Movie Reviews this week looks at the sci-fi blockbuster Star Trek.
Not a lot of information had been released about this movie except that it tells the story when Spock and Captain James T. Kirk first meet.
At first many assumed this movie laid the background story for the Star Trek series, but after a while you realise this is not quite straight forward, as with the Star Trek universe, with worm holes, black holes, and time travel, anything is possible.
We join the movie when the U.S.S (United Star Ship) Kelvin is attacked by a ruthless Romulan, Captain Nero (at first his features look distinctly like that of Eric Bana [Troy] even with the heavy makeup and surprise surprise, it is him), he demands the captain of the U.S.S Kelvin comes aboard, the Captain Robau played by Faran Tahir (24, the patient with the inoperable brain tumor in Grey’s Anatomy) duly complies in the hope of saving his crew, seeing that whatever weapon Nero has on this Romulan ship is more advanced than anything he has seen before.
When his shuttle arrives, he is asked if he knows Ambassador Spock (with a 3D holographic image of Leonard Nimoy circling), he says he is unfamiliar with that name, despite his protests he doesn’t stop Nero from his attack.
We next see our young protagonist on an amazing joy ride with a vintage car he has stolen, while being chased by a cop, the cop eventually catches up with him and when asked his name, he states boldly “My name is James Tiberius Kirk”.
Several years later the young Kirk is now a young man played by Chris Pine (Smoking Aces) but still a rebel, he comes into a bar containing many Starfleet cadets, and hits on one lovely cadet, Uhura played by the gorgeous Zoe Saldana, a fight ensues, until Captain Pike played by Bruce Greenwood (National Treasure: Book of secrets) puts a stop to it, he encourages Kirk to join Starfleet based on his impressive academic scores, you are not sure if Kirk is in the frame of mind to take his advice, but inevitably he does.
While at Starfleet he makes friends with Dr. McCoy aka Bones played by Karl Urban (The Chronicles of Riddick, with an uncanny mannerism with the original Dr. McCoy played by DeForest Kelly), and Kirk eventually meets a young Spock played by the very talented Zachary Quinto (much better known as Sylar, and who strangely looks eerily like a young Leonard Nimoy), after Kirk breaks Spock’s simulated test which no one had even beaten; a Starship being attacked by a number Klingons’ birds of prey and the Captain must decide on a course of action when facing certain death, Spock cites Kirk in front of the Starfleet command for cheating, and that the purpose of the test Kirk passed was to accept death and learn fear, however Kirk is adamant that he did not cheat but since he saved the crew he states he duly passed the test. This first altercation sets the scene for the relationship between Kirk and Spock for the rest of the movie, while the ruthless Romulan Nero seeks revenge on a young Spock.
Star Trek is a superb science fiction action movie, and fans of the series will be impressed by the depth of character portrayed in the cast re-enacting characteristics of the beloved original series, from Hikaru Sulu played by John Cho (Harold and Kumar escape from Guantanamo Bay), and a very impressive Anton Yelchin (Terminator: Salvation) who plays Chekov complete with his Russian accent, the well loved Scotty is played by Simon Pegg (How to make friends and alienate people, Shaun of the dead) with an equally impressive Scottish accent, not to forget that the legendary Leonard Nimoy himself is also in this movie.
