Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Eric Bana
Dir: J.J Abrams
Rating: 5/5
Star Trek is possibly the most highly anticipated movies of the summer seven years after Nemesis hit our screens.
J.J Abrams is in the director's chair and there is a young, new and sexy cast that are boldly going to go where no one has gone before, but for the very first time as the whole franchise gets a face lift and a re-boot.
And while it's always a delicate issue tinkering with a much loved piece of science fiction but this time around Lost creator J.J Abrams with keep longstanding fans happy whilst introducing newbies to the franchise.
Now it's fair to say that Star Trek was always the Kirk and Spock story and the 2009 re-working really is not different we start with a James Dean style Kirk with a swagger and a major attitude struggling to find his way in the world.
Spock is similarly afflicted as he struggles to cope with his Vulcan and human heritage and it's not long before these two exceptional cadets lock horns.
The shoes of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy seemed almost impossible to fill but Abrams' casting is spot on as Pine and Quinto will both shoot to superstardom off the back of these roles.
And their partnership is just perfect; Pine has that self confidence and cockiness to take gambles and risks paired with the logical Spock, who at first seems the more competent ruler, the calmer presence on the deck.
The pair are quite literally at each others necks from the word go as they both fight for command of the Enterprise. But when faced with danger and death they realise that the only way they are going to survive is if they pull together and that most famous friendship begins to develop.
The rest of the cast are also brilliant as Karl Urban brings age and wisdom to the team as Bones, Zoe Saldana brings glamour to the cast as Uhura, but is perhaps slightly underused.
The introduction of Simon Pegg injects a massive dose of humour into the movie as only the British funnyman can and a sequel with him in from start to finish is something to really look forward to.
Well established actor Eric Bana is perfectly cast as baddie Romulan Nero hell bend on destroying all of the Galaxy and the Enterprise with it.
Away from the cast the film is visually stunning, the CGI is quite simply flawless setting out a benchmark for not only further Star Trek movies but to other blockbusters.
Star Trek is fast paced and exciting it pulsates with adventure and feeling of a franchise renewed with thrills and uncertainty around every corner.
J.J Abrams has done for this stalling franchise what Christopher Nolan has done for Batman in the last few years managing to produce the best prequel of all time.
Of course there was a major issue of placing these much loved characters in the hands of some inexperienced actors but it works beautifully, they are not trying to be the characters that we all remember and love but have created completely new ones.
They all work well together and the prospect of further movies with them, in particular the partnership of Pine and Qunito, really is very exciting, and I was never much of a Star Trek fan.
J.J Abrams really is to be congratulated as he has breathed new life into a sci-fi classic that looked to be dying and it's great that a something new has been created without losing respect for the original that so many love.
Many this new era live long and prosper!
Star Trek is out now
FemaleFirst Helen Earnshaw
Tagged in Star Trek