SCI-FI; 2hr 7min
STARRING: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Bruce Greenwood, Eric Bana
Back to the future: from left, Pine and Quinto
Some movies demand to be seen on the big screen — for the fabulosity of their sets and special effects, and for the grandiose arc of their ambitions. Plus, if you’re giving the Star Trek iconography a new lease of life, then you’d better be prepared to blitz the damned thing!
Director J.J. Abrams (Mission: Impossible III ) appreciates the legacy he has inherited and he is also set on rejigging a 1960s concept for a techno-savvy generation. With that in mind, this spacey marvel goes back to where the Trek began, with the 23rd-century maiden voyage of the USS Enterprise — reimagined as a trailblazing shiposaurus — and the evolution of hothead James Kirk (Pine) as its precocious commander.
The trip isn’t smooth sailing, with the Enterprise under attack from a seething Romulan, Nero (Bana). After the estimable Captain Pike (Greenwood) is sidelined, Kirk and a lightly chilled Spock (Quinto) must shelve their differences to kick Romulan butt — which they do in a whirligig blowout that ticks very box. Visually, emotionally and for full-on nutty flair, this trip out is the whole futuristic package.
