J.J. Abrams is a creative genius. That man is some kind of demi-God. With the exception of a writing credit on Michael Bay's Armageddon (sorry Zac), he has never let me down. He created, with this film's co-producer Damon Lindelof, my favourite serial show ever, Lost. He made Mission Impossible 3, making Tom Cruise watchable even after leaving footprint stains on Oprah's couch. He produced Cloverfield, one of the greatest concepts for a film this decade. He produced What About Brian, a short lived American sitcom that I actually enjoyed! And I guess the very success of Star Trek can be attributed to a shark.
Yes, a shark. J.J. Abrams, in his lecture for TED, showed the scene from Jaws where Roy Scheider is at the dinner table with his son. Now, you may wonder to yourself what the hell a dinner table has to do with a battle in outer space, but there is an intrinsic link. Amidst the blockbuster that both Jaws and Star Trek are, characters are present. Characterisation is not left in the dark, but rather embraced, heralded, nurtured. It is the microcosm within the macrocosm of both worlds. Each of the characters had something. By that I mean they had a sense of self, of identity. All of the crew were great casts. I was a bit unwary about John Cho (aka Harold of Harold and Kumar) being in the film but he did OK, although I can't not think of his as that marijuana loving office worker. Anton Yelchin had an interesting Russian accent which proved humorous may a time. Bruce Greenwood (Pike), Karl Urban (Bones) and Zoe Saldana (Uhura) also had great roles. And then there's Simon Pegg! It's great to see him get some recognition via this role - if you've seen Spaced (hillarious TV Show), Hot Fuzz or Shaun of the Dead, you will know of his comedic talents, and they are put to very good use here. Speaking of comedians, look at Eric Bana, he went from parodying Ray Martin in Full Frontal to a Romulan rebel with some Mike Tyson-esque facial tattoos. Then there's Spock and Kirk, both really well portrayed by Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine respectively. Their strange relationship was great to watch. And their connection was only furthered when we met Leonard Nimoy - holy shit! Lost and Star Trek share a very common plot point in regards to his character. But alas, I shall not reveal to you what this is...unless you want to highlight the text below:
HOLY SHIT TIME TRAVEL!!! That was awesome. Even though I didn't understand most of the paradoxical explanations for black holes and the like, I thought it was cool. How childlike of me. The fact that we saw glimpses of alternative realities brought me back to a film I love, Richard Linklater's Slacker, and it's opening scene, where the notion of alternate realities is shown through dreams. In Star Trek, it isn't dreams - it's black holes! And whilst we are in this hidden section - what the Winona Ryder cameo?!?
In addition to this link via characterisation, both Jaws and Star Trek are blockbuster films. That is undeniable. With all-star casts and all the coolest effects of the day, both films are set out to entertain, to enthrall the audience. Star Trek can thus be seen as the archetypal blockbuster. We have our action, our fighting scenes, hand-to-hand combat, our romance and romantic interests (which, by the way, is very cleverly done), the great one-liners, self-referential quotes, basically - the works. It's a movie that doesn't let up. And it has 'Sabotage' by the Beastie Boys in a chase sequence!!!!! That alone makes up for the shitty usage of Aerosmith in Armageddon (sorry again Zac).
The only real qualms I have with the film are its last 10-15min. It all seems a bit rushed after the gargantuan build-up we have seen. It's not bad, it's just a little underwhelming and a bit cheesy. Well, then again, a team wearing multi-coloured shirts is reminiscent of The Wiggles...
I would not call it an amazing sci-fi film. As I discussed in a previous review of Dark City, sci-fi needs to engage with your thoughts, your mind, your perception of the world. Think The Matrix, think Blade Runner. But, I would not say this is a detriment to Star Trek. Whilst being an action film, and one grounded in the Star Wars-era narrative style, it doesn't adhere to all of the conventions of such a film. Now I could bullshit on about the essence of individuality, fate and the like, but I don't think that's what is necessary here. No, JJ Abrams did not intend for the film to be psychoanalysed, he intended for it to entertain, to mesmerize, to capture the attention of its audience. This film does not engage my philosophical thoughts, it does not make me think too hard about life, one's self, the role of humanity. This is not an intellectual film. But it's a damn fun one. 4 stars.
