Star Trek

Rating – ****

I’ve always been a huge fan of another well know space saga with “Star” in the title, but Star Trek has never interested me. Why do I love one and hate the other? Well, it’s like cats and dogs I guess, that’s just the way it is. Even within the world of film geekiness, Star Trek fans always come across as the uber-dorks getting bullied and teased by the jocks…..who are presumably wielding lightsabers. It’s important to note that J J Abrams has admitted he was never actually a Star Trek fan, this turns out to be a blessing. By injecting a sense of fun (and some expensive visual fx) Abrams has saved trekkies from themselves.

The cast is young and cool while the script is also surprisingly funny. Maybe the second half of the film comes a little too close to Galaxy Quest self parody with the introduction of Simon Pegg’s Scotty. As the bumbling comic relief it’s kind of ironic that Pegg plays the equivalent of Jar jar Binks, a character he so vocally despises. “Jar Jar made the Ewoks look like f***ing Shaft!” Well, since you mention it Simon, Scotty has been given a little sidekick who looks just like an Ewok!

Apart from a scene involving a monster chasing Kirk, only to be consumed by an even larger monster (cough Phantom Menace rip-off cough) the visual effects are very impressive. Spock’s homeworld and all the space battles are frequently stunning. They are hampered slightly by J J Abrams OBSESSION with lens flare. At times they resemble the work of a film student who only just discovered a new set of After Effects plug-ins. This may sound like severe nit picking but you’ll be amazed at the overuse of this gimmick.

Ultimately, this is a really entertaining and often clever adventure film. It might piss off hardcore trekkies due to the total disregard for previous storylines. However, as a PR exercise to make Star Trek suitable for general public consumption, I think it succeeds. The potential for entertaining sequels is obvious. For the first time ever I can say I honestly enjoyed a Star Trek film! …………….damn, I feel like a traitor, quick where’s my lightsaber!

~ by thewholebuffalo on July 20, 2009.