STAR TREK (2009). Director: J. J. Abrams.
This theatrical reboot of the Star Trek series with new actors playing the original roles of Spock, Kirk, Bones etc. lands with a thud and is unlikely to lead into a successful franchise [although a sequel has, unfortunately, been announced for 2012]. It's not the fault of the actors, but a script that is dull, not nearly enough action, and revisionings of some of the characters -- Kirk for instance -- that makes them a little unlikable. The main villain is Nero (Eric Bama), a Romulan who saw his world destroyed in a future time period, and came back in time -- along with Spock -- determined to destroy all the planets of the Federation. [He succeeds in decimating Vulcan, while the backward time jump has created a kind of alternate universe.] The old Spock is again played by Leonard Nimoy, while his younger self is well-enacted by Zachary Quinto, a villain on the TV show Heroes. Chris Pine is okay as Kirk, while Karl Urban and Simon Pegg, respectively, do competent impersonations of DeKelley and Doohan as Dr. McCoy and "Scotty." Some of the actors are so young -- Anton Yelchin as a "cute" Chekov, for instance -- that at times this seems like a Hollywood High School production of Star Trek. Ben Cross plays Spock's father and Bruce Greenwood of Nowhere Man is Captain Pike. Zoe Saldana of Avatar is cast as Lt. Uhura, but she has little to do aside from smooching more than once with this sexier version of Spock. The "alternate reality" storyline is confusing, the pace drags, and ultimately this Star Trek is boring and unmemorable.
Verdict: Paging Shatner, Nimoy and company! **.
This theatrical reboot of the Star Trek series with new actors playing the original roles of Spock, Kirk, Bones etc. lands with a thud and is unlikely to lead into a successful franchise [although a sequel has, unfortunately, been announced for 2012]. It's not the fault of the actors, but a script that is dull, not nearly enough action, and revisionings of some of the characters -- Kirk for instance -- that makes them a little unlikable. The main villain is Nero (Eric Bama), a Romulan who saw his world destroyed in a future time period, and came back in time -- along with Spock -- determined to destroy all the planets of the Federation. [He succeeds in decimating Vulcan, while the backward time jump has created a kind of alternate universe.] The old Spock is again played by Leonard Nimoy, while his younger self is well-enacted by Zachary Quinto, a villain on the TV show Heroes. Chris Pine is okay as Kirk, while Karl Urban and Simon Pegg, respectively, do competent impersonations of DeKelley and Doohan as Dr. McCoy and "Scotty." Some of the actors are so young -- Anton Yelchin as a "cute" Chekov, for instance -- that at times this seems like a Hollywood High School production of Star Trek. Ben Cross plays Spock's father and Bruce Greenwood of Nowhere Man is Captain Pike. Zoe Saldana of Avatar is cast as Lt. Uhura, but she has little to do aside from smooching more than once with this sexier version of Spock. The "alternate reality" storyline is confusing, the pace drags, and ultimately this Star Trek is boring and unmemorable.
Verdict: Paging Shatner, Nimoy and company! **.
2 comments:
Not enough action? I thought it had too much action. It just didn't have enough story - at least not interesting, engaging story - and that's what makes the action dull. It's basically just a blur of color and movement
Good points; as I say it did have a dull story. Thanks for your comment.
Post a Comment