A caveat - this is not the Star Trek that Gene Roddenberry intended and one would imagine that he would not have approved. But then, some of the best Star Trek episodes, and indeed series (DS9), have come from a divergence from Roddenberry's positive vision of the future and a willingness to explore the difficulties humanity would have in aspiring to this unlikely ideal. Abrams was wise to begin his film versions of Star Trek prior to the realisation of Roddenberry's utopia. What Star Trek has also often been good at is providing a canvas upon which to comment on the moral and social questions that resonate with modern society and here the notion of terrorism and how humanity addresses this in personal and global terms feels particularly relevant.
Not that Abrams allows this to get in the way of delivering what can only be described as a perfect summer movie, but the overall themes of the film ascribe to this notion of Star Trek. What Abrams also gets right in spades is the characters and the interaction between all of them, in particular Kirk and Spock, with a great effort made in ensuring all of the crew get a moment to shine (something notably lacking from the original movies). Pine and Quinto are a fantastic double act and the development of their characters and their relationship is the highlight of the film. Cumberbatch makes for a great central villain, yet the film develops in surprising ways. There are plot holes galore here and to be sure they mar the overall rating. They are also likely to enrage the pedantic fans of a series which has often suffered from a need/desire to retcon or fit everything into a preordained timeline often at the expense of simply enjoying the moment. And that is what the filmmakers seems to be doing here. Rarely do these plot inconsistencies detract from the sheer fun and enjoyment of seeing these characters race through a film whose pace is relentless. What is unnecessary however is this film's attempts to connect with a previous instalment in the series. There is nothing inherently wrong with the connections but it adds little to the story and wholesale reminders of scenes from another film detract from their intent. These similar moments could have easily been staged in a different way and the film would have been better for it. There is also an incredibly convenient "deus ex machina" moment that is as predictable as it is ridiculous and completely unnecessary as it only serves to fulfil the desire of the film to connect with its predecessor. Still, this is great entertainment!