Star Trek

Abrams's directing style and mise-en-scène construction is at the very least grandiose. What I admired in MI3 is also here, and once again there’s plenty to look at. Monstrous shots of the whole scenery, camera swoops, and monumentality complemented by a fast-paced and entertaining story is an excellent and powerful combination. Unfortunately, I'm not a Star Trek fan, so some things somehow escaped me. Nevertheless, I dare say that as a standalone Star Trek film, it can work quite well. Some plot twists were on the edge of acceptability, but in terms of drive, action, and entertainment, it's top-notch. No bullshit and absolutely uncompromising, just as we expect from Abrams. (31/10/2009)

Thank you, Mr. Abrams. I left the cinema trembling, as if something forgotten from my childhood had awakened in me - probably the hours and hours spent reading the books and watching all possible versions of the series. For a man who has nothing to do with the saga, Abrams has shown an admirable level of empathy and the ability to revive exactly the parts that Star Trek needs. The chemistry of the characters, the humor, the tension and all those spectacular journeys through time – cosmic poetry, in which there is a bit of children's naivety, of science, and a good portion of adventure. It's all coated in the flawless visual tinsel that's so fashionable today. It all works well together, it looks great, and for the future, it promises that Star Trek may be entering a golden age. The sweet exclusivity will probably not be there anymore, but to hell with it, the shiny tinsel looks good, action alternates with the action, the characters develop beautifully and the story is exactly as corny as it should be. I personally found everything in this film that had made me a fan of James T. Kirk and his crew. And I think that anyone who doesn't mind proper sci-fi lemonade will find something to like. Star Trek is cool, and as much as I don't like cool stuff, I fell in love with this one. (22/04/2009)

I may have just watched the best blockbuster of the year. I’m don’t care about the Star Trek universe, but to me this was an excellent ride packed with emotions, jokes and explosions. The contrast between the squeaky clean Enterprise and the squeaky dirty Romulan ship is almost as sexy as the contrast between Kirk’s impulsiveness and Spock’s logic. The casting is incredibly good, the whole crew are amazingly likeable and I had no problem at all relating to them (with the possible exception of Uhura). Once again, J.J. Abrams confirms that everything he touches turns to gold. This is what nerdvana should be like :-) PS: The infantile monstrosity of the new Star Wars can lower its head in shame, because right here and now, a new era of modern sci-fi has begun (hopefully). (07/05/2009)

After successfully watching all the feature-length adventures of the old crew, I smiled indulgently at the passion of all the Trekkies and welcomed the restart of their adventures mainly because of Abrams behind the camera. When a tear dropped at Kirk's birth, I became uncertain, but I attributed it mainly to the huge emotional intensity of the opening minutes. But when another tear dropped just because Leonard Nimoy appeared on the screen, I realized that despite all possible objections, I am a fan who devours every minute. Whether it's breathtaking ice adventures, a smile at the fact that Čechov had an amazing accent from the first minutes on the Enterprise, or the realization that James Tiberius Kirk is cool even without Shatner's charisma. A week after the screening, it is ultimately 90%. I rejoice at the registration into the Starfleet, and perhaps only the first adventure of promising novices could have been a bit more original than a confrontation with an angry avenger. But something tells me that the second time around, it will be at maximum warp. P.S.: The second screening definitively revealed a spectacle without a dull moment. Hopefully, no blockbuster deserved a new series like the voyages of the USS Enterprise. (19/05/2009)

The intro blows you away both emotionally and in terms of special effects. Abrams combines eye candy with the inexorability of fate with masterly skill. Nero’s passage through the wormhole is appropriately monstrous (thanks to the marvelously designed ship) and destructive. Since I had the chance to look at the comic book preceding it, the second part of the story and the storyline around the red matter and preventing the destruction of the galaxy are all more than familiar. For me, Nero isn’t such an incomprehensible character. And Eric Bana moreover imprinted incredible charisma into him. In fact, I thought it was rather a shame the movie didn’t focus on him more. But this is all made up for with storyline about young Kirk, who is really cool in Pine’s delivery. That loud-mouth, constantly spouting snappy lines is just about right opposite Quint’s “rebel" Spock and these two (along with the superb space battles) are the powerhouses of the movie. And for me, time travel has a special aura and I just have to give the full five. Abrams proves that he seriously has skills like nobody else (I hope he proves this again tomorrow during the finale of season five of Lost) and I’m pleased that he was chosen to bring us King’s fantastic saga, Dark Tower. (13/05/2009)