10 Best Action Set-Pieces In Star Trek

2. Narada Arrives' Star Trek (2009)

Khan Spock
CBS

With a storming soundtrack and the arrival of the Narada, Star Trek power-punched its way into 2009.

What followed the serene tracking of the USS Kelvin announced a dramatic shift in the timeline. The 2009 film started as it meant to go on with no holds barred. Captain Robeaux is speared by Nero, his vitals go red and all forms of Hell break loose.

Full phaser barrages from both sides and the hull of the Federation starship ripped wide open. The onslaught of Nero's immense mining ship and its arsenal are no match for the tiny vessel. Crew are sucked into the vacuum of space and it looks like the end of the crew of the Kelvin.

This was only the pre-titles sequence and as a set-piece it delivered not only action but a huge lump in the throat.

As the rather one-sided battle raged, a future starship captain is born and loses his father in a moment. Even now, 11 years on, this set the standard for the dynamic, the pace and the execution of any space battles that would come after it in a movie or on TV. It felt real, the ships were meticulously created and the loss of George Kirk painfully tangible.

Contributor
Contributor

A Star Trek fan from birth, I love to dive into every aspect of the franchise in front and behind the screen. There's something here that's kept me interested for the best part of four decades! Now I'm getting back into writing and using Star Trek as my first line of literary attack. If I'm not here on WhatCulture then you're more than welcome to come and take a look at my blog, Some Kind of Star Trek at http://SKoST.co.uk or maybe follow me on Twitter as @TheWarpCore. Sometimes I force myself not to talk about Star Trek.