Does J.J. Abrams' Star Trek reboot go where no other Star Trek film has gone before? Well, the film's time travel hook has already been used in several entries of the franchise, but that doesn't matter, because what this re-invention does do is inject a joyful spirit back into the proceedings. Simply put, Star Trek is a hell of a lot of fun.

This Star Trek traces the early beginnings of beloved characters like Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) and finds the iconic (and youthful) crew of the star-ship Enterprise engaging on their maiden voyage. Adventure ensues when the crew comes face to face with time traveling baddie Nero (Eric Bana)--a villainous Romulan who has a bone to pick with Star-fleet.

The time travel gimmick utilized by Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, allows the film makers to take certain liberties with the Trek mythology, and while many purists will be irritated by the re-writing of their cherished gospel, it will be difficult even for the biggest Trekkie to point out any flaws. This is because from the get go, Abrams' Trek uses the time travel scenario to set up an alternate time-line, thus opening the door for an entirely new take on the mythology.

Hardcore fans shouldn't fear too much however, as all your favorite characters are back (including; Kirk, Spock, Uhura, McCoy, Scott, Sulu, Chekov, and even Pike), and while they've been tweaked ever so slightly (there's a most unexpected romance amongst two crew members), they still exhibit all the traits you've come to know and love. What's more, the film makers give each of these iconic characters individual moments to shine. The same couldn't be said of the last few Next Generation films.

The key to this film's overall success – outside of Abrams' energetic direction and the gorgeous look of the picture - is the spirited cast. Chris Pine hits all the right notes as a confident – sometimes, overly so – James T. Kirk. Rather than mimicking William Shatner, Pine opts to make the character his own, and its safe to say he'll get plenty of work after this. Quinto is picture perfect as Spock. As an inner conflicted being born of both Vulcan and Human descent, Quinto brings equal measures arrogance and vulnerability to the role. Other stand-outs include Simon Pegg's hilarious Montgomery Scott and Karl Urban's dead on Leonard "Bones" McCoy.

Abrams professes that he's always been more of a Star Wars fan than a Trek fan, but he still does a terrific job honoring the spirit of Roddenberry's vision all while amping up the action factor. This film isn't so much interested in social commentary as it is in throwing these legendary characters into an operatic space adventure.

Its perfectly clear that the real Trek fans here are screenwriters Orci and Kurtzman. This is evident through the numerous winks at Trek tales of the past and through the keen re-inventions of these beloved characters. This isn't to say the screenplay is perfect. Nero isn't at the top of the classic Trek villain canon, but perhaps that's because the film is more interested in re-introducing the crew of the star ship Enterprise, and it hasn't the time to truly delve into Nero's psyche. We no why Nero does what he does here, but he lacks that bigger than life persona that made Khan –Nero's obvious inspiration – so memorable. Furthermore, Orci and Kurtzman's re-introduction of a familiar face from the original Star Trek series doesn't quite gel. This particular character appears a couple of times throughout the film, and while his involvement in the story is certainly necessary, his final moment with a key member of the Enterprise crew is not. This particular moment probably looked better on the page.

In the grand scheme of things however, these minor inconsistencies hardly matter because the rest of the film is such a blast--whether you're a Star Trek fan or not! Abrams' direction is superb. The entire film bristles with energy and as I sat there dazzled for virtually the entire two hour running time, I couldn't help but think how good Transformers might have been had Abrams directed it instead of Michael Bay. This is the best Trek movie I've seen since the underrated Undiscovered Country, and now that the groundwork has been laid out, I can't wait to see the continuing voyages of the star ship Enterprise. J.J. Abrams' Star Trek is the summer film to beat.