Well i saw this today, and as some of you know on 'ere I am undoubtedly a Trekkie. I love all the series enough to own every Trek episode on DVD (all 700+ of them), from Original to Enterprise, and there is not one of the first 10 films I don't enjoy (even if The Final Frontier and Nemesis are shite) and I even dont mind a quite a few of the better written DS9 novels.
Given this, this film has a lot to live up to for me personally and I could bang on about continuity issues and things that shouldn't be in the film because is Episode 12 of the 3rd series Kirk does blah blah blah... and all that other Trekkie moaning. But i wont. I care about what happens to Star Trek, and what the future of the franchise is and where it goes. Unlike many Trek fans i was all for Abrams when he was announced as director. Not because I'm a big fan of Lost, I'm not. But because the whole franchise desperately needed an injection of new life and ideas and to be taken out of the hands of those who had run the franchise so successfully during the 1990's, but had found themselves out of ideas come the new millennium (Rick Berman stand up!). People are often surprised to found out I'm such a Trekkie. They point out the dodgy acting and the cheesy geekyness of it and assume I wouldn't really be into it. And without going into it too much, Trek has always been much more than just sci-fi. More of a declaration of what
People could achieve. And this is why its so important for the franchise to be given a good kick up the arse.
I'll say it now. I pretty much loved the whole film. Ive heard several moan about it not "feeling like Star Trek", and to a degree i can sympathise. But that's exactly the point, this film could not just feel like Star Trek. It had to be new and fresh or the franchise is doomed. Worst case scenario would have been a personality-less film. Buts it's far from that, even if some of the old Trek charm has gone.
For me personally the opening sequence was perfect and I was sold. It was enough like Trek to be Trek from then on!! Chris Pine and Zachery Quinto steal the show. Pine is enough like Shattner's Kirk to still be Kirk, without coming across as an actor trying to play an actor, and Qunito is a perfect young Spock. Then when Nimoy turned up it did feel like Trek of old just for a little bit.
The visuals are great, and Trek has never looked so good. I particularly enjoyed the phaser fire, which for the first time ever in Trek seemed dangerous, rather than just a light show. I have to say it is a very pretty film. However what I was worried about mostly was plot and writing in the film. As it is written buy the chaps that penned Transformers, i had every reason to worry! Thankfully the writting is adequate enough for the cast to pull it off. It by no means perfect and never reaches the height of the of some of the best written Trek episodes. But the scipt is good enough not to be unspeakable Trek babble to newcomers, and still be technical enough for fans like me. It was a delicate and perhaps impossible balance to get, but the script takes a decent stab at it.
The plot is Abrams ace in up his sleeve. Yes there are some holes, (but Trek thrives on plot holes. Plot holes in one Trek film/episode are often to be filled in by another film/episode.) but they are not serious enough to detract from the flow of the film or even noticeable to some who wont be Trekkie's. There also some parts of the plot that are rushed through just too quickly and others that are dwelt on to long, which leaves the film uneven slightly, and if im being very picky Nero is under-developed as a villain just a little. There is also the use of time travel as a plot devise. But this is Star Trek, and we'll have time travel as much as we bloody like in Trek please! Abrams genius is that he knew that for this to be successful, it would not matter how many new fans it attracts, it needs to keep the old faithful like me happy too. Therefore the plot could not just rewrite Trek canon and lore. And thank God it doesn't!...
Spoiler
...as pretty much the whole film is an alternative timeline
. (For Trekkies like me the alternative timeline that this is set in could be either a blessing or a curse to normal Trek canon. The only thing that is added to the usual Trek universe is the Romulan Sun going nova and the disapearance of
Old Spock from that universe. Its vital, if this film is to become part of Trek canon and or lore that a sequel sets right the correct timeline.)
As a prequel, the ending leaves the Star Trek universe in a very diffrent state of play from the Universe that is recognised in all the series and films before it. That said Abrams has left it open perfectly for a sequel to put this right and put the Star Trek Universe back to its status quo, which any sequel would have to do, otherwise all the films and series would be fundementally floored
Spoiler
This is because by the end of the film Vulcan is completly destroyed and the Vulcan race almost annihilated
Finally despite the continuity issues for Trekkie's like me and despite the slightly dodgy script, this is fun, action packed one of the best sci-fi films of recent years. It may not have the essance and feel of Trek of old, but it gives the franshise room to breathe and expand again. My missus went with me and she cant stand Star Trek. We both left happy. Job done Abrams!
