Like J.J. Abrams, I am not a rabid "Star Trek" geek.

I don't ruminate over Vulcan mating rituals or joust with "ST" know-it-alls about Klingon warfare tactics or the merits of Romulan ale.

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Hell, I don't even know how many babes Captain Kirk has bedded since he first cast his ship's big, dilithium-powered anchors ashore on planets throughout the galaxy.

But I, and moviegoers like me, can say one thing after seeing "Star Trek": J.J. Abrams, may you live long and prosper!

Fraught with a breathless exuberance this franchise hasn't seen since William Shatner first donned his pointy Starfleet sideburns in the 1960s, this "Star Trek" caper isn't just fun. It's a transporter ride to sci-fi nirvana.

In fact, watching it begs the mind to ponder the awe early moviegoers must have felt when space first became a favourite film theme for 20th century popcorn guzzlers.

Think of Georges Méliès, France's famed "Cinemagician." Back in 1902 his little film, "Le voyage dans la lune" rocked people's imaginations with its celebrated scene in which a spaceship hits the eye of the man in the moon.

Since then, Hollywood has seen many mind-blowing sci-fi flicks: "War of the Worlds," "2001: A Space Odyssey," "Alien."

But "Star Trek's" revolutionary marriage of classic storytelling and 21st-century special effects does something different. It catapults Hollywood's filmmaking bar to extraordinary new heights.

It also delivers a gripping, give-a-damn drama that transcends the sci-fi genre.

With a visual feel and energy that's right for the times, director Abram's sleek, sexy, 23rd-century epic blasts past that cheesy old "Star Trek" fare. Instead, he delivers a fierce, gut-twitching rollercoaster ride fueled by the real reasons that drive Kirk (Chris Pine) and his future Enterprise buds into Starfleet.

Set before Gene Roddenberry's groundbreaking TV series Abrams opens at breakneck speed, with battle stations on full alert as the USS Kelvin faces a deadly attack by the time-travelling Romulan villain, Nero (Eric Bana).

Before we can say "Beam me up, Scotty" Abrams whisks us out of "Star Trek's" first, taut action sequences and into the barren fields of Iowa where the rebellious speed-demon Kirk Jr. battles authority even as a child.

Destined for nothing but trouble, it takes a bar-room brawl and a challenge levelled at him by his late father's friend, Captain Pike (Canadian actor Bruce Greenwood), to force this wild child into Starfleet.

From his first meeting with Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) to his frosty encounter with the young, conflicted Spock (Zachary Quinto), these flyboys whip across the screen like a bunch of over-excited pit bulls.

And each is determined to prove that they are Starfleet heroes.

Abrams, the creator of TV's "Lost," "Alias" and "Fringe," has a lot riding on this US$150-million intergalactic epic.

Revitalizing this "crass franchise cash cow," as he describes it, put Abrams and little-known actors like Pine, 28, and Zachary Quinto, 31, under tremendous scrutiny.

Happily for us everyone in this space saga comes out swinging, particularly Pine.

Best known for pretty-boy roles in films like "The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement" (2002), Pine gets bruised, bloodied and brutalized by Romulan scum and Mr. Spock.

Even with a swollen mug and cotton balls stuffed up his oozing nose Pine's cocky, lived-in Starfleet look is captivating.

Pine runs, dives, flies and fumbles his way into our pop culture psyche as the definitive incarnation of the young Captain Kirk -- and as a leading man destined for big things in Hollywood.

Estimated to make between US$80 million and US$100 million in its opening weekend, the mass appeal of this story written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman could turn "Star Trek" into the biggest money-maker of this franchise, if not Hollywood itself.

At the very minimum, Abrams and Pine have done for "Star Trek" what director Martin Campbell and Daniel Craig did for 2006's "Casino Royale" revival. They transformed a tired, suffocated brand into something better.

"Star Trek's" fast. It's smart. It's full of churning action and rich character studies that leave you craving more from Abrams and soon.

It also sends Hollywood and its future filmmaking wunderkinds a big message courtesy of Mr. Abrams: Try to beat this "Star Trek" instalment, if you dare.

Four stars out of four