Review: Star Trek Into Darkness
Director: J.J Abrams
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Benedict Cumberbatch
Perhaps unfairly, "Trekkies" (definition: a devoted fan of the sci-fi series Star Trek) have been pigeon-holed as the ultimate geeks with popular culture often depicting them as losers with bad acne and overly large glasses, not to mention an unhealthy obsession with fiction.
All that changed in 2009 when director J.J Abrams reinvented the Star Trek that fans knew and loved. Casting ladies man Chris Pine as the movie's leading star and boasting enough shiny lens flare to rival the sun, the reboot/prequel was a hit with mainstream audiences worldwide and immediately warranted a sequel.
So it's only logical (pun intended) that the follow-up not only improves on its predecessor, but may even encourage casual movie-goers to delve deeper into the extensive lore of the original Star Trek series. It may not boldly go into fantastical new territory for science fiction movies, but ultimately Star Trek Into Darkness is a non-stop colourful roller coaster from start to finish.
Yet the main appeal of its narrative is, as many of its marketing material would suggest, its villain. For most film franchises, specifically trilogies, the second instalment is where the writers can really unleash a really effective antagonist; take The Dark Knight trilogy for example. The Joker is arguably the most popular Batman nemesis of all time, yet delaying his appearance until the second movie really allowed him to make an impact on the protagonists that we have already come to know.
The same applies for Star Trek Into Darkness, as the antagonist of the space opera is this time played by Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch. As John Harrison, he manages to not only break out from his Sherlock persona - all brains and no brawn - he proves himself to be quite the action star as well as a very menacing and fearful presence.
He kicks off the story by planning a violent and bloody terrorist attack on a Starfleet archive, prompting Starship Enterprise captain James Kirk (Pine) along with his misfit crew to seek the traitor Harrison out for revenge. When our heroes are thrown into a years-long game of deception and lies, Captain Kirk has to fight to save the world and the only family he has left: his crew.
If the first movie was something of an Avengers-esque "can we sort our differences and work together?" narrative, Star Trek Into Darkness is much more of a divide-and-conquer story of a threat to the characters' personal worlds. Building this up are of course the iconic crew of the Starship Enterprise themselves, with the married couple/bromantic chemistry of Kirk and Zachary Quinto's excellent Spock making up the brunt of the comedic and emotional scenes.
In some ways it's a misleading title; Star Trek Into Darkness isn't nearly as dark and hopeless as it wants to be, with Simon Pegg still on board to provide some fantastic hilarity, even if his overly-Scottish accent is a little unconvincing. But what J.J Abrams and writer Damen Lindelof manage to do is ensure that each character gets his or her moment in the spotlight whether it be for humorous or emotional purposes. There's not one character just tagged "comic relief," or "sidekick." The Enterprise Crew is a well balanced bunch, and that makes all the difference in an epic story of this scale.
And what a scale it is. Detailing where exactly the crew head to would be to step foot in spoiler territory, but it's safe to say that hardcore Trekkies won't be disappointed with the nods to the Star Trek of the past. Yet more importantly, the story stays true to the core dynamics of Star Trek's ideals; do the crew follow the prime directive and do what's logical for the greater good, or do they follow their gut instinct?
It's this theme that runs through Star Trek Into Darkness and, with Cumberbatch's villain threatening to tear the team apart, we really do care about the characters. Come the end of the running time the idea of a third instalment in the series is a very welcome one indeed.
Yet the main appeal of its narrative is, as many of its marketing material would suggest, its villain. For most film franchises, specifically trilogies, the second instalment is where the writers can really unleash a really effective antagonist; take The Dark Knight trilogy for example. The Joker is arguably the most popular Batman nemesis of all time, yet delaying his appearance until the second movie really allowed him to make an impact on the protagonists that we have already come to know.
The same applies for Star Trek Into Darkness, as the antagonist of the space opera is this time played by Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch. As John Harrison, he manages to not only break out from his Sherlock persona - all brains and no brawn - he proves himself to be quite the action star as well as a very menacing and fearful presence.
He kicks off the story by planning a violent and bloody terrorist attack on a Starfleet archive, prompting Starship Enterprise captain James Kirk (Pine) along with his misfit crew to seek the traitor Harrison out for revenge. When our heroes are thrown into a years-long game of deception and lies, Captain Kirk has to fight to save the world and the only family he has left: his crew.
If the first movie was something of an Avengers-esque "can we sort our differences and work together?" narrative, Star Trek Into Darkness is much more of a divide-and-conquer story of a threat to the characters' personal worlds. Building this up are of course the iconic crew of the Starship Enterprise themselves, with the married couple/bromantic chemistry of Kirk and Zachary Quinto's excellent Spock making up the brunt of the comedic and emotional scenes.
In some ways it's a misleading title; Star Trek Into Darkness isn't nearly as dark and hopeless as it wants to be, with Simon Pegg still on board to provide some fantastic hilarity, even if his overly-Scottish accent is a little unconvincing. But what J.J Abrams and writer Damen Lindelof manage to do is ensure that each character gets his or her moment in the spotlight whether it be for humorous or emotional purposes. There's not one character just tagged "comic relief," or "sidekick." The Enterprise Crew is a well balanced bunch, and that makes all the difference in an epic story of this scale.
And what a scale it is. Detailing where exactly the crew head to would be to step foot in spoiler territory, but it's safe to say that hardcore Trekkies won't be disappointed with the nods to the Star Trek of the past. Yet more importantly, the story stays true to the core dynamics of Star Trek's ideals; do the crew follow the prime directive and do what's logical for the greater good, or do they follow their gut instinct?
It's this theme that runs through Star Trek Into Darkness and, with Cumberbatch's villain threatening to tear the team apart, we really do care about the characters. Come the end of the running time the idea of a third instalment in the series is a very welcome one indeed.
Still, it's not perfect by any means. The fist fight climax is more of a whimper than a bang, considering that the astounding action preceding it has consisted of an amazing dive through space, a launch into a volcano and an epic chase at warp speed. Some of the dialogue is a little obvious too - it even comes as a surprise when the characters don't just turn around and wink at the camera, with Zoe Saldana's Uhura kindly asking us "Are you following so far?"
Take Karl Urban's Bones for example, a doctor with an incredible skill set but with a tendency to be an overbearing nuisance. "Are you really doing this, Jim?" "Jim, you can't do this.". "Are you out of your damn mind, Jim?!" And the madness continues.
Take Karl Urban's Bones for example, a doctor with an incredible skill set but with a tendency to be an overbearing nuisance. "Are you really doing this, Jim?" "Jim, you can't do this.". "Are you out of your damn mind, Jim?!" And the madness continues.
Summary
Trekkies rejoice! J.J Abrams' reboot/prequel of the Star Trek franchise was no fluke, and the director has proven himself a very sturdy master of science fiction movie-making. The non-stop action should please those looking for a fast-paced cinematic adventure, but for fans looking for a deeper insight into the crew of the Starship Enterprise, writer Damen Lindelof ensures that there is heart and humour in equal measure. Benedict Cumberbatch also cements himself as a surprisingly brutal action star, and although much of the dialogue is very formulaic, the stunning special effects, the enduring themes and the purely entertaining qualities of Star Trek still live long and prosper.
9/10 - Brilliant
See it if you liked: The Dark Knight (2008), Star Trek (2009), Thor (2011)
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