk is brash, rebellious and arrogant, yet with the skills and confidence to take command of any situation. Simon Pegg as Scotty is fantastic – as funny as you’d expect, but without detracting from the overall feeling of the film. In fact every member of the cast recreates their character in a way that is both moving, entertaining and believable. One particular scene between Spock and Uhura stand in an elevator is so emotionally gripping that you feel the love and conflict between the two (without giving away too much, it’s just after a pivotal moment in the plot) and is probably the best example that this isn’t just another action packed Sci-Fi romp.
But for me the most immersive and impressive element of the film was the soundtrack. The sound effects in particular were unbelievable – and I mean that in the sense that they were so believable you’d be forgiven for crapping yourself every time a phaser was fired. Every single sound effect was used to perfection – there’s no sound for the sake of sound in this film. Attention to detail – like in the opening sequence when a crew member got sucked into the void of space and the soundtrack faded to silence – truly make this an experience to remember. If you haven’t got a home theatre system at home by the time it’s released on Blu-ray, you’ll need to hit the shops and buy one, it’s that important.
For the hardcore Trekkies who think that this all sounds a little bit to sacrilegious for their liking, it’s also worth pointing out that there are plenty of heritage Star Trek references in the film. The Vulcan neck pinch, a red-shirt dying on a mission to a planet’s surface, Scotty shouting out about more power, Sulu’s fencing, the auto sliding doors… plus plenty more that I’m probably not familiar with.
The end result of the film though, is something that everyone can enjoy – don’t make the mistake of thinking this is a geek film for Star Trek nerds (although they’ll enjoy it too). It’s just a great film, from start to finish. And by returning to the origin story, and offering us an alternate Star Trek universe in which to play with, there’s the potential for this film to inspire a whole new playing field for spinoffs, sequels and TV series to capture the imaginations of a whole new generation of fans, like the Original Star Trek did decades ago. There’s no question that with this film’s healthy reinvention of the franchise, Star Trek will continue to live long and prosper for many years to come.
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Comments
Great review! Summed up very nicely. Not being a Star Trek fan myself and coming from someone who has a large distaste for anything similar this was a great film.
I have never seen a Star Trek movie/show but detested it anyway. I nearly turned down my invite last night due to the fact it was a ST film……I’m glad I didn’t.
Won’t go into details about the parts I liked best however there were many moments were I found myself mesmerised during this movie. There were also points that dragged and were to keep the diehard trekkys happy but these were few and far between and only lasted around 4 min. Sound effects had me jumping out of my seat in parts and made for a great atmosphere. I swear the guy next to me shat in his pants during one particular scene with Kirk on the ice planet.
go and see this even if you hate the fact that you will look a little geeky, go now! (or in May when it opens) as you won’t be disappointed.
8.5/10
Hey. great review. Cant wait to see this one!
OMGOMGOMGOMG!!! Everyone is liking it! I haven’t heard a bad thing yet!
It sounds like someone on the film took some hints from the new Dr Who series’s. And with that, I think I just came in my pants a little bit. I have to go, my dot matrix needs feeding.
I swear if I was there, I’d be tempted to punch JJ Abrahms in the head for Lost. Then shake his hand for Trek & Cloverfield.
Good review, reinforces my want to go see it now!
Does anyone else for some reason think of the Wiggles when they see this screenshot?
Saw Star Trek at the Opera House last night. It was PHENOMENAL. Everything you’ve said in your review is correct. I thought the sound and the screen were not going to be up to scratch, given the Opera House is not known for it’s cinematic experiences, but the boys from Dolby and Paramount did a fantastic job, and it was even better than the best cinema I’ve been in.
It is the best Trek movie so far, and I will see it again and again and again. I’m sure there are bits I’ll pick up that I missed. I have never been moved emotionally by a Star Trek movie before, but in this latest incarnation I was.
Go see it. You will not be disappointed.
“Everyone is liking it! I haven’t heard a bad thing yet!”
On the other hand, virtually every review I’ve read has started out with words to the effect “I’ve never really liked Star Trek that much…”
Still seems like yet another “thrill ride” movie based on most of the reviews so far (despite a couple of comments in this review that say otherwise). Adding in sappy emotional scenes inbetween explosions does not make a movie “deep”, and cheesy references to cliches from the older movies/shows is not a “nod to the fans”.
Does it have a crotch injury joke? That’s a pretty good dipstick for “crap”. Does it have CGI cartoon characters (even for “stunt” purposes)? Does it make contemporary references to the 20th/21st century for no reason? Is its quality being measured in reviews by what a great “ride” it was?
To be honest, though, I’m also not a Star Trek fan! But I’m still waiting for it to be reviewed by one…
hi Ian
I had a media pass to the Premiere the other day so if you want to read a review from Trekkie’s perspective – Google for “Star Trek 11 Movie Premiere (Sydney Opera House)” and see what I had to say
@Ian: o.O I don’t think there were sappy emotional scenes…in fact, those remotely-sappy scenes I saw made me wince.
But the pacing and the characterisation was good! Seems like a lot of people have positive things to say about this one, and for good reason. ^^
Saw Star Trek last week at the Adelaide premier. It was a fantastic movie. Took my Mum and she loved it too! I was never a Star Trek fan but the movie stood out on it’s own and I’d say the Trekkie will be happy with this effort too. The special effects were really well done. Good fun movie! Go see it on big screen because the effects are worth it!
I remember growing up and listening to my cousins go on and on about how great Star Trek was.. and me thinking they were just nerds and needed to get lives! So i went into this movie without any prior knowledge or real expectations of what it was all about… and I have to admit, I thought it was pretty awesome! This could be because I have nothing to compare it to – but I i enjoyed it from start to end. I’m unsure if there was humour in the old movies, but the laughs thrown into this one, though a little lame… made it alot easier to watch (particullary when there was a bit too much star trek speak) I did feel as though i was meant to know who everyone was when they announced their names but! I recommend anyone to see it, its definately not your typical sci-fi flick.. and new Spock is hot!
Went to the Village cinema at crowns casino for a preview.
It’s unbelieveable great. The story was intense and humorous.
I reckon it’s a must see movie for a SCI-FI fan.
Just saw it and its awesome!!! You gotta go and check it out, the action scenes are brilliant. I’m going back to see it again!!!
Star Trek couldn’t be hotter.. Fantastic Movie.. No tiolet stops in this one..
The new Star Treck proves yet again why Spock is an ideal officer in Star Fleet — nothing ever surprises him.
I’m an avid Star Trek fan and felt like JJ done it justice. It feels more hip without trading in the core sci-fi look and feel. Timely special effects, a great script and stellar casting gives it something extra – and the odd comedic line is welcome too. I think it’ll be a hit amongst long time fans and newbies alike.
I’m not really a Star Trek fan but after seeing this movie I’m sold – the story is great – not too complex or hard to follow, just a simple “time to rescue the world” scenario where the good guys are fighting off the bad guys. and it was great entertainment.
It’s amazing how well the actors fit into their parts, I was impressed with Eric Bana playing the evil guy well.
Tragedy, romance, humour and intelligence – Star Trek had a balance of all of these!
I took my dad to see it and he was reminded of his younger days when ST was in B&W – he really enjoyed the new movie as well.
Over all, I’d give it 10/10 – highly recommended!
Seen the moving twice so far (first time was a pre-premiere preview screening, second was on IMAX) and I must say, it’s so wonderful to see JJ Abrams reinvigorating the Star Trek franchise with such success. Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman so delicately found the balance between keeping existing fans happy and making the film appealing to the general public.
Every aspect of the film, from the characters, to the sets and even to the look of the Starship Enterprise has been refreshed with a great new look whilst retaining the essence of their their past iterations. The story will appeal to fans as well as being structured in such a way as to allow those without any prior knowledge of Star Trek to easily get a grasp of the core group of characters, the relationships between them, and the story at hand.
For me, the two stand-outs in this movie must be Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in their respective depictions of Kirk and Spock (Karl Urban also did a great job as Bones). Overall, the cast for this film was quite well selected, with most of the core characters upholding the personas of their characters as established in previous Star Trek productions, whilst adding their own personal touches to make the roles their own. Seeing Leonard Nimoy reprise his role as Spock on the big screen was also a great thing to see. As always, his screen presence and professionalism shone through admirably.
To raise a slight negative in regards to characterisation, I would have preferred to have seen more substance and screentime for Chekov and Scotty. Personally I did get the slight feeling that there was a greater focus on these two characters as comedic relief than was necessary, though to be fair, Abrams and co did fairly well as it is given the restraints they undoubtedly were working with (ie the need to establish the backstory of Kirk and Spock, coupled with the introduction and development of the other core cast, as well as establishing and maintaining the flow of the story).
One other criticism would also have to go to the characterization of Uhura. Without offering any details which might spoil the movie for those who have not had the chance to watch it, although she received quite a bit of screentime, I felt her character could have been built upon a bit more. Also, I dislike the direction Abrams and co have taken in regards to Uhura and her relationships with other members of the Enterprise crew.
In regards to the story, Abrams has done a marvelous job in giving the viewer a sufficient introduction and background to all the major characters, as well as creating an easy to follow and interesting story which would appeal to fans and the masses alike. Considerable effort has also been put into in maintaining the ‘treknology’ aspects which is such a core feature of Star Trek (ie jargon, technical aspects etc) and although there are aspects which diehard fans will take issue with, I felt as though Abrams and co successfully struck a fine balance in keeping the fans interested and not confusing newcomers to Star Trek.
The CGI and action sequences in this movie are top notch and really add to the overall ‘Trek’ feel of the movie. The sight of the redesigned Enterprise with its lights and deflector dish ablaze set against the darkness of space is really something to behold. One thing I did find though was that the action sequences do move very fast and involve the camera camera rapidly cutting back and forth, so it can be difficult to follow the action at times (especially on big screen IMAX).
Overall, it was an absolute pleasure to watch Star Trek, and it was even better to see the Star Trek franchise muster up something of this quality on the big screen once again. Regardless of whether you are a fan of Star Trek or not, I’m fairly sure most people will be able to walk away from the movie thoroughly entertained. Whilst we all wait for the sequel to (hopefully) come out, if you haven’t already seen it, go see it now!
Rating: 9/10
You might be one of the ones who missed the StarTrek Saga and have considered it too old to watch. You might also be one of the ones who are fed up of non-sense movies hitting the cinemas these recent months.
StarTrek has the PERFECT mix of SciFi action and Special Effects, it has funny scenes and dramatic scenes. The mix was perfect. It has been a long time since a worthy movie hit the cinemas and I would say StarTrek is very worthy.
I am not a StarTrek Saga Fan, I might have only watched one or two episodes more than 10 years ago, but rating the movie from a non-fan point of view, I would say 9/10.
So in Conclusion, StarTrek was a Terrific Film!, you don’t have to have watched any before to enjoy the movie. If you are a fan of SciFi or just a fan of high quality movies then hit the cinemas and give thismovie a go. You want regret it.