Star Trek

Following an explosive opening sequence, Star Trek sees director Abrams and writers Orci and Kurtzman neatly introduce a prequel plotline that takes us back to the beginning – the birth of James T Kirk and 13 years later, Kirk (Pine) training at Starfleet with a young Spock (Quinto) and Uhuru (Saldana). The Enterprise, with its young recruits, then hurtles into space to tackle feisty tattooed Romulan baddie Nero (Bana) whose spiky warship might look like a hedgehog’s backside, but is mighty enough to terrorize the planet Vulcan in a vengeful action that will take some stopping. It’s a treat to see Leonard Nimoy as an older Spock and most will enjoy a script littered with in-jokes, the decent special effects and the nostalgia-fest of favourite characters returned to their youth. Baddie Nero maybe underwritten, but there are great wisecracks between Kirk and Spock, until Simon Pegg arrives as Scotty to steal the show. A return to form that bodes well for Trekkie fans.