In the 1960’s, “Star Trek” was a landmark television series that showcased actors William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy in unique sci fi worlds that were beyond imagination. When the crew of the Enterprise entered cinemas in 1978, one of the most successful series of films ever made was created. However, the franchise hit a creative low in 2002 with “Star Trek: Nemesis”.
Seven years later, J.J. Abrams directed a thrilling reboot that gave the franchise new life. With a superb cast, a surprising amount of laughs and enough action to make any moviegoer giddy, “Star Trek” was one of 2009’s best movies. Four years later, the sequel to that film finally arrives, and now “Star Trek Into Darkness” allows us to have another adventure with the bold crew of the Enterprise.
Kirk (Chris Pine) has been acting recklessly as captain, so much so much so that it’s earned the worry of Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of his crew. However, the emergence of a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) calls for Kirk and his crew to leap into action to save the world from the maniacal villain. Friendships will be tested, however, as this new antagonist threatens to tear up the very fabric of the Enterprise and endanger the safety of the universe.
Abrams has claimed to not have been the biggest “Star Trek” fan growing up, but you couldn’t tell from the movie itself. Stuffed with clever in-gags and callbacks to the expansive “Star Trek” universe, the world these characters inhabit feels massive and worth exploring with them. To boot, the design of the ships and buildings in this futuristic universe feel unique and extremely well developed, lending “Star Trek” it’s own sense of identity that separates it from the many other sci-fi franchises currently existing.
Aside from the obvious designers and animators behind such sets and spectacle, credit must be given to Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, the writers of the flick who give these characters exceptional and lovable personalities and give even the most seemingly routine action scenes a sense of awe. Of course, Abrams leads these three in his fantastic directing. He’s obviously even more comfortable in this universe than the last film; the characters are explored in intriguing ways and the amount of emotion conveyed in the story lends the rest of the film an exceptional amount of depth.
The superb writing and directing merge perfectly in the opening sequence of the film, which is the finest ten minutes I’ve experienced in a movie theatre all year. It perfectly exemplifies all the things Star Trek stands for; action; humor, exploration, terrific characters. As a Trekkie it left me ecstatic, as a fan of cinema, it left me breathless at how well it was staged and created. Between the excellent tension and the gut busting humor, I doubt anyone will leave this movie not in awe of this superb opening, that perfectly sets the stage for what’s to come and is a shining example of why “Star Trek” is so beloved.
Besides that opening scene, the actors also make up a large portion of why this movie works. Chris Pine shows why he’s the perfect person to play Kirk; great in combat and comedic timing to die for, he’s perfect. Zachary Quinto lends a new side to Spock’s character in this film, with the iconic figure put into fascinating emotional situations that challenge his Vulcan nature. Sulu and Chekov, played by John Cho and Anton Yelchin, don’t have the largest roles, but still make the most of their screentime. Dr. Bones McCoy, and Uhura, as depicted by Karl Urban and Zoe Saldana are given some of the flicks funniest moments, thanks to Bone’s grumpy demeanor and Uhura’s bickering with Spock . Finally, Simon Pegg proves what perfect casting he is for Scotty, never failing to make any moviegoer giggle uncontrollably at his antics and thanks to the depth they give him in this movie, he became my favorite character in the film.
If there are any complaints with the film, it’s that one single action sequence was clumsily staged. Involving John Harrison, Klingons and the Enterprise crew, it utilizes the horrendous method of shaky cam making it difficult to follow what’s occurring onscreen. It’s made up for by the fact that no other action scene in the film is like this, but it still feels annoying. At least the 3D didn’t hurt the flick; on the contrary, the 3D is stupendous, nicely utilized to allow some nice old fashioned pop-out effects and also make the films various environments feel more realistic. This has to be one of the better 3D movies I’ve seen recently, and I can’t wait to see how it looks in IMAX 3D.
I didn’t think the 2009 reboot “Star Trek” could be beat, but obviously I was proven wrong. “Star Trek Into Darkness” shows all the stuff we love about “Star Trek” and mixes them with great action, drama, humor and characters. You’ll get Tribbles, Klingons, famous lines from previous movies, laughs and also some of the best action seen in recent cinema. Most of all though, I had a big smile on my face the entire movie, feeling excited that they’d made the perfect “Star Trek” movie after all these years. For fans of “Star Trek”, sci-fi and movies that deliver on all accounts, “Star Trek Into Darkness” is a success at warp speed.
