Star Trek is a bright, shiny blast from a newly imagined past

By far his finest moments take place on the brightly lighted deck of the Enterprise, where against the backdrop of limitless space, Kirk, Spock and the rest of the young crew fumble with roles that — much like the young actors playing them, including Anton Yelchin as Chekov and John Cho as Sulu — they ultimately and rather wonderfully make their own. - New York Times

SHOOT: Star Trek's mythos is based on balance. Vision tempered by logic, passion tempered by reason, ration and reason set free into the magic and mystery of space. A masterful premise. I always hoped humanity would become civilised in the future, adopting the broad consensus we see in Star Fleet, with the broad goal being a cashless society bent on improving itself. The Star Trek protagonists are, interestingly, all altrusists. Something rare in entertainment and rea life history.

clipped from movies.nytimes.com A bright, shiny blast from a newly imagined past, “Star Trek,” the latest spinoff from the influential television show, isn’t just a pleasurable rethink of your geek uncle’s favorite science-fiction series. It’s also a testament to television’s power as mythmaker, as a source for some of the fundamental stories we tell about ourselves, who we are and where we came from. The famous captain (William Shatner, bless his loony lights) and creator (Gene Roddenberry, rest in peace) may no longer be on board, but the spirit of adventure and embrace of rationality that define the show are in full swing, as are the chicks in minis and kicky boots. Despite these visions, the flashing lasers and latex aliens, “Star Trek” is fundamentally about two men engaged in a continuing conversation about civilizations and their discontents. Hot and cold, impulsive and tightly controlled, Kirk and Spock need each other to work, a dynamic Mr. Abrams captures with his two well-balanced leads.