Star Trek

WARNING: This review is hidden because it reveals the content of the film.
Click here to show this review. “Star Trek” is not the cerebral sci-fi picture I was hoping it would be when it was first announced. Is that a disappointment? Maybe, but then again, this film delivers so well, so enthusiastically when it comes to what you want to see in an action film that to suggest anything be changed is something I wouldn’t be comfortable with. It’s so much fun.

In the 23rd century, an enormous spaceship emerges from what can only be described as a lightning storm in space. The ship’s captain, a Romulan named Nero (Eric Bana) is searching is looking for retribution. He seeks “Ambassador Spock”, a Vulcan that is of no real consequence… yet. The Federation of United Planets faces total annihilation while an unlikely crew begins taking shape. You may already be familiar with the likes of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban), Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Simon Pegg), Hikaru Sulu (John Cho) and Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), but this is their first adventure.

What this film reminds me of is the action classic, “Speed”. Like the Sandra Bullock, Keanu Reeves picture, “Star Trek” is one inventive action scene after another and they’re as varied as the stars above. Just when you think the action has peaked, it comes in with something fresh that makes your jaw drop but never at the detriment of what previously happened. They all build upon one another. It’s a tightly written script with death-defying feats that lead into one another. The scenes of ship-to-ship combat alone, they’re amazing. They’re less like the dogfights you’re accustomed to seeing in “Battlestar Galactica” or “Star Wars” and more like the battles you’d see on the high seas in the early 1800’s, with crews scrambling upon vessels as they blast at each other with gunpowder and cannonballs. You’ve got projective whizzing past each other, laser beams slicing through space and shrapnel flies through the void between these crafts. Meanwhile, the people on the inside are trying to hold it together as they’re constantly threatened by the decompression that would suck them outside to their deaths. Shields are failing, power has to be redirected to keep the whole thing from shutting down completely… Even if the characters were flat and one-dimensional, if the plot was noodle-brained and predictable, it “Star Trek” would still be worth seeing for these scenes.

Beneath the roars of engines and the crackling scenes of combat is a story of unlikely friendship. Most prequels, you can’t help but yawn at. You know who’s going to end up with whom and you are just waiting for them all to get to the spot where you know they will ultimately settle down in. Here, you forget that you know who is going to be where. The chemistry between the characters is so good that the special effects and the action scenes are merely icing on the cake. The meat of your story is seeing these young people go through a hoard of ordeals as they grow up and learn their place in this universe. There are touching moments of real emotion and there’s also abundant humor. This is a story about a bunch of friends. They might not know it yet, but it becomes quickly obvious to them, and to us that this group, it’s something special. It’s like flipping through a family photo album and suddenly remembering all of these treasured moments. You can’t help but grin from ear to ear.

“Star Trek” is a well-oiled machine. The special effects, the script, the dialogue, the humor, the drama, the tension, the sets, that mix of the old and the new, they’re all working in perfect unison. This is one talented group of actors. They bring new life to characters that we’ve seen many times before by keeping some elements the same and by mixing it up just enough. It’s like a hot summer day when you turn over the pillow and find that the reverse side is nice and cool, perfect for resting your head upon. Still the same pillow, but that new angle, it’s exactly what you wanted without diminishing what you had before.

After seeing “Star Trek”, you realize that there are no excuses for dumb blockbusters. This film’s got everything. It’s pure, unbridled joy for the audience. I can’t wait to see it again. (On Blu-ray, July 9, 2016)