The first reviews of JJ Abrams’ “Star Trek” hit the web today and they should please fans of the series, if not fans of Matt Damon.
How did Damon weasel his way into this?
After denying it for months, Abrams revealed to Life magazine recently that Damon was his first choice for Captain Kirk:
“…it would have been great to work with Matt – but at the end of the day, it was such a better move to cast the movie with unknowns.”
The reviewers agree.
The Hollywood Reporter gushes that “all the familiar characters are instantly identifiable,” while the U.K.’s Daily Mail says Chris Pine plays Kirk with “real dash and charisma.” But the film’s not just for geeks who’ve already drunk the Romulan ale.
THR:
The film is so much fun, however, that it will draw in moviegoers just looking for a sensational ride. The boxoffice should beam up enormous returns.
And The Daily Mail says the film is “not only by far the best of the 11 Star Trek movies, it must rank as the outstanding prequel of all time.”
That’s breathy praise from prose that is, at times, a bit vague. But among the plot points and character details revealed are:
1. The film begins with the birth of Kirk and follows he and Spock in parallel as they mature.
2. The plot “centres on the initial dislike and rivalry, followed by respect and friendship” between the duo.
3. Eric Bana is no Ricardo Montalban. His Romulan baddie “hardly has anything to do and certainly doesn’t have any depth or sophistication of motivation.”
4. “Whole scenes are, perhaps unsurprisingly, stolen by Simon Pegg as Scotty”
5. Time travel plays a huge role in the film. (Sounds like JJ Abrams, to me.)
These last three points come from Slashfilm.com, which has an elliptical (but more considered) take on the film. Enjoy.