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Hollywood Reporter, UK and OZ reviews plus a couple from movie sites
RottenTomatoeMeter is at 100%, but only 7 reviews. That'll resolve in a few days.
The Australian:
Times Online (UK): 5 stars
Daily Mail: 5 stars
RottenTomatoeMeter is at 100%, but only 7 reviews. That'll resolve in a few days.
The Australian:
First review: New Star Trek is an intelligent triumph
ASKED by Paramount to revive the film franchise of Star Trek, which had been dormant, some might say moribund, since the feature Nemesis tanked artistically and critically in 2002, hotshot director JJ Abrams put his best minds to work.
Some of his conspirators were Trekkies, some had never seen a single episode. The point was that they all had to be satisfied with the film, from their various perspectives.
The result is a triumph, certain to be regarded as not just one Trek's better moments, but one of the finest films made in the sci-fi genre.
Special effects in films grow daily more complex and believable. Abrams will make you believe in a crisp future full of green women, bug-eyed aliens serving on the bridge of the Enterprise, and space conflicts that make most previous Trek films look like Saturday morning cartoons.
Abrams neatly sidesteps the the groaning Trek universe, and its attendant obsessive hordes by taking us back to the beginning, to where no TV series or Trek film has gone before: to Kirk's birth, in fact. Who was he? Where did his drive to explore new worlds come from? Where did he get his sexy mojo? The film reveals all.
But as much as we are present from the beginning of Kirk's story, and it is satisfying indeed to see him get his arrogant early spots knocked off in a brutal bar fight, in some ways this is even more about Spock. We meet him bullied at school for being half-human, before he developed his emotionless Vulcan ways, which were always a bit of a patina in any case.
The film is heavy on action and conflict and it drives along like the best Bond films. Performances from the young cast who are depicted for the first time as a cohort are uniformly sensational, as are the characterisations. It can't have been easy re-inventing the wheel and some of the best known characters in popular culture.
Star Trek is young again. It is sexy, but it also has a rich emotional depth among the jaw dropping effects. The film is a cracking yarn about the beginning of something even non-Trekkies know a bit about. Perhaps best of all, it is genuinely funny without trashing its subject, as, 1999's Galaxy Quest did. Abrams's triumph is that he will expand the fan base without alientating the faithful.
Times Online (UK): 5 stars
Hollywood Reporter: thumbs upJust when you thought that the Star Trek phenomenon had truly run its course, along comes J. J. Abrams’s stunning prequel to resuscitate the most enduring franchise in sci-fi history. The past five decades have produced five television series and ten films — not all of them successful — so veteran Trekkers had no right to expect such a dazzling and beautiful rebirth.
Yet Star Trek, released in Britain on May 8 and given its premiere last night, is perfectly pitched to satisfy Trekker nerds and a more general action-flick audience. Abrams, who directed Mission Impossible III, brings his blockbuster flair to bear on a story that starts with a massacre and rarely draws breath for the next two hours as it unravels a deadly battle between the Federation and a rogue Romulan from the future who is bent on destroying Earth.
Without sacrificing the majesty of Gene Roddenberry’s humanitarian ideals or the humour that is Star Trek’s salvation, Abrams’s film is a rollicking space adventure that makes you fall in love with the original series all over again. It shows how the Enterprise crew came together to avert the Romulan threat and, more importantly, how Captain Kirk, the incorrigible young rebel, and Spock, the conflicted half-human, half-Vulcan genius, forged their lifelong friendship. And with Spock and Uhura getting it on (the first truly interracial kiss!), there’s even the hint of a love triangle still to come.
Bottom Line: J.J. Abrams gives the Starship Enterprise all it's got, and it's more than enough.
LONDON -- Putting a much-loved but over-the-hill vehicle back in shape takes more than a new battery and a lick of paint. It demands a full-bore refit, and that's exactly what J.J. Abrams has given "Star Trek."
Paced at warp speed with spectacular action sequences rendered brilliantly and with a cast so expert that all the familiar characters are instantly identifiable, the film gives Paramount Pictures a new lease of life on its franchise.
Fans of the "Star Trek" saga will be delighted to see Capt. Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Bones (Karl Urban) and all the others in the early part of their lives as the Starship Enterprise takes its maiden voyage. The film is so much fun, however, that it will draw in moviegoers just looking for a sensational ride. The boxoffice should beam up enormous returns.
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Daily Mail: 5 stars
And one from Cinema Blend who saw it 2 weeks ago in an Austin Tx preview:Out of this world! The Mail's film critic gives his verdict on the new Star Trek movie
Star Trek (certificate TBA)
The entertainment business thrives on surprises, as has been proven once again by the sudden elevation to stardom of Susan Boyle on Britain’s Got Talent.
And there has been no bigger surprise for me this year than this movie.
Like many people, I yawned at the thought of yet another attempt to breathe life into a series that seemed finished, after the pompous, pointless and all too aptly named Star Trek: Nemesis in 2002.
The original cast had long gone, and the ideas had dried up. Why try to reanimate a corpse?
The short answer is that J.J. Abrams had come up with a tremendous idea, inspired no doubt by the success of Batman Begins and Casino Royale, both of which had reinvigorated tired franchises by recasting and going back to basics.
The result is not only by far the best of the 11 Star Trek movies, it must rank as the outstanding prequel of all time.
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I found myself in the enviable position last night of seeing the world premiere of the new Star Trek movie. No, not in Australia- in Austin, TX, where the Drafthouse reigns supreme and Tim League has presented me with ridiculously more amazing movie experiences than I have any right to expect in one life. First, a very humble thank you to the team that organized this event, including the very lovely woman from Paramount whose name I have sadly forgotten. Worthy of note: The film was introduced by the screenwriters and Mr. Nimoy himself, who are actively encouraging feedback and reviews. They want people to spread the word about their movie.
Here's Why:
The new Star Trek movie is amazing- easily the best Trek movie since The Wrath of Khan, and a veritable feast of sight and sound: A captivating adventure that grabs you from the first and doesn't let go. The effects are staggering, finally what the stories have deserved so richly. There are enough huge fireballs, shattering explosions and exciting fights to go around. The movie's first 5-10 minutes are of note I feel: This sequence is brilliant and had me immediately on the edge of my seat.
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Overall- The runtime flies by with very few lulls in the pacing, reinvigorating characters and a universe that had, lets be honest, grown stale and tired. More than anything else, the movie just feels so much more fun than any previous entry. There's more humor, more thrills, far more energy and a much better movie here than anything I've seen from Star Trek* since the 80's. I admit I was skeptical- I was not prepared to care about this universe and these characters again, after the crushing mediocrity that they had become. I can be skeptical no more, though. This is a fantastic movie it's own right, one I would definitely recommend to Trekkie and new fan alike.
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