Star Trek

Seven years after the dismal 10th movie, Star Trek: Nemesis, the sci-fi franchise has gotten a kick-start that should propel it to new quadrants. The architect of the relaunch is J.J. Abrams, the creative force behind Alias, Lost and Fringe and the director of Mission: Impossible III. It’s billed as a reboot, so even though it’s essentially a prequel, it has the license to take liberties. It takes but a few, however. Abrams’ movie opens with a climactic battle between an early Federation starship and a mammoth vessel captained by an angry alien named Nero (Eric Bana). After Nero kills his Starfleet counterpart, a young officer with a wife in labor takes command and buys time with his life for the crew and loved ones to escape. That officer: George Kirk. His newborn son: James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine). Star Trek is fast and fun, tense and humorous, new and nostalgic—often all at the same time. Pine makes a great young Capt. Kirk, as does Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, and Karl Urban is spot-on as Doctor McCoy. The rest of the crew—Sulu, Scotty, Uhura—get similarly smart reintroductions. Feather River Cinemas, Paradise Cinema 7 and Tinseltown. Rated PG-13 E.T.