Being raised on it, I’m a long-time fan of Star Trek – both old and new. In 2009, director J.J. Abrams boldly went when no man had gone before by flipping the canon on its head. When it was announced that he was telling the tales of young versions of the characters from the original television series, no one expected him to re-write the history of the franchise – but that’s exactly what he did. Instead of rebooting the series, he created a spacially alternate version of their lives. While his action/science fiction hybrid brought in viewers who had never before followed the franchise, it also pissed off a lot of geeks by altering the Star Trek universe. No matter your stance on Star Trek – Trekkie geek or common moviegoer – so long as you accept that this is the way that Star Trek will be forevermore, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t find Into Darkness a complete blast.
The entire cast from Abrams’ first Trek have returned to reprise their roles. When a Star Fleet officer executes a few major terrorist attacks, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew begin an off-the-records mission to seek vengeance against the culprit, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). Initially, the biggest of their concerns is Harrison’s hideout on the Klingon home planet of Q’onoS (pronounced “Kronos”), but as Kirk and crew discover more about Harrison’s plot, the more ominous the mission becomes.
As expected from a Star Trek/J.J. Abrams film, twists and turns abound. For the sake of your own entertainment and surprise, do not allow anyone to spoil it for you. You musn’t be well-rounded in the ways of Star Trek to enjoy, but the more familiar you are with the television and film series, the more you will enjoy Into Darkness.
Star Trek Into Darkness is the first worthy blockbuster of 2013. Oblivion was good. Iron Man 3 was just okay. But Into Darkness has it all – pure fun, a great screenplay, enjoyable characters, intense action, memorable music, brilliant visual effects (especially if you attend an IMAX 3D showing) and a little bit of heart. The pacing is so swift and smooth that all 132 minutes will be over before you know it. There hasn’t been a single film in 2013 that has made me want to go back for an immediate second viewing, but I just might double- or triple-dip Into Darkness for the shear fun of it all.
Photo credit: Paramount
