By: Jamison Wagner
“Star Trek: Into Darkness: is a well-executed sequel
Fans of the J.J. Abrams reboot Star Trek storyline will likely be delighted with his latest addition to the franchise in the form of Star Trek: Into Darkness.
From the well-done acting delivered by all the characters to some outstanding special effects and a fast-paced storyline, the movie keeps you ‘engaged’ throughout.
Spoilers ahead!
Chris Pine (Star Trek, Rise of the Guardians, Unstoppable) delivers as an excellent Captain Kirk. He comes off as brash and reckless at the start, but as the story progresses he matures, and at the conclusion, delivers a speech that shows him to be a level-headed and responsible leader and captain.
Zachary Quinto (Star Trek, Margin Call, Heroes) makes a superb young Spock. While initially seeming indifferent and completely unemotional, he shows the depth of a character who struggles not to feel because he cares too much.
Every character has their defining qualities, from the steely-eyed Sulu to the nervous and enthusiastic Chekov; or the ill-tempered but warm Dr. McCoy.
Uhura comes across as frightened but courageous and willing to do the job anyway. Carol Marcus is tenacious enough to seek the truth regardless of the risk to herself. Great characters, all of them, and a credit to the original actors.
It is Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, The Hobbit, War Horse) who truly steals the show with a command performance as the villain of the piece that must be seen to be believed. From shedding a tear for his lost crewmen; to his frightful resolution as he threatens the Enterprise with absolute annihilation if Spock does not comply with his demands,. Cumberpatch dominates the screen from start to finish.
The heroes can only shine when matched against a truly menacing foe, and as Kahn, Cumberbatch delivers a performance that would do Ricardo Montalban (villain of the original Star Trek II: Wrath of Kahn) proud.
The special effects are well executed and give the movie that extra edge when it comes to having a great science fiction flick. From when the Enterprise rises from the sea like a massive leviathan of the deep, to when San Francisco suffers catastrophic damage as a starship crashes; the visuals will keep you on the edge of your seat.
The camera work is well done and you can readily see what is going on; thankfully this movie does not suffer from the overuse of lens flare like the 2009 Star Trek did.
Overall, the story is a great rework of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn as it fits with the continuity of the alternate universe created by the 2009 Star Trek reboot.
This movie is a wild ride from beginning to end and well worth watching. Perhaps I am too generous with my praise, but I know that I will be watching it more than once on the big screen.
Rating of “Star Trek: Into Darkness”
Story: 5/5
Acting: 5/5
FX: 5/5
Camera: 5/5
