I love me some Star Trek. Original Series. Next Generation. And yes, even the new "Kelvin" timeline. I went into this film with a lot of trepidation, however, as the last film, Into Darkness, was a bit of a disappointment and Justin Lin isn't exactly known for brainy fare. That's not to say I don't like the guy's work as I'm a fan of his stuff on Community and the Fast and Furious franchise. So let's get on with the review. Again, I will try to keep this spoiler-free.
The Plot
The crew of the Enterprise are 3 years into their 5 year mission, exploring the far reaches of space. They take a much needed break at a new fancy outpost called the Yorktown when an emergency in an uncharted nebula sends them on a research/rescue mission. Completely cut off from the rest of the Federation, they are ambushed and left trapped on an unknown planet by a villain hellbent on unleashing a biological weapon of mass destruction on the Federation. Scattered around the planet, will the crew find each other in time to stop this vengeful madman?
What Worked
1. The Cast - the franchise really lucked out with this cast. They gel really well together and they feel like a family. Pine is perfect as Kirk and his relationship to his crew it's well done, particularly with Quinto and Urban. Also, Idris Elba turns in a really good performance despite being hidden under a ton of makeup.
2. The Pairs - the film splits the crew up into pairs that haven't really been explored in past films: Kirk with Chekov, Bones and Spock, Uhura and Sulu, and Scotty and the newcomer Jaylah. For the most part, this makes for some interesting dynamics on which each character gets a chance to shine.
3. The Music - I'm a big fan of Michael Giacchino's Star Trek work and he does not disappoint here. This time around he uses a lot of drums and timpani, almost recalling some music from the Original Series as well as a bit of Planet of the Apes.
What Didn't Work
1. The Cinematography - for the most part, the camera work is good, with Justin Lin melding his very dynamic moves with Abrams use of canted angles. However, there are scenes, particularly at night, in which the shots are too close or not lit well and the action on-screen is hard to see. It's very distracting. Not lens-flare bad but still.
2. The Villain trope - I don't want to give spoilers but the trope used for the villain is very tired and I think could have been handled better. Elba acted the hell out of the role but his motivations could have been stronger and not so cliche.
In Conclusion
I really liked this film. It was fun and had a lot of heart. While it didn't necessarily cover heady themes like Undiscovered Country, it was more in line with First Contact and The Voyage Home. What's more important is that Lin really captured the camaraderie of the crew, not surprising considering his experience on Community and the Fast and Furious films. He nails the relationships that were the core of the Original Series films. And that more than makes up for a spotty villain and some dodgy cinematography.
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