J.J. Abram's Star Trek is a refreshingly entertaining space adventurer, reinvigorating a well worn out franchise while paying homage to past labours.   

In the midst of its spectacular outer space ventures, Abram's successfully chronicles the gathering of the original Star Trek crew, with the main focus placed on the evolving friendship and parallel destinies of Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine), a cocky Iowa farm boy destined to be a great leader; and first in command Spock (Zachary Quinto), a half human/half Vulcan hybrid, whose sternly logical personality constantly clashes with his need to express himself emotionally.      

Following on from Pike and Quinto, who both provide new dimensions to their iconic characters (the former a cheeky rebellion; the latter a soulful restraint), are the likes of Karl Urban as medical officer Leonard "Bones" McCoy; modern comedic genius Simon Pegg as engineer Scotty; and Zoe Saldana as the ultra sexy Uhura, who all pay homage to their predecessors, while also making these beloved characters their own.     

The instigator of their assemblage is a time traveller from the planet Romulan named Nero, played with heart thumping intensity by Eric Bana. Seeking revenge for the destruction of his planet, Nero instigates the annihilation of Spook's home planet Vulcan, bringing on the attention of Starfleet, a federation of peacekeepers who explore and police the universe.     

With both the good and bad guys set, so comes several awe inspiring action sequences, the most notable a pre-opening credits battle between warring spec crafts (which sets the films mind blowing aural and visual tone to devastating effect); and a stomach curling deep space sky dive.     

Also of note is its surprising amount of comedy, with the highlight a sequence involving Kirk’s allergic reaction to McCoy’s medical treatment.   

The films effects are simply astonishing, as old school design magnificently blends with new school technologies, with any trace of CGI non-existent. This is coupled nicely with its 1960s inspired costume and hair design.  

Anchoring all of it is a wonderful script by genre veterans Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci, who successfully blends a healthy dose of Stephen Hawking inspired science with its highly entertaining brand of fiction.

Due to director/producer Abram's meticulous attention to detail and unrelenting -yet thankfully never overwhelming- passion for the Star Trek mythology, a modern sci-fi classic has been created. Abram's has managed to pull off the impossible, given the Trekkies (or Trekkers) a film which they can happily claim with open arms, while also leaving enough breathing room for the Trek virgin to enjoy, without being overwhelmed by the density of its history.

This is the space adventure which George Lucas could not deliver.