This has to
be the best Star Wars film sinc- what´s that? This is Star Trek? That odd TV
show with those strange alien creatures that is on TV sometimes? Oh…
The first
film in the new Star Trek universe took many by surprise back in 2009 and four
years later we finally get a sequel before Abrams moves on to make Star Wars: Episode VII. Despite not
being a trekkie at all, I have to admit I had very high expectations for this
film. The trailer looked like the film was exactly what I was hoping for in
this sequel.
My
introduction here was not just for sake of failed humour, but also to emphasize
how much the film reminded me of the original Star Wars films. That being said
I have to admit I am not a huge fan of Star wars in general, that does of
course not mean that I don´t enjoy them. Luckily this film captured everything
that I enjoy about Star Wars, while emitting most of what I don’t like.
The film
starts off by reintroducing us to the characters in a thrillingly adventurous
opening sequence. The sequence perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the film,
one that is emotional, funny and adventurous.
From it´s
opening shot the film is gorgeous. It doesn´t take long to see that this is an
Abrams film; his style is splattered all over the film. The lens flare is of
course the most obvious one, but while there is a lot of it, I didn´t find it
nearly as distracting as I usually do. However, what there is also lots of here
that I love with Abrams is those beautiful shots where he has one smaller
object like a person and a much larger object, where he films the large object
as if it were the smaller object, greatly emphasizing the scale.
The CGI is
some of the best I have seen in a while, putting Iron Man 3 to shame and making Oblivion´s
visuals not all that impressive after all. I said in my Iron Man 3 review that there was a sequence in the film that few
films would be able to match this year, but well I guess I was wrong. There is
at least one sequence here that is on par with the one I mentioned there, which
is a testament to how great the CGI is, as the one in Iron Man 3 was done with quite a lot of practical effects. The ones
that come to mind from this film were most definitely CGI, yet it was so well
executed that it just felt amazing.
If there is
one thing that could have been better it is the script. The story was arguably
weak, yet it was enough to drive the film forward without doing anything
extraordinary in its own right. I also thought it had some weird plot
development in the first act, rushing through, a lot, while the second and
third act felt like a TV episode. Saying it felt like a TV episode is actually
a compliment, considering the film is over two hours long yet it went by at the
blink of an eye.
The acting
is for the most part very good, though some of the supporting cast in the minor
roles could have been better. The three standouts are Simon Pegg, Zachary
Quinto and of Benedict Cumerbatch who is amazing in his first big Hollywood
role. I would not be surprised if, when looking back at 2013, his portrayal of
John Harrison will be remembered as the best villain of the year.
The film
does have some flaws here and there and it may not go boldly where none has
gone before, but it is one of the most fun theatre experiences I have had in
quite some time. It doesn´t have the strongest plot, but it is one of the most
fun cinema experiences in recent memory, beating out any of the Marvel films,
as well as many other recent summer blockbusters. It is safe to say that summer
has finally arrived!
4.5/5
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