Origin remake introduces ‘Star Trek’ to a younger generation
— Critic’s pick
When “Star Trek” hit the screen in 2009, it was like something you would see at the Hardon Collider: Two great forces smashing against each other, creating (or revealing) something entirely new but distinctly the same.
Here, we have the iconic “Star Trek” universe, a utopian society-fantasy in which a forward-looking population turns to the stars for the next great adventure (“To boldly go” and whatnot), with lasers and a prime directive to boot. Butting up against the famous series is director J.J. Abrams’ view of what “Star Trek” would look like in 2009. The talented “Lost” director — and his penchant for panache — goes all out: state-of-the-art big-studio special effects, popular (and aptly chosen) actors and a story line worthy of the Star Trek name.
Deciding to blast off the series (the sequel, “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” hits theaters May 17, 2013) with a literal blast, Abrams adds a bit of an explosive touch to his remake, in slight contrast to the original series, which, while violent at times, tended to go for the logical over the physical. We’re taken to years before the famed crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise meet, to a scene of chaos and destruction in deep space where, amid the carnage and heroism, James Tiberius Kirk is born. We know we’ll soon be introduced to the adult version, but there’s an origin scene with him stealing a muscle car and racing it down a deserted road. It’s symbolic in more ways that one, least of all because those scenes are paired up with some of the young Vulcan Spock solving problems with wit and wrath.
It’s not long before we enter Starfleet Academy (in the sunny San Francisco, no less). It’s here where our heroes, Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) meet for the first time. And it wouldn’t be a memorable meeting if the two didn’t nearly hate each other right off the bat. This divide, the one between the cold serenity of logic and the passionate heat of emotion, is essential both to the larger plot and the connection between Kirk and Spock. And it doesn’t hurt that the tension creates some humorous moments.
Those moments, though, don’t come at the expense of either the actors or the story. Which is a good thing. Abrams treats the Star Trek world as he should: with enough reverence owed to a series that shaped a generation of sci-fi fans, but enough humor to prevent anyone from thinking this movie takes itself too seriously. Abrams and writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman create this simplistic yet effective blend of awe and grit, utilizing plenty of banter and action with only a smattering of serious moments generally involving fatherly figures (Bruce Greenwood and even Leonard Nimoy).
The action here centers around the Romulans. They, though coincidence, coerce the young crew onto the Enterprise, using this as a segue to introduce both the good guys — including Anton Yelchin as Chekov and John Cho as Sulu — and the bad guy, Nero (played by a tatted and angry-looking Eric Bana). Nero uses his ship, a monstrosity of a beast with menacing-looking tendrils flowing from its blooming flower-like core, for devastation. In fact, though the message of this movie may be hope and overcoming overwhelming adversity, there are some dark sequences that replay in your mind.
But to be honest, the draw of “Star Trek” isn’t so much the space exploration or flashy action, but the connection between two men who discuss their role in the galaxy while crashing against each other like the ocean against a seaside cliff. Two shockingly different temperaments — fire and ice, if you will — come together because they have to. And what a combination it is, thanks in large part to Quinto and Pine. It’s not easy portraying characters with such memorable creators. Seeing Quinto traverse between
Vulcan logic and human emotion is mesmerizing, while Pine’s adaptation of William Shatner’s infamous performance comes across as nuanced.
It was a grand idea: to try “to boldly go” where few have dared to venture. This is “Star Trek,” after all. How easily all of this could have imploded. There but for the grace of time-traveling aliens.
Four Federation stars out of five, and a critic’s pick.
Silver Screening Reviews 