I have to confess to being one of those people who never thought they should 'reboot' the original Star Trek franchise. William Shatner and co were so engrained in their respective roles that I didn't think anyone could fill their exact shoes (even if they were supposed to be their younger selves).
I was wrong.
Star Trek (XI) is undoubtedly the best of the franchise since The Wrath of Khan. If follows the early years of the most famous crew in sci-fi history. Yes, every actor nails his or her character (possibly with the minor exception of Simon Pegg as Scotty, but that's a minor gripe). Also, this isn't just 'Star Trek The Early Years' - the story cleverly weaves in the old mythology - I won't say too much on that in case you're not aware of how it all plays out.
I will say that (if you can forgive JJ Abrams slightly overused 'lens flare effects') it is the most exciting of all the Trek movies. There's plenty of action and decent special effects. It doesn't quite rival Star Wars - it seems to be able to maintain its 'alternativeness' to the other great sci-fi franchise. It doesn't just breathe new life into the franchise (Star Trek X was a little disappointing), it makes 'Trek' accessible to the masses. If you don't know your Tribbles from your Borg, it really doesn't matter - this starts everything again and you don't need to know the backstory - you only need to be in for a good, popcorn-munching, sci-fi ride.
May this franchise live long and prosper.
