Film Review: Reviewed By Andrew Collins; 4 out of 5

The 11th Star Trek motion picture is a prequel to the original TV series - a canny decision from producer/director JJ Abrams (Mission: Impossible III), tasked with reviving the franchise following the largely unloved TV series Enterprise. A big budget ($150 million) and top-flight digital effects designed to snare a new audience combine with a scene-setting scenario and enough in-jokes to satisfy the old guard. Big and noisy, but equally interested in relationships, it really works. A young, impulsive James T Kirk (Chris Pine), made cynical by a pre-credits tragedy, reluctantly attends Starfleet Academy and stows aboard the USS Enterprise. Here his frosty relationship with Vulcan first officer Spock (Zachary Quinto from TV's Heroes) thaws in the grip of an epic, time-travelling battle with Eric Bana's impressive Romulan foe, Nero. Light relief is provided by Simon Pegg's offbeat engineer Scotty and an already grumpy Dr "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban). With the help of his young and pretty cast, Abrams has managed to successfully reboot a 43-year-old formula.

Plot Summary

JJ Abrams reboots the Star Trek universe in this prequel to the sci-fi franchise. Rebellious youth James Kirk is persuaded to join the Starfleet Academy, where he befriends Dr Leonard "Bones" McCoy and clashes with officer Spock. When an evil Romulan arrives from the future, the young crew of the USS Enterprise find themselves in the thick of the action.