To go boldy
Posted on Monday 11th May 2009
The franchise that spawned the best known split infinitive is back again. Cue the famous theme tune as the latest Star Trek movie incarnation hits the big screen.
Having exhausted the time-line trodden by the previous films, this one breaks canon. The popular trend (a la Batman) seems to be to go back and flesh out the back story of previously introduced characters. This time we discover the genesis of the original series, and how the crew came to be.
The producers have been very clever, as no prior knowledge of the Star Trek universe is necessary. If desired, this movie can simply be enjoyed as a sci-fi/action romp. However, for the Trekkies, there are numerous in-jokes and little references to what would follow. The film also marks a return to the grittier side. Many fans criticised the sterility in series such as TNG and DS9. Rest assured that this incarnation returns to form with plenty of fisticuffs and relatively little by way of the usual Trekkie jargon. The entire affair bowls along at breakneck speed with little of the usual soul-searching scenes used to pad out thinly scripted films. Instead an enormous storyline is dispatched with revelations and characters being introduced thick and fast. Unusually for a Trek film there are a few scenes of genuine comedy, with some self-deprecation.
Of course, there are flaws. Huge liberties are taken with time paradoxes and many aspects of the plot are glossed over or poorly explained. There is also a strange decision to over-humanise Spock. The intention was obviously to make the character more accessible to a wider audience, but it somewhat betrayed the quiet dignity of the portrayal by Leonard Nimoy. Finally, as with many blockbusters these days, it’s clear that there was an almost unlimited CGI budget, and after a while it became clear that the director was simply leaning on the special-effects button to satisfy the audience. The wealth of explosions, lasers, and stunning starscapes became a little overwhelming at times. Perhaps they could have given it the austere touch that worked in Casino Royale.
This film had much to live up to, and the hype promised much. Fortunately it does deliver and reviews thus far have been largely positive. So Trekkie or not, it is still worth beaming up to the flicks.
