Star Trek

Its being branded 'Best of the Summer blockbusters'
(Not counting Terminator Salvation which should really be called called Terminator Salivation as every time that trailer rolls and the theme music play i drool)

The film sees Captain Kirk and co off for a jolly jaunt around space
with a few minor setbacks of course

Its a prequel in a way and it explains the characters some we all know, Spock, captain Kirk, Scotty etc, some we dont, and some most Die hard fans would wish were included, i am not a fan really, except for the borg (as im a big geek for cyber horror ala Tetsuo etc) But it was a cool well plotted way of showing each character in an even and well developing way,
Its set up in an almost Starship Troopers kind of opening (join the corps, learn stuff, off to new worlds etc)
However the film has two things going for it
Wow factor
and woe factor

First the wow

Special effects, some movies throw too much of it around (enough of the bullet time and fake CGI nightmares gracing the screen) however here they are spectacular. Planets collapse, battles, the lot, convincing and exhillarating. It really is that good. Yet not overwhelming, the shots are balanced with the drama of the command deck, which offers breaks from the action and builds each member of the casts characters.
The cast. A group of people in a room doesnt mean team. It usually means stilted acting and gurning at the camera to express disgust, mistrust or whatever. The actors chosen were young, yet it did not feel like the OC in space. It was believable and well chosen throughout.

*spoiler alert*
The woe factor is much more of a slight niggling andbased around annoying time travel problems i have. Basically it implies all the other films that precede it happen, then vanish forever, leaving a clean slate, which is cool for giving the director and writers free reign, bad for continuity and die hards, and people who dislike time travel in movies. You cannot NAVIGATE a black hole, enter + probable death, not appearing in the past at some point, thats silly.
Aside from that, it really is impressively written

So, overall, despite flaws here and there, and some people HATING Simon Pegg, who i thought was great, and Young Spock, who was also VERY well played. It was nice to see nods to the past and Leonard Nemoys cameo, which actually was woven in the plot. Very good.

Also, credit where credit is due, When an actor can play a role and you later see them in the credits and think, woah, wait a sec, that was...so and so.
Winona Ryders character as someone important is VERY well played,. so credit to her for being a great addition to a young and bright cast.
*end spoiler alert*

9/10