Yes I will admit it, I am a Trekie. I am not hardcore obsessed with the series but am still a big fan. While I was familiar with the Original Series I did not watch it while growing up. It was not until The Next Generation came to TV that I took an active interest and became a fan. I went on to watch all of that series as well as Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I have not seen much of Enterprise but hope to soon. When it was announced that JJ Abrahams was going to reboot the series I was pleased as the way the franchise was going it did not look hopeful. What I loved about what JJ did with 'Star Trek' was he used one of the series most popular elements, time travel, to take the film into a whole new realm without being anchored to the old series. So I had considerably high hopes for this sequel.
I want to warn you now that I will be revealing some spoilers in this review. You may want to read it after you have seen the film cause one of them is a major plot twist. The one thing that JJ and his team of writers have gotten right with these films is the characters and their relationships with each other. Kirk and Spock are the leads so their characters are more developed than the others but the rest of the crew feel just as well rounded. Then to have an excellent plot to put the characters in is just amazing. There are so many unexpected twists and turns that you are continually guessing as to where it is heading. I was worried when looking at the trailers that the film looked too earthbound but that is not the case. JJ has also staged some amazing action sequences that look really spectacular. He sure loves showing the shipos crew getting blown out into space. I was this film in Imax and seeing it on that massive screen was even more spectacular. While I loved this film I am willing to admit that it has problems. There are a few plot contrivances which seem strange because the rest of the film is so well written but the writers still make novice mistakes. I am still not sure about the similarities to 'Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan'. It was cool to see the link with the old series but considering they went to all the trouble of trying to set up their own timeline they still make references to the old series. There is also a cameo which I felt was a bit unnecessary.
I think that Chris Pines performance here is the best he has ever given in a film. Kirk has so much going on in the film that gives Chris so much to work with as an actor. Zachary Quinto also has a strong role in the film. The way he is able to move from his stoic Vulcan side to his more emotional human side is amazing. Benedict Cumberbatch brings a great deal of English dignity to his role that makes his character all that more menacing. He really feels like a nasty guy. Simon Pegg once again is excellent. He proves that he can do heavy drama as well as hilarious comedy in a matter of moments. Karl Urban also has some really funny moments in the film. Zoe Saldana is excellent as well and has a few nice moments but I wish she had more to do.
Being a Trekkie I'm not sure you can trust my opinion with this film. I'm willing to forgive all the bad parts. But it is still an amazingly spectacular action film.
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