‘Star Trek’ takes the universe by storm

It’s no secret that director J.J. Abrams and his writers of choice, Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, were brought in by Paramount to reformulate the venerable space opera franchise that was viewed as requiring a jolt of energy. What was not often focused on was that the differences between what they wanted to do and what had gone before made this a perilous endeavor.So it is pleasant to report that though it’s not perfect, the reconstituted ‘Star Trek’ is successful enough for everyone to breathe a sigh of relief. Though it has its over-caffeinated aspects and its missteps, this ‘Star Trek’ has in general bridged the gap between the old and the new with alacrity and purpose. Part of the reason for the film’s success was its decision to position itself as ‘Star Trek: The Young Years.’ Back we go to the maiden voyage of the starship Enterprise, to the first meetings of future Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and his baby-faced crew: Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), ‘Scotty’ (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Sulu (John Cho).In addition to using capable actors who were not marquee names and working in a satisfying role for Leonard Nimoy as Spock Prime (you’ll have to see the movie if you want that explained), Abrams and company have come up with a serviceable ‘the Earth must be saved’ plot. Involved are such science fiction staples as alternate realities and black holes as well as a tattooed Romulan evildoer named Captain Nemo (a capable Eric Bana) who looks like the frontman for a nasty rock band from the north of England.