Nelson Galaxy

***** SPOILER ALERT *****     ***** SPOILER ALERT *****     ***** SPOILER ALERT *****

I did it. I went to see Star Trek. Was it as good as I wanted it to be? No, it could never be. Is it a good film? It is a bloody great film.

JJ Abrams’ Star Trek reboot is a masterpiece of SF action cinema. The film is perfectly paced and concentrates on the personal whilst showing spectacular action sequences. It is about grief and vengeance and has real guts by sticking to its convictions.

I am going to start with the negatives; hey I’m that kind of guy. There are far too many coincidences - rather illogical. Kirk just happens to be dumped on a random planet and in an area where old Spock is hiding in a cave. With incredible luck they realise there is a Federation base nearby, run by an outcast Scotty. I have heard it suggested that because Nero and Spock are messing with the past the timelines are trying to correct themselves with these pieces of luck. That’s lucky then.

Villain Nero suggests that his fantastic ship is just a standard mining vessel and he cannot comprehend how people in the past find it so fantastic, proving that the mundane of the future is a spectacle in the past. Why is it then that when we are first introduced to Kirk he is driving a 20th century car, using a Nokia GPS and listening to the Beastie Boys before drinking a bottle of Budweiser? Wouldn’t Kirk’s present be as fantastic to us as Nero’s is to him? And why is everything in Iowa – Kirk, the starship dockyards, Starfleet Academy bars, Captain Pike and Uhura?

I apologise for my little nitpick. Let’s concentrate on the positive.

Abrams, along with the screenwriters, made the brave decision to create an alternate timeline, irrevocably changing our heroes’ destinies. Gone is over 40 years of convoluted Star Trek canon and law. The removal of a reset button feels like a liberation. These characters are now vulnerable to danger and even death, they can be hurt. Vulcan really has been destroyed, Spock’s mother has been killed and Uhura likes snogging Spock. If only The Master storyline of Doctor Who had been so brave.

The new acting talent on show is outstanding. These actors embody the heart and soul of their roles while avoiding caricature. The only noticeable ‘impression’ is Karl Urban’s McCoy, but he still eerily nails the role. You will not pine for Kirk’s affected hamyness when watching Chris Pine’s intensity and energy. Simon Pegg’s Glasgow accented Scotty is a little odd but he has the best lines – asking Spock if there are still sandwiches in the future.

Zoe Saldana’s Uhura is gorgeous, sassy and smart and both Sulu and Chekov have more to do than they did for the whole of the Original Series. The only real let down is Eric Bana’s Nero. After Khan and Chang he feels a little ineffectual with his ship full of biker bullyboys. But this is a good thing, avoiding yet another pantomime Star Trek villain.

The film is populated with gorgeous sets and effects and ingenious production design. The tweaked Enterprise is amazing, sparse and modern yet industrial and cluttered; it is both faithful and up-to-date. The action is ramped by the use of shaky cam and glare, placing us directly into the combat. The planet Vulcan destroyed, a far more impressive scene than the destruction of the Genesis planet in The Search for Spock.

It is the presence of Nimoy that gives this film real gravitas. His monologue at the film’s end mirrors that of The Wrath of Khan. In Khan we experienced Spock’s passing, an ending of sorts, here, his voiceover represents a brave new beginning.