Star Trek blasts off at a cinema near you
Its mission: To revitalise a flagging, yet beloved, franchise, to breathe new life into iconic characters; to boldly go where so many have gone before.
Ardent fans of the universe, created by Gene Roddenberry in the early 1970s, will take issue with some of the changes here, including the introduction of a forbidden romance and a time-travelling narrative thread.
The new Star Trek also lacks an imposing villain and two hours simply isn't long enough to establish all of the crew in sufficient detail, but like the first X-Men, Abrams's film is a solid building block for the future.
Michael Giacchino's orchestral score is deafening (take earplugs or pain relief) from the opening sequence set aboard the USS Kelvin, captained by George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), whose wife Winona (Jennifer Morrison) is about to give birth.
"We can name him after your father," says Winona as she goes into labour.
"Tiberius?! That's the worst," quips George, as a Romulan warship under the control of Nero (Eric Bana) opens fire.
Many years later, a cocksure and impetuous James T Kirk (Chris Pine) enrols at Starfleet Academy, making an instant friend in Dr Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban).
Some of the other recruits prove more difficult to win over, especially Spock (Zachary Quinto), until a Romulan attack on the Vulcan homeland unites the young men and women.
With Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) at the helm, crew members Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Chekhov (Anton Yelchin) and Sulu (John Cho) guide the pristine USS Enterprise into battle against Nero.
The wily Romulan has a few tricks up his sleeve, pushing poor Spock to the brink as he races to save his father Sarek (Ben Cross) and mother (Winona Ryder).
Star Trek is a boisterous adventure incorporating that most reliable of plot devices, a black hole, which allows the filmmakers to ride roughshod over the past.
Action sequences are orchestrated at breakneck speed, enlivened with slick digital effects.
A monstrous interlude on a snow-laden planet, recalling The Empire Strikes Back, is unnecessary, but does introduce a familiar face, who plays a pivotal role in the fates of the crew.
Pine inhabits his role with authority, but it is Quinto's portrayal of the emotionally conflicted first officer, struggling to control the rage within which lingers the memory.
Simon Pegg plays Scotty for laughs, providing comic relief from the bombardment of explosions, bone-crunching fist fights and edge of seat escapes.
Before this Star Trek even blasts off, a sequel is already pencilled in for stardate summer 2011.
Set phasers to stunning.
Star Trek (cert 12A, out now) stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Eric Bana. Directed by JJ Abrams it tells the story of the maiden voyage of Starship Enterprise. And our reviewer's verdict? A boisterous adventure
A scene from the new Star Trek movie
Comment on this story