I am not what you would call a dyed-in-the-wool Trekkie. Growing up I watched a decent amount of The Next Generation, and I've seen all the movies, liked maybe half of them. That said, I genuinely felt that Star Trek as a franchise had a great deal of potential, so I've always routed for it. After two dismal movies and a failed TV show, it certainly seemed like the franchise was done. So it was a bit of a surprise to see J.J. Abrams come along so soon and try and reboot from square one. In principal I was behind him, but as details emerged I was quick to make judgements. What Abrams was creating did not look like it was embracing the potential I thought this series had. Between the young cast, the overly slick visuals, and the reliance on nonstop action in the trailers, it resembled Starship Troopers minus the satire more than it did Star Trek. This was Star Trek aimed at teens with short attention spans, not fans of great story telling and nuanced characters! At some point last year I wrote off Abram's Star Trek. I knew it would bomb, be openly mocked by critics and fans, and be the final nail in the coffin for this franchise on its deathbed. Today I stand before you humbled: I was wrong. So very, very wrong.This isn't to say that the things I feared were completely unfounded (there is maybe one action beat too many, and the visuals can be distractingly flashy in spots). But the amount this film gets right is enough to put a smile on any movie lover's face for two hours. What's great for fans is that this film does not disregard the past 40 years of history. Instead, through the franchise's favorite gimmick - time travel - we get characters of old going back to meet their young selves, and setting them on a new, alternate path. This idea works, but it would only be worth it if we can still recognise and enjoy these characters as we always have. This is where my biggest fear came in, as the casting was what made me so apprehensive.
Chris Pine, basically unknown until now, is Kirk. Smart move from the start giving it to a newcomer, as any familiar face would make it hard to buy this guy as someone audiences have known for decades. But Pine was faced with a great challenge: he had to play a character that was both iconic, and known to be played a bit... hammy. We all know Shatner has a very distinctive acting style that might not gel with a modern reboot, so how would Pine handle it? Well, he smartly embraced the attitude of Kirk while jettisoning everything else. He doesn't look or sound like Kirk, but he acts like him, and that makes all the difference. Pine doesn't hesitate from moment one. His charm, charisma, and slight edge of danger is on full display, and he feels like a genuine star. I suspect he will breath a lot of life into this franchise with his confidence in the role.
The rest of the cast embrace their roles, and each have at least one moment to shine. Zachary Quinto looks like he was born to play Spock, the resemblance is uncanny. He infuses Spock with a level of emotion not really known to the character before, but it is set up in such a way that it makes sense. Karl Urban was the real revelation to me. His casting made no sense at the time, but he is Dr. McCoy. With everyone else you would inevitably get moments of "That isn't really character X." We hear McCoy before we see him and I was already taken back to the classic films. Perhaps my favorite performance. On the other hand, Anton Yelchin and John Cho don't have a lot to do, but they don't foul it up (although they rely a bit too much on Chekov's accent being silly. Yes, he says Wulcan instead of Vulcan, we get it). Zoe Saldana as Uhura, gets the biggest upgrade from the original. It really feels like she will have a lot to do in this iteration, which is great. And finally, Simon Pegg as Scotty. Not introduced until near the end, he is a fun presence, to be sure, and it will be interesting to see him grow into the role.
Star Trek has a wonderful balance between character moments and epic scale. This film feels bigger than any other in the franchise by far. At the same time, we get great comedic moments and character defining scenes. When a planet is destroyed, it isn't just used as a way to amp up the suspense, but also as a way to develop a character who is affected by the incident. It is a balance that Abrams is able to hold onto for the whole film. While it would have been nice to have a bit more of the philosophy and big ideas that the franchise was known for in the past, it has just enough of that to get by, with the potential for more in the future. Once a doubter, now a believer, I cannot wait to see where Abrams takes his crew next.
