DVD of the week: Star Trek

Sci-fi. 2009. 122 min. With Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Simon Pegg. Director: JJ Abrams. 13PGL.
Rating: 4/5
Reviewer: Pieter van Zyl

You’ll need a giant flat-screen TV and a surround-sound system if you want to get totally sucked into the black hole of action and special effects on offer here. Die-hard Trekkies who’ve followed the TV series since the ’70s may think this movie version is too slick and miss the camp hairstyles and acting but it’s great to finally find out the origins of Captain James T Kirk and Ambassador Spock.

As in the later films in the Star Wars series this movie takes you way back into the main characters’ pasts. It takes some determination to bring yourself to like the young Captain Kirk who tries to sleep with every space creature he can lay his hands on but once you’ve settled in for the long ride on the USS Enterprise it’s two hours of unadulterated fun. One of the original actors who inhabited the ship in the ’60s even makes an appearance and there are enough surprises to keep you glued to your seat. May there be many more sequels!

Bonus: featurette, commentary, gag reel.