This review includes major spoilers about the film’s plot. Do not read if you wish to be completely unspoiled.

 Spock and Kirk negotiate with Romulan villain Nero (Eric Bana)

The long-awaited Star Trek re-boot has been a source of both excitement and anxiety for fans of the franchise. Successful re-makes or ‘re-imaginings’ are a rare breed – Zack Snyder’s recent Watchmen was accused of being too rigidly formed around the source material by some and not being faithful enough by others – and Star Trek in particular is such a staple of pop culture that taking on the project at all required veracity of Klingon proportions.

Following Cadet Kirk to Starfleet Academy and onwards to the Captaincy of the Enterprise, the film shows the formation of what we now know as the classic crew of Spock, Uhura, Chekov, Sulu, Bones and Scotty. A rogue Romulan called Nero (Eric Bana) is trying to get his revenge on Future Spock, who he blames for the destruction of his home planet Romulus. He manages to destroy Spock’s home Vulcan and then set his sights on Earth, kidnapping the Enterprise’s Captain Pike to torture him for information. Spock takes over as Captain but his future self convinces Kirk that this isn’t a good idea and that he should lead the crew against Nero whilst Spock is still mourning the loss of Vulcan.

The film opens with an energetic action sequence which sees Captain Kirk Senior taking command of the embattled starship the USS Kelvin, which is being attacked by a Romulan ship. In going down with his vessel he saves 800 people including his wife and newborn son James Tiberius, and unwittingly influencing Jim in his later decision to join Starfleet. This sequence could be the first bone of contention for those hardcore fans who don’t take kindly to the canon being re-written, but as this film exists in a questionable timeline which is subject to change, it shouldn’t affect anyone’s enjoyment and gets the action off to a thrilling start. The attack on the Kelvin is one of the film’s best action sequences and sets out Abrams’ stall as a director who can’t help but underpin his flash and bang with solid story and character development – the whole sequence is cut with scenes of Mrs Kirk giving birth and the Captain converses with her about their new baby until the final explosion which claims his life and finishes off the Kelvin completely.

Where Star Trek differs from most of its predecessors is its lack of one overriding moral dilemma. This is understandable as while many of the previous Trek films had an established cast of characters to work with, the new Trek is taking them back to basics and so needs to spend time demonstrating how each character deals personally with the events unfolding. Unlike Wrath of Khan or Generations you won’t come away feeling as if the human condition has been explored, but this really had to be a film of close study – character pieces strung together to give each their moment in the spotlight, and to allow us to get used to these personalities in different skins. If anything it’s closer in tone to the original Star Trek : The Motion Picture.

Zachary Quinto as Spock is a piece of genius casting, which seems to have been destined since he looks so comfortable in the role. His Spock is conflicted, at times childlike but also overburdened with cultural responsibility. Some of the most touching moments in the film are his wide-eyed embraces with Uhura, their unannounced relationship being one of the welcome surprises which JJ Abrams brings to the franchise. Quinto basically gets to play a leading man showreel of romance, humour, drama and action but one slight hitch is that he’s too good. His Spock is so likeable that even in the moments where the audience is supposed to view him as officious and immovable we’re silently cheering him on, which leads to a bit of an anti-climax when Spock is goaded into relieving his command and allowing Kirk to become Captain of the Enterprise. Quinto is the star of the film, there can be no argument about that, and his embodiment of that iconic role pulls the audience along with the rapid plot – he anchors us to the story and makes us care about the future of the crew.

 Spock (Zachary Quinto) approaches the Vulcan council

The cast is Star Trek’s trump card. Chris Pine gives Kirk that youthful ebullience and passion which Shatner’s reading had without doing a second-rate impersonation. He’s the lovable pain in the ass that Kirk needs to be whilst being utterly convincing once he takes the Captain’s chair and leads the Enterprise into battle. The on-screen chemistry with Spock is there from the beginning, by the final reel it’s a full on bromance and their ‘mutual respect moment’ is moving and authentic.

 John Cho, Simon Pegg and Karl Urban all give solid and likeable performances as Sulu, Scotty and Bones. Eric Bana’s Nero is a little one-dimensional, back to the old school of single-minded villains who are dispatched without fanfare in the last ten minutes. There is an attempt to build some backstory but it doesn’t really come off and though Bana does the best with what he’s given it seems that Abrams was more interested in shots of his awesome octopus-like ship than developing Nero as a character.

Disappointingly Zoe Saldana as Uhura is underused. Her relationship with Spock brings an unexpected and welcome extra layer to the storyline but from the outset she is defined only in her relationships to others. She is the object of Kirk’s attraction in the first act, and Spock’s emotional anchor in the second, but she never gets her hero moment. The fact that she is seen undressing in most versions of the trailer does not do justice to the sympathetic performance that Saldana gives, and it’s a missed opportunity that she doesn’t have more to do on screen.

Anton Yelchin is the real surprise showing in Star Trek – his Chekov is adorable at seventeen and like Quinto he perfectly balances the character’s established attributes with his own interpretation. As he has his hero moment, dashing around the consoles trying to beam up Sulu and Kirk whilst they’re plummeting to certain death you’re put in mind of a teenager hammering a Playstation 3, but later when he can’t pull off the same slick moves to save another life he gives a real sense of loss.

JJ Abrams has gone out of his way to convince movie-goers that Star Trek is not made for the fans but is accessible to all comers. This is true, but Trekkies need not fear that their beloved franchise has been re-booted out of recognition. Everything you love about Star Trek is there and it’s handled confidently and affectionately by a man who might not be a Trek fan per se but understands the value of the series and delivers nods aplenty to the faithful without beating newbies to death with them. The effects and action sequences are slickly rendered and exciting and scenes like the various US Starships warping into space will leave you breathless.

Smarter, funnier and more engaging than any genre movie in the last year, you really can’t do without seeing Star Trek. It’s not just a good example of the genre, it’s a great film which will thrill you and warm your heart at the same time. See it and you’ll be counting the days until JJ Abrams and his stellar cast bring us the next instalment.