He has to meet an old girlfriend, make a speech about how humans don't need gods anymore, and tease Spock about having emotions, after all.Okay. So what we really need is Kirk in a ripped shirt, showing his hairless chest, with a trickle of blood coming from the corner of his mouth, with perfect hair and perfect, pointy sideburns. And while he is in this state he must (a) bed at least 3 women within 5 minutes of meeting them, (b) inspire the crew to victory with an inspiring "risk is our business" speech, and (c) trick a superior form of artificial intelligence into self-destructing with some infallibly logical wordplay.
Anything else?
Done and done!
And the last scene of the movie needs to be the bridge crew standing around Kirk as they all laugh in unison, at Spock's expense. Cut to stock footage of Enterprise warping off into the great unknown.
I think we have us a movie! Who needs JJ Abrams!