The film follows two legendary characters from the Star Trek franchise, namely James Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto). The story is a coming of age journey that delves into their lives and shows how they are brought together to begin their commission as a duo that upholds justice for the Starfleet.

Their ultimate battle in the film – besides the struggles of finding their identity in the world – is with a twisted Romulun named Nero (Eric Bana). He desires to avenge the destruction of his home world 25 years ago, which he believes was the result of the Starfleet and Spock’s negligence. With a new technology Nero has obtained, he is able to travel through time to the present or past, depending on how you look at it, in order to destroy the Starfleet – starting with Earth.

It’s the impact on the time and space continuum in the film which effectively sets up the story as well as launches the Star Trek franchise for the next generation. The relationship between young and old, future and present, old Spock and new Spock all create an effective relationship in transitioning from an outdated, but stylistic charter to one that will engross a new generation of fans.

The cast is fresh and admirable, fronted boldly by Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto. The characters all had so much flavour to them; I was at the mercy of every word that they uttered and gesture they expressed, rewarded with a smile of enjoyment, a face of astonishment and laughter that filled the theatre.

When I watched the previous Star Trek films I always felt that there was something missing. I called it the Star Wars factor. I always wished that each Star Trek film would go beyond the standard it seemed to follow and add a touch of excitement and spunk that Star Wars always had. This latest instalment had that factor, and so much more. It blew me away, to put it simply. I enjoyed every minute and I am sure that everyone who watches it, hard core fans included, will love it. The director J.J. Abrams – a huge figure in the television world, and involved with such successes as Lost and the hit film Mission Impossible: 3 – did an amazing job. He took and old Rembrandt classic and threw a whole lot of pop art paint onto it to create movie magic.

By Jonathan Benfield