"McCoy: Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait'll you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.
Kirk: Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space."
I would like to start by saying I have never been a Star Trek fan, and I have never seen any of it before I saw this film (a life decision I am now questioning). Also I have some basic knowledge, such as who Kirk and Spock are but that's about all.
This film is, by far, one of the best films I have seen this year. It is in my top t and if it drops down to the tip 10 I will be surprised. All of this review will be done out of context to the past series and and previous films.
To start with, this is a very good re-boot film. It sets the scene well and introduces the main characters with a good amount of detail. The start was a little confusing though, as Kirk appears to be first mate of a different ship as it gets destroyed by a large alien ship. As it turned out that was only the real Kirk's father. Once I realised this everything made more sense.
Thanks to an amazing script, which almost perfectly mixes humour, seriousness and a range of other tones, the plot is very strong and clearly thought-out, showing Kirk as a child having problems growing up while also showing Spock being bullied for being half vulcan and half human.
The plot point of being only half human isn't something that is pointed out once and ignored, it is played on at different points of the story and each in different ways. One of the best ways it does this is by showing he has emotions, but he is often making the painful decisions because they are logical. There is even one point when a major tragedy strikes and he is questioned about his lack of emotions towards it all, before showing just how much he is hurting inside with a sudden burst of emotions, portraying the human emotions he posses.
However Kirk doesn't feel as well thought out though through out the early stages of the film as the problems he clearly has with having an angry/abusive step-father is only really show at one point in the film, after that it isn't mentioned again. What is brought up instead is what his fathers attitude towards him would be if he was alive, and it's always the clichéd lines that they use for this.
As the story progresses, more characters are introduced and the story line becomes more evident. The main threat is a great idea and it is explained properly, however the effects of black holes in this universe seems to alter for no apparent reason. At one point it shows that they will suck in anything straight through them, but at another point it breaks down what is near it destroying it before it is sucked in.
The only big problem is that when I sat down to watch the film I was expecting a 'space adventure' kind of film, but instead it felt more like a futuristic Earth. There wasn't much time spent on other planets. The odd looking alien popped up from time to time but most of the species where human and vulcan. This takes away from the space feel really. There is one scene when Kirk ends up alone on an alien plant with very little intelligent life and is chased for a few minutes by what is clearly at the top of the food chain, but it was poorly designed. Not because it looked fake, but because it was bright red in an environment which had non-red surroundings. It was as if evolution hadn't taken place on this planet.
Overall, this film is well thought out. It is designed to be a reboot and that is obvious. It doesn't rush introductions or character development, as it knows this is what the film is all about. Even when the action kicks off they are still developing the characters and it works perfectly. It is well written and well cast with the actors pulling off most of the lines exactly as they should, and the visuals are great and look realistic. The main problem, as said above, is that the film doesn't feel like a space film only a future for Earth, and that was a disappointment as I was expecting to see lots of aliens and planets up close.
To those who have never seen Star Trek, give this film a go, even if you don't often like Si-Fi films (I didn't but think I will try them now).
Rating; 8.1/10
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