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J.J. Abrams’ hip, playful “Star Trek” boldly goes 

Thrilling. Stunning. Spectacular.

You really can teach an old franchise new tricks.

Directed by “Lost” creator J.J. Abrams, “Star Trek” is a bold, playful  re-imagining of one of science fiction’s most beloved franchises — fun fast-paced and stocked start to finish with heart-pounding, pulse-racing thrills. Its joie de vivre is simply irresistible.

What’s more, this is a “Star Trek” universe that’s wholly accessible to newbies and mainstream audiences. Hardcore fans, meanwhile, will chuckle over the many familiar quotes and callbacks.

“Star Trek” kicks off with a white-knuckle opening chapter worthy of its pedigree — an interstellar shootout on the edge of civilized space.

The USS Kevlin is locked in desperate battle with a huge, menacing-looking alien ship commanded by the savage Romulan Nero (Eric Bana, almost unrecognizable).

Taking command after his captain is brutally slain, the fresh-faced first officer comes to a heartbreaking conclusion: He must remain aboard the ship while the rest of the crew — including his pregnant wife — escapes. He breathes his last breaths as his newborn son breathes his first.

That infant is the future James Tiberius Kirk, a man whose renown across the galaxy as a fearless leader, loyal friend and smooth-talkin’ ladies man will become legendary.

At age 22 or so, however, Kirk (Chris Pine) is a reckless young punk with a huge chip on his shoulder. He flaunts his rebellion by joyriding in his stepfather’s priceless antique automobile, by picking a bar fight with stocky cadets from Starfleet Academy. He loses both times.

“You’ve always had a hard time finding your place in this world, haven’t you?” asks Capt. Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), treating Kirk to a drink after his latest drubbing. “You can settle for less in ordinary life, or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special.”

What Pike has in mind is Starfleet, where the Federation’s best and brightest minds prepare for careers in intergalactic exploration and diplomacy. As luck would have it, it’s located in San Francisco right next to the Golden Gate Bridge. Score!

Kirk settles into an easy friendship with Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (Karl Urban), the grumpy yet lovable physician whose dourness rarely dampens the younger man’s reckless nature. But he butts heads with smart, sexy Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock (Zachary Quinto).

In fact, Kirk runs afoul of the school’s authorities for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test, an exam designed by Spock as a no-win scenario. In Spock’s logical mind, Kirk lacks the responsibility required to lead — the willingness to, like his father, “go down with the ship.”

The future captain may yet get his chance.

Kirk manages to smuggle onto the maiden flight of the Federation’s newest flagship, the USS Enterprise, as Capt. Pike and his cadet crew investigate a distress signal originating from the planet Vulcan.

They arrive to find the rest of the Starfleet ships destroyed and Nero’s ship, the Narada, drilling deep into the planet’s core. Just as he did 25 years ago, the Romulan invites his enemy onboard, leaving Kirk and Spock in charge.

A full-blooded reboot, “Star Trek” packs all 126 minutes with explosive action scenes, clever one-liners  and high-tech gadgetry that seems charmingly quaint in this age of iPhones and minicams. Its plot revolves around one of the oldest tricks in “Star Trek” — time travel — used here with fresh purpose and brilliant intent.

Yet for all its science-fiction splendor and big-budget special effects, it’s the movie’s cast and characters that will really hold audiences’ attention.

Fittingly, “Star Trek” devotes most of its quieter moments to two different men — Kirk, a rootless upstart struggling to find his purpose, and Spock, a social outcast torn between his human emotions and his Vulcan heritage. Together, their dynamic is more “Lethal Weapon” than “The Odd Couple.”

The rest of the Enterprise crew members receive brief but adequate introductions.

There’s communications officer Uhura, who manages to exude smarts, strength and sass despite a very short minidress; pilot Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), who wields a mean katana; and navigator Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), an eager Wes Crusher-style teen who speaks in a laughably thick quasi-Russian accent.

He’s rivaled only by engineering chief Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (Simon Pegg), who provides much of the movie’s comic relief.

Aussie actor Eric Bana, meanwhile, serves capably as chief villain. His Nero conjures up Captain Nemo from “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea,” a mysterious figure driven mad by vengeance.

“Star Trek’s” respectful, yet playful approach to its subject matter makes the film particularly accessible to moviegoers who couldn’t care less about dilithium crystals and photon torpedoes.

But there are plenty of geek-out moments, too — like the first time Bones grumbles, “Damn it, Jim, I’m a doctor!” or the split-second in which Spock cocks a quizzical eyebrow. It’s enough to make a Trekkie downright giddy.

This is the movie that “Wolverine” should have been — fun, fast, action-packed. “Star Trek” is the perfect start to what could be a very promising summer season.

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Image courtesy of MovieWeb.com.