Star Trek Into Darkness | Review
I’m not a Star Trek fan whatsoever, and neither is director J.J. Abrams. However, he successfully rebooted the franchise in 2009 and made it accessible to both fans and non-fans alike. The rebooted film was fun, adventurous, had humor and romance. All of this returns in the sequel, but this time things get darker and more personal.
‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is less about being “bigger” than its predecessor and more about delving deeper into these characters and seeing what makes them tick. Taking place just a year after the young Starfleet crew was put together, their compatibility and limits are tested when a dangerous enemy appears in the form of John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch).
After a series of terrorist attacks by Harrison, Starfleet goes on a manhunt for the man responsible. This manhunt soon leads to a series of twists and turns, where long-kept secrets are revealed.
I won’t say anything else about the plot to avoid spoilers. But I will say Benedict Cumberbatch is excellent. His portrayal as the film’s villain is layered and full of terror, grief, and sympathy. Cumberbatch makes the character one of the most memorable on-screen villains in recent memory. He steals every scene he’s in.
Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are also really great. The two work well together even though their characters have polar opposite personalities. Pine’s Captain Kirk grows and matures in the film. Quinto’s Spock learns to have more emotion. Quinto has the difficult task of portraying emotional depth in an emotionless character, but, incredibly, he gets it done. I only wish the other actors had more screen time, like Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and John Cho. But at least Simon Pegg’s role is increased this time, seemingly in his own little movie half the time.
Overall, ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ is a fantastic summer blockbuster and one of the most entertaining science-fiction films of the modern era. The energy doesn’t stop from beginning to end. With this, I’m fairly confident J.J. Abrams will bring a refreshing and successful take on the ‘Star Wars’ film franchise when he directs ‘Star Wars Episode VII.’