Trek Yo' Self Before You Wreck Yo' Self!

With Star Trek: Into Darkness being released next week on the 9th of May, I thought it would be a good idea to catch up on J.J. Abrams first attempt at the universe that is loved the world over by trekkies, or trekkers, or whatever the hell they call themselves these days. It was a film that would star completely new actors as the original USS Enterprise crew. It was simply called Star Trek. It was  a reboot. It was a bold move. but, by golly, it was a good one.

'Sup muthafuckas, we O.G.

The original series of this sci-fi staple meant absolutely nothing to me before I saw this film. Obviously I knew who Kirk and Spock were, but I had barely an inkling into what the show was or how it worked (I have seen it since, and it's just not for me really). This didn't matter as this reboot promised to introduce these characters to the audience in a new light. I'll admit that even with this promise I still wasn't interested, and I chose not to go see this film in the cinema. I was a complete Star Wars fanboy, and anything opposed to Jedi and lightsabres in the sci-fi genre was completely alien to me (heh). I now completely regret my position on the matter.

To put it into context, I believe that Star Trek is a better Star Wars movie than any one of the prequels. Now, that might not make sense, but bear with me. Of course they are in completely different universes with different characters, and completely different stories, but I feel that Star Trek perfectly captures the tone and spirit of those original Star Wars flicks that I loved so well. J.J. Abrams has even said that that was what he was going for (The fact that he will be directing Episode VII backs my view even further). The entire movie is a complete blast from beginning to end, and to compare it to Star Wars once more, Kirk even gets a medal at the end. I mean, come on! It's obvious! College Humor Agree.

The beginning of this movie hooked me completely. It started out with a big battle between the USS Kelvin and another massive ship which we meet again later. This opening scene was absolutely breathtaking, and full of heart too. By the end of it I almost had a tear in my eye. The heart of this story, like in Star Wars, is the hero's journey. It is about James T. Kirk coming of age, and fulfilling his destiny. It is also an origin story for the entire Enterprise crew, and in this movie, each of them has their time to shine. The relationship between Kirk and Spock is one of the most intriguing aspects of the film, and I'm very glad that nothing ever seemed to be forced when it could have been in danger of being so.

We Young & Boss

Abrams shot this film beautifully. People have mocked, and complained about, the lens flare effect that he utilised, but I actually loved it. I think that this effect brought great colour to the film, and added a level of realism especially because it was even used in the CGI shots. Abrams paid close attention to detail throughout the film. The sets are crafted spectacularly, and the costumes, which could have be very campy, seem perfectly legit. If Into Darkness can live up to its predecessor then it too is going to be one hell of a film.

Star Trek doesn't make up for the ending of Lost, but it is still The Shit.