Former Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Patrick Stewart has praised director JJ Abrams for successfully resurrecting the franchise - insisting he "loved" the new movie.

Abrams brought the sci-fi franchise back to cinemas this year with Star Trek, a prequel to the original 1960s TV show, featuring a new cast of young actors.

Stewart played Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek: The Next Generation TV series for seven years and brought his character to the big screen in four spin-off films, including 2002's Star Trek Nemesis.

And the British star insists he is delighted the original show has been resurrected once again and is full of praise for Chris Pine, who portrays a young Captain James T. Kirk in the new movie. He says, "He's brilliant, charming, funny and utterly delightful."

And Stewart is adamant he is not bitter about movie bosses' decision to leave him out of the new movie, adding, "I loved it. It was a very odd experience to be in the cinema watching a Star Trek movie that I wasn't in. With the exception of Leonard Nimoy, I didn't know any of the cast but it's still Star Trek. I got a great kick out of it."

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(This news article provided by World Entertainment News Network)