With the super surprise premiere screening in Austin Texas and the actual gala premiere screening in Sydney Australia, the first reviews of JJ Abrams‘ Star Trek have begun to appear online. So what are the critics saying? Lets take a look. Note: I’ve tried not to include any spoilers. Check out the early buzz bits after the jump.

Neil Miller at Film School Rejects: “Some of the smartest work [Orci and Kurtzman have] done. They get these characters and when you combine that with the visual style that J.J. Abrams has brought to the franchise, it makes for a dangerously accessible and exciting film.” … “This is a big, fast-paced, sleek version of Star Trek that is unlike anything we’ve seen before — a new brand of space film that stretches what we thought possible in the realm of visual effects, and I don’t think that’s going to bother anyone.” … “J.J. Abrams, with the help of a few incredibly talented people, has created a very accessible, fun Star Trek film that is perfect for a new generation of sci-fi fans. Sure, it plays to the fan base a little bit, but its real strength is in the fact that it is delivered with a ton of energy, it presents a story that is easily grasped by fans and newbies alike and is a big, kick-ass ride.”

Quint at AICN : “I like the world (or maybe universe is a better term considering the material) that Abrams and his team has created here. I like the cast he assembled, I like the way this new universe turns some old Trek landmarks on their heads, while keeping true to what’s really important to each character.” … “Without exception, I think the first 45 minutes of the movie is rock solid. The second act has a few problems, the biggest of which seemed to be a sequence of check-listing, making sure all the characters we know and love are on the bridge and the way they introduce Nimoy is a great hero moment”

Rodney Perkins at Twitich: “Abrams’ film is a very entertaining and reverential take on the Star Trek mythos. The acting and casting are spot on. The story mixes old and new elements of the Star Trek universe. The effects are breathtaking. Some people will inevitably nitpick this film but J.J. Abrams’ new work is as good as (and arguably better) than most of the Star Trek movies that preceded it.”

AICN reader GAH: “J.J. Abrams really did it. He has revitalized the franchise. He made a movie that is smart and funny and charming and thrilling and reverent and is totally accessible to people who previously thought Star Trek was not for them. I thought I was one of those people. While I enjoyed all of the even numbered Star Trek films until Nemesis, I never felt the desire to go back and watch the original series or Next Generation… until seeing this film.”

Jon B at CinemaBlend : “The runtime flies by with very few lulls in the pacing, reinvigorating characters and a universe that had, lets be honest, grown stale and tired. More than anything else, the movie just feels so much more fun than any previous entry. There’s more humor, more thrills, far more energy and a much better movie here than anything I’ve seen from Star Trek* since the 80’s. I admit I was skeptical- I was not prepared to care about this universe and these characters again, after the crushing mediocrity that they had become. I can be skeptical no more, though. This is a fantastic movie it’s own right, one I would definitely recommend to Trekkie and new fan alike.”

Cole Abaius at Film School Rejects: “First of all, this is a fantastic movie. It’s pacing is rapid-fire, the action is larger-than-life and raises blood pressure with ease, and the characters come to life in a very cool way. Overall, it’s an exciting flick that is shot beautifully - featuring a cast that carries all the weight necessarily to create some enduring figures to root for. A near-perfect Summer tentpole blockbuster.” … “There are a few science fiction elements that are never explained - but nothing far out enough to lose an audience that’s paying attention.” … “It’s a heavy action film, but it’s one of the funnest movies I’ve seen in years. The characters could easily have slipped into cliche, but pushed past it to become unique entities. There are goofy one-liners up against intense dialog, but nothing ever sounds out of place.”

CHUD reader Greg Clark: “well, it doesn’t suck. Anyone who says it’s better than Wrath of Khan is talking out of their hyperbolic ass though. This one doesn’t nearly have as clear a thought out script as that one, easily one of the tightestly plotted films in any genre, and suffers from the same problem as that other Orci and Kurtzman collaboration, Transformers: it wants to be all things for all people at all times.” … “The movie should easily become the biggest (and probably most popular with the mainstream) Trek film out there, and Paramount might have successfully turned this back into a cash cow. Let’s just hope the next time out we can get some real exploration based adventure, instead of spending half a running time figuring out what the point of the film is going to be.”

AICN reader Chaplinatemyshoe: “JJ Abrams has created a stunningly beautiful sci-fi vision that pretty much raises the bar for any space film to follow. The design and look of the film is absolutely fantastic in every sense.” … “There are scenes in this movie you wish you could have rewound and watched over and over again, they are so incredibly gorgeous. ” … “This is on par with the Star Wars trilogy in terms of the big screen entertainment and sheer imagination on display. And while it doesn’t pack the emotional punch that it could have, it does set itself up to do that in subsequent installments of the franchise.”