Cast: Chris Pine as James Kirk Zachary Quinto as Spock Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime Eric Bana as Captain Nero Zoë Saldana as Uthura
Direction: J.J. Abrams
Genre: Adventure/Action/Sci-Fi
Most of the younger audiences (teens and early twenties) might vaguely remember Star Trek more for its fascinating looking characters and fascinating spaceship more than its space escapades as the historic sc-fi tv series originated way early in the 60’s. Thus full credit goes to director JJ Abrams as he resurrects the iconic tv series by making a film which is not set entirely within the original Star Trek canon as well as runs on an independent timeline. As a result, whether you have seen the tv series or not, you are bound to get hooked on to the film. The film showcases the journey of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created: the U.S.S. Enterprise. The new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind. The film is a chapter out of James Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew’s early days at the Starfleet academy when together they set out on a maiden voyage along with Spock to prevent the destruction of mankind by Captain Nero (Eric Bana). Nero is a Romulan captain who travels back in time to destroy the United Federation of Planets. It all begins when a cocky, rebellious and flirtatious James Kirk joins the Starfleet academy only to show what he is capable of achieving. He vows to finish his training in record time but in his final test is accused of cheating by Spock and is thus suspended. Amidst the suspension chaos, Starship Enterprise gets the signal of their maiden voyage and Kirk secretly sneaks into it, much against Spock’s wishes, only to realize he will have to play a vital role in stopping Nero from destroying the mankind. More than the plot, it is the casting of the film that makes it effective. Two main characters in the film (human James Kirk v/s Vulcan Spock) and their tongue-in-cheek banter, rivalry, logic against emotion argument, forms the highlight of the film other than its showcase of space adventures. Zachary Quinto as Spock is superb as a half-human, half-Vulcan who has his own psychological battle going on in his head on ranking logic above emotion. The actor acts brilliantly and giving him competition is Chris Pine as Kirk. He makes perfect use of his blonde good looks but rises above it when it comes to acting and some punching. Special credit should go for Eric Bana for looking shockingly different as Nero. JJ Abrams, known for his impressive story-telling skills when it comes to action-adventures or suspense thrillers (Lost, Alias, Mission Impossible III) resurrects the tv series by adding his creative touch yet retaining its core original highlights. Attractive spaceships, space-borne wars, interesting aliens and a narrative that keeps you on the edge of your seats...sometimes leaving you gasping for breath while watching the action sequences, sometimes leaving you with a wide smile, thanks to the characters and their verbal give n take. Star Trek is simply fascinating. Watch it.
