REVIEW: J.J. Abrams refreshes ‘Star Trek’ by boldly going where it hasn’t gone before.

Not everyone is a Star Trek fan. And many (Star Wars fans, I’m looking at you!) have purposefully avoided anything Star Trek related, for fear of having their Hyperspace Membership revoked and their “I Love George Lucas” t-shirts taken away. But regardless of where your sci-fi allegiance lies, there is no denying what J.J. Abrams has managed to accomplish with the recently released Star Trek film.

I grew up as a MAJOR Star Wars fan, but I also appreciated the view of the possible future that Star Trek offered us. Sure, the TV series was a little hokie at times (o.k., a lot of times!), but it definitely broke new ground in the world of Sci-Fi and created a cult classic with characters that everyone remembers. But as the franchise grew and expanded, it lost some steam. And eventually offered fans little to look forward to. It became very apparent that the Star Trek franchise was in dire need of a refresh.

Rejoice, Trekkies! J.J. Abrams has managed to successfully refresh the franchise in a way that cherishes the same characters, but yet redefines their presence in the Star Trek universe. Some relationships remain the same, while others take on a whole new direction. All the while maintaining the original storyline that we’ve come to love over the years. Confusing? Well, at first glance it might seem so. But Abrams is a master of storytelling, and never once asks the audience to reject the Star Trek they’ve always known. See the movie and you’ll know what I mean.

If I had to choose the one crowning achievement for this movie, it has to be the casting. Chris Pine as a young, rebellious James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto as a young, conflicted Vulcan by the name of Spock were amazing in their roles. This movie is more about the development of Kirk and Spock in their early days than anything else. Much of the hinted background history of the television series is clearly portrayed in this film. And in the process, Abrams has managed to redefine their characters. We are treated to a new, more revealing view of these 2 anchors of the franchise.

Karl Urban (Dr. Leonard McCoy) and John Cho (Hikaru Sulu) provide familiar, but yet refreshed versions of McCoy and Sulu. McCoy in particular seems to be a much deeper character, with a better defined past that explains his vigor and dedication to his career. He also provides quite a bit of comic relief with classic phrases and interactions with Spock that we’ve come to expect. It is very easy to believe that Urban is McCoy.

But when it comes to comic relief, no one provides more comic energy than Simon Pegg’s Montgomery Scott. Scotty is a light-hearted engineering thrill-seeker who proves his worth (much like the classic Scotty did on the TV series), but is much more outgoing and less “business-as-usual” than the original James Doohan version. Pegg’s version of Scotty seems to find humor in every situation, which is a total redirect from the Scotty we know from the TV series. But one thing is for sure…the Scottish heritage in the new Scotty is alive and well!

However, Simon Pegg is not the only source of comic relief in this film. Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov also provides a few laughs with his thick accent, chock full of rolling “W’s” in every sentence he struggles to pronounce. This, of course, is a deliberate direction from J.J. Abrams. And then there is McCoy’s classic phrase “I’m a doctor, not a physisist!”, which also brought laughs from the Trek faithful. The movie is full of these classic references, but there is more to this film than laughs.

Zoe Saldana redefines sex appeal in the Star Trek universe as Nyota Uhura. Unlike the original Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols), this Uhura is much less reserved and certainly turns on the sexuality with other members of the crew. Especially one certain member of the crew whom will remain nameless in this review in order to avoid a spoiler. Unexpectedly (and almost unrecognizably), Wynona Ryder also makes an appearance as Spock’s mother. You may not even realize it’s her unless you look very closely. Although it is a minor role, she does an exceptional job playing the part and building the unique relationship that the younger Spock had with his human mother. After all, this becomes a major source of Spock’s development going forward.

But it wouldn’t be a great movie without a compelling villain to challenge this “new” crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. And this villian is Nero, played by none other than Eric Bana. I know what you are thinking. Eric Bana as a Trek villian? Well, you may be in for a surprise. Because Bana does an exceptional job in playing Nero, a time-travelling Romulan miner who is out for revenge due to a tragic event for which he holds Spock and the Federation responsible. At one moment you are despising him for his actions, and then at another moment you are somewhat sympathetic to his tragic existence. He is not a shallow absolute villain. He shows that being a villain is a matter of perception, and often a matter of misunderstanding. Bana is excellent in this role.

It is difficult to find fault with the casting in this film, and that is why this film works so well. The characters are believable younger versions of the classic characters that everyone knows. But they offer a different direction that opens up the Star Trek franchise to any possibilities going forward. J.J. Abrams was masterful in the way he pulled this off, especially since he was never a Trekkie himself. This is a visually stunning film with immersive audio that really draws you into the Star Trek universe. And the script is very well done, in a way that respects the past but yet also allows the franchise to go in new directions. Bottom line is….

This is a must-see movie this year!!

This one gets a well-deserved 4.5 kernels. Even Star Wars fans should check this one out. Go see it!