STORY STUDY - MEDIUM: FILM “Star Trek”

It’s time to enter the final frontier: space.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, written by Roberto Orci & Alex Kurtzman, and based on Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek is the story of James Kirk, who is convinced by Captain Christopher Pike to enlist in Starfleet Academy, following in the footsteps of Kirk’s father, who died saving him, his mother, and hundreds of people when their starship was attacked.

Kirk meets Spock during a disciplinary hearing when the latter accuses him of cheating in an exam/simulation he created. The hearing ends when Starfleet gets a distress call from Spock’s home planet, which is being invaded.

After sneaking onto the starship Enterprise, Kirk learns that the planet is being invaded by the same group that killed his father.

The film is intended to be the first chapter of a new series of films, which means it has to reintroduce the characters to a new and already existing fanbase. What goes against the film is that it’s a film, so all of the core crew has to be quickly introduced, and thrust into the situation. Bear in mind, this if the first Star Trek film to do that; the previous film’s featured a cast who was already established from their respective series.

Honestly, they do an amazing job with characterization of the core cast. The impressive element is that they all serve a purpose and each has a standout scene.

Many people complain about the villain of the film, using his first spoken line as an example of how poorly acted and written he is. So… what about his actual first scene, where’s he’s silent, listening for the information he’s waiting for.

I was aware of the concept of Star Trek, but I wanted to see the film after watching the trailer. Abrams was a hot director (and just a great asset in general thanks to his TV work) after Mission: Impossible III, so just based on that I wanted to see it. As someone who was aware of the property, it was an easily understandable film. It told its own story with a simple goal, focusing on character and visually stunning effects.

Star Trek is a film that doesn’t go into philosophical and heavy sci-fi allegories, but it doesn’t have to be, at least not with a first film. It functions as an accessible introduction to the characters and concepts of this world.