Star Trek

With a hip young director (JJ Abrams, of Lost fame) and brand new cast, the much-heralded eleventh outing of the Star Trek franchise tells the story of the maiden voyage of the Starship Enterprise. Kirk (Chris Pine), a thrill-seeking farm boy from Iowa, and Spock (Zachary Quinto), an intelligent half-human outcast from the planet Vulcan, are the two most talented cadets in their class. Together, these two rivals, and the rest of the spaceship's crew, are entrusted with the protection of mankind.

James Christopher, the Times: The plot itself is a fast and furious intergalactic shoot-out... which bounces between the future, the past, and an alternate world on the flip side of a black hole. The special effects are marvellous, from the implosion of entire planets to the spectacle of Romulan space ships that look like magnified fleas. But it's the vintage gripes and emotional chemistry on the Enterprise that make this film such a comic joy. (Verdict: five stars out of five)

Peter Bradshaw, the Guardian: Why have we filmgoers wasted so much of our time and attention on all those other beta-male bondings and under-par buddy hookups when the greatest friendship of all was right there under our noses? The story of Kirk and Spock is brought thrillingly back to life by a new first generation: Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto, who give inspired, utterly unselfconscious and lovable performances, with power, passion and some cracking comic timing. (Verdict: five stars out of five) 

Colin Kennedy, Empire: Abrams and his crew pull it off. Save for the typically muddy motives of the modern bad guy - oh, for a truly Evil Empire - there is nothing much to confuse the multiplex masses, while there are plenty of in-jokes and visual details for the forum-dwellers to chew over. More to the point, the film is sassy, young and hip in a way the franchise has not been since the '60s... Kudos is due. (Verdict: four stars out of five) ·