Star Trek

You always approach a remake, or `re-imagining' as they call it these days, with caution but I'm happy to say that Star Trek well and truly was worth it.

Cleverly, director JJ Abrams has set up that this `Star Trek Begins' film is not so much a remake but an alternate version.

And he cheekily says so in the film. I won't give anything huge away just in case.

The film kicks off with the birth of James T. Kirk within a fiery showdown with some renegade Romulans led by Nero (played deliciously by Eric Bana) then we are taken into the Vulcan world to meet Spock.

Flashing forward, Kirk (Chris Pine) is a typical smart-alec young man who itches to get into conflict. Meanwhile Spock (Zachary Quinto) makes the choice between his Vulcan and human heritage.

After the cocky Kirk is involved in a bar room brawl he is dared by starfleet Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood) to sign up and emulate his father, who was killed the day Jim was born.

Kirk and Spock almost immediately clash when they meet which makes the plot developments even more interesting.

The rest of the Star Trek crew come together to board the Enterprise on its maiden voyage. Aside from the two leads the casting of Simon Pegg as Scotty was a masterstroke. You have to see him to get what I mean.

So is it any good? Hell, yeah. Though I must warn that the best way I can describe this movie is `Star Trek, 90210'. The characters are young and get up to some things young people do (particularly the previously mentioned cocky Kirk) but I think that is part of the appeal. It's not trying to redo Star Trek, as I said this is an alternate version.

And in another masterstroke they have an appearance by Leonard Nimoy (the original Spock) whose inclusion is crucial to the whole thing making sense.

I am not in any way a Trekkie, I have seen the other films but not so much the many TV series. But I have to say I enjoyed it immensely. It was funny, interesting and entertaining. What more can you want?

Also, Pine was amazing in taking on the Kirk role and making it his own. Quinto, who we all know as Sylar from Heroes, is equally brilliant. An 8.5 out of 10.