J.J. Abrams sure knows how to make
a fun sci-fi action movie. This was abundantly clear from his efforts with the first film in his reboot of the Star Trek franchise, and now the same can be said for its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness.
One of the greatest strengths of Abrams' 2009 Star Trek was without a doubt the wonderful cast that was assembled to represent the classic characters of the television show and movies depicting the world of the original series. With Star Trek Into Darkness, these characters get an even greater to opportunity to show their individual strengths. What’s more, especially within the first few minutes, you get to see them working together as a cohesive unit. Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock remain particular standouts among this interesting and enjoyable band of characters, and they handle the daunting task of portraying these iconic characters very well.
Despite the movie's dour title, much of the fun that was present in the 2009 movie is carried over to Star Trek Into Darkness. While the original T.V. series is not really known for its tense action, these movies definitely excel in that department, and it works to their advantage, injecting a huge sense of excitement into the franchise. It helps that Abrams directs with a great eye for highly entertaining action.
If I had a complaint about the first movie, it was that it had an underwhelming villain in Nero, who was not very interesting to watch and who I really didn't care about. Nero was the weakest part of that movie. Fortunately, Star Trek Into Darkness wholly rectifies its predecessor's shortcoming with Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison, a mysterious terrorist with a secret past. Harrison as a character is threatening and sinister and Cumberbatch is excellent in the role.
As fun as it is to watch, this movie still suffers from a lack of freshness. On one hand, it's nice to see a little bit of fan service, and Abrams clearly strives to please longtime fans with his references, but a handful of screenplay and plot hole issues make this movie feel like a retread of material that has been done and done better in years past. It would be great to see a completely new Star Trek movie that doesn't rely in some degree on winking to previous iterations in the franchise. With Abrams taking on a new duty as director of the upcoming Star Wars sequel, however, who knows if or when that will ever happen. Here's hoping he continues with the Trek universe as well at some point.
Overall, despite some script problems, Star Trek Into Darkness is a thrilling and entertaining movie that is a worthy follow-up to Abrams' original. The cast is just as strong the second time around, with an even better villain. Much of the first installment's sense of humor and fun is still intact, with a good dose of drama injected into the mix. Make sure to watch 1982s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan first so you can play "spot the references." There are a several.
One of the greatest strengths of Abrams' 2009 Star Trek was without a doubt the wonderful cast that was assembled to represent the classic characters of the television show and movies depicting the world of the original series. With Star Trek Into Darkness, these characters get an even greater to opportunity to show their individual strengths. What’s more, especially within the first few minutes, you get to see them working together as a cohesive unit. Chris Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock remain particular standouts among this interesting and enjoyable band of characters, and they handle the daunting task of portraying these iconic characters very well.
Despite the movie's dour title, much of the fun that was present in the 2009 movie is carried over to Star Trek Into Darkness. While the original T.V. series is not really known for its tense action, these movies definitely excel in that department, and it works to their advantage, injecting a huge sense of excitement into the franchise. It helps that Abrams directs with a great eye for highly entertaining action.
If I had a complaint about the first movie, it was that it had an underwhelming villain in Nero, who was not very interesting to watch and who I really didn't care about. Nero was the weakest part of that movie. Fortunately, Star Trek Into Darkness wholly rectifies its predecessor's shortcoming with Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison, a mysterious terrorist with a secret past. Harrison as a character is threatening and sinister and Cumberbatch is excellent in the role.
As fun as it is to watch, this movie still suffers from a lack of freshness. On one hand, it's nice to see a little bit of fan service, and Abrams clearly strives to please longtime fans with his references, but a handful of screenplay and plot hole issues make this movie feel like a retread of material that has been done and done better in years past. It would be great to see a completely new Star Trek movie that doesn't rely in some degree on winking to previous iterations in the franchise. With Abrams taking on a new duty as director of the upcoming Star Wars sequel, however, who knows if or when that will ever happen. Here's hoping he continues with the Trek universe as well at some point.
Overall, despite some script problems, Star Trek Into Darkness is a thrilling and entertaining movie that is a worthy follow-up to Abrams' original. The cast is just as strong the second time around, with an even better villain. Much of the first installment's sense of humor and fun is still intact, with a good dose of drama injected into the mix. Make sure to watch 1982s Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan first so you can play "spot the references." There are a several.
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