One of the most persistent problems that appear when watching a movie that has been based upon a television show is that if the viewer has never seen the show, there is much that is lost in translation. Star Trek does not have that problem. Never having seen the show myself, I spent half the movie trying to calm the goose bumps that the other half had given me. Non-stop action, beautiful visuals, and a small flair for the excessively unreal make this movie an unstoppable and intellectual thrill ride.
Directed by J. J. Abrams (Cloverfield, Lost), Star Trek tells the story of the U.S.S. Enterprise and its crew. Headlined by captain James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine (Smokin' Aces), and first officer Spock, played by Zachary Quinto (Heroes), the crew of the Enterprise lead an attack against a crazed Romulan ship commander following a distress call from Spock's home planet, Vulcan. Featuring other actors such as Eric Bana (Black Hawk Down, Troy), Karl Urban (Lord Of The Rings, The Bourne Supremacy), John Cho (Harold and Kumar), and Simon Pegg (Shaun Of The Dead, Hot Fuzz), Star Trek also includes the psychological transitions that involve living up to a sacrificed father's reputation and finding the deep seated emotion within one's self after it had been conditioned to remain dormant. Yet despite that the movie retains its initial draw of thrilling spaceship battles, engaging fight scenes, and indisputably awesome laser fights. As the threat of the Romulan commander, Nero, draws closer, the shifts in power in the Enterprise eventually lead to the discovery of an alternate reality (something any self-respecting sci-fi director must have in his repertoire) that explains why Nero is so determined to destroy both Vulcan and Earth.
One of the things that Abrams does best in his depiction of Star Wars is how he has made an iconic show so ridiculed for it's fans' unending admiration (earning them the name Trekkies, which is basically a Star Trek groupie) so appealing to people who have never seen the show. The sleek and futuristic scenes, coupled with the exhilarating fight scenes leave any moviegoer on the edge of their seat. As lasers fly and ships go into warp speed, fans try their best not to blink and thus miss a second of the near unending action. Even the not-so-playful banter between the rebellious Kirk and the naturally logical Spock are exciting on a different plane, leaving audience members enraged and sympathetic towards both parties. That, and a little bit of exaggeration (such as Kirk being able to speak while being dangled by his trachea, Kirk hanging by his fingertips over a multiple thousand foot drop, Kirk running away from a space creature obviously modeled after the monster in Abram's previous film Cloverfield, or really just anything to do with Kirk at all), make Star Trek a relentless and inescapable delight that is sure to leave viewers completely satisfied.
Star Trek is, up until now, 2009's best action and sci-fi movie, in my opinion. The action is unparalleled, as are the visuals and special effects. When the action finally takes a break, the polar opposites Kirk and Spock create a mental excitement to complement the one given by the rest of the film. It's a great pre-summer movie and it is guaranteed to excite. There has been no other movie this year that compares to its invigoration or its aesthetics. However nothing in this movie is as exciting as the flawless action that it presents; the non-stop exhilaration is so intense, that it will get a rise out of the most emotionless Vulcan.