There are two kinds of people in the world: people who love Star Wars, and people who love Star Trek. Me, I was always a Star Wars person, so when Star Trek was getting rebooted in 2009, I honestly wasn't interested at first. But as it turns out, the reboot by J.J. Abrams (who ironically is now going to be directing Star Wars) was surprisingly awesome, and I found myself anticipating whatever it was that Abrams had planned next for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Well, 4 years later, he has released Star Trek Into Darkness, a sequel that promises to be bigger in every way over its predecesor. But does bigger necessarily mean better? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
The movie follows the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise, led by captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Despite the events of the first movie, he has yet to fully realize the responsibilities that come with being captain, and still acts rather recklessly for someone of his position. However, after a former Federation soldier that goes by the name of John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a series of terrorist attacks against the Federation, Kirk is given the job of tracking down this one man force of destruction down, and bringing him to justice. As conspiracies unravel and Kirk's hunt for Harrison goes on, Kirk must realize the duties that come with being captain, and finding the answer to a question plaguing him: how far is he willing to go to protect the only family he has left, his crew?
J.J Abrams certainly delivers on his promise to make this movie bigger than the original Star Trek from 2009. The action and the stakes are far higher than they were. Now that the origins are out of the way and we've been properly introduced to the characters already, this allows the movie to focus on its own story and the action far more, which works to Into Darkness's advantage. Much like the 2009 movie, this movie's biggest strength is its pacing. In both these movies, whether there was action on screen or dialogue, I was never bored, because the interaction between characters is just as fun to watch as all the space fights and explosions.
What surprised me about this movie, is the emotion in it. Into Darkness takes cues from a story told way back in the original Star Trek series, and in doing this, both plays to your expectations, and turns your expectations upside down. Towards the end of the movie, as the stakes, and sacrifices, continue to mount and grow, Abrams delivers something that is both a callback AND a twist, something that isn't easy to pull off without backlash. In addition, Into Darkness has a far more involved and focused villain compared to Nero in Star Trek 09. However, I felt the last few minutes of the movie were a bit rushed, and despite having a great climax, it wrapped up a bit too quickly for my tastes.
Acting
The entire cast of Star Trek 09 returns, and everyone does a perfectly good job in their roles. Sadly, asides from Kirk, Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Scotty (Simon Pegg), most of the characters tend to just be faces in the background, so if you're looking for everyonee to be pulling equal weight in Into Darkness, you'll probably be disappointed. Kirk and Spock, however, both shine once again here, with Chris Pine doing amazing in both an entertaining and dramatic sense, and Zachary Quinto once again playing the half-human half-vulcan who's torn between his own heritage with expert skill. Newcomer Alice Eve does a solid job as well, but like many of the others, she tends to be swept into the background.
The notable newcomer in the bunch is Benedict Cumberbatch playing John Harrison. Now, this is the first time I've seen Cumberbatch in a role, and I know he has a huge following, so I want to clear that up so you don't accuse me of just being a fanboy or something. But man, does he kill it in this role. Cumberbatch is easily the highlight of the movie, simultaneously pulling off being cold, emotionless, intelligent, sympathetic, and downright savage, all at the same time. I know that his role in Sherlock has gotten him popularity, but hopefully with this more mainstream movie, he'll be getting more attention and more roles.
Presentation
Michael Giacchino returns to do the score for Into Darkness, and he does a damn good job at it. The soundtrack here is absolutely great, and perfectly suits everything happening in the movie, so there's absolutely no complaints on that front. In terms of visuals, the visuals are great. The CG is nothing mind blowing to be sure, but it's absolutely solid still. And on a side note, it's nice to see some alien races played with practical effects and makeup, rather than be CG creatures.
Verdict
So in the end, I thought Star Trek Into Darkness was:
Great!!
This movie was close to getting an Awesome rating. The cast does a great job in their roles, everything in th story front is improved over Star Trek 09, the action is better, Cumberbatch does fantastic as the villain, and the score is absolutely great. However, the fact that some characters get swept into the background, and the ending wrapping up a bit too quickly both just barely hold it back. Don't let that fool you though; I loved this movie, and if you're a fan of sci-fi or the 2009 Star Trek, you should absolutely check this out.
So, have you seen Star Trek Into Darkness? What did you think? Was I too harsh or too lenient? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
There are two kinds of people in the world: people who love Star Wars, and people who love Star Trek. Me, I was always a Star Wars person, so when Star Trek was getting rebooted in 2009, I honestly wasn't interested at first. But as it turns out, the reboot by J.J. Abrams (who ironically is now going to be directing Star Wars) was surprisingly awesome, and I found myself anticipating whatever it was that Abrams had planned next for the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. Well, 4 years later, he has released Star Trek Into Darkness, a sequel that promises to be bigger in every way over its predecesor. But does bigger necessarily mean better? Here's my review.
Keep in mind that this is MY review. Your opinion may very well differ from mine.
Story
The movie follows the crew of the U.S.S Enterprise, led by captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). Despite the events of the first movie, he has yet to fully realize the responsibilities that come with being captain, and still acts rather recklessly for someone of his position. However, after a former Federation soldier that goes by the name of John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a series of terrorist attacks against the Federation, Kirk is given the job of tracking down this one man force of destruction down, and bringing him to justice. As conspiracies unravel and Kirk's hunt for Harrison goes on, Kirk must realize the duties that come with being captain, and finding the answer to a question plaguing him: how far is he willing to go to protect the only family he has left, his crew?
J.J Abrams certainly delivers on his promise to make this movie bigger than the original Star Trek from 2009. The action and the stakes are far higher than they were. Now that the origins are out of the way and we've been properly introduced to the characters already, this allows the movie to focus on its own story and the action far more, which works to Into Darkness's advantage. Much like the 2009 movie, this movie's biggest strength is its pacing. In both these movies, whether there was action on screen or dialogue, I was never bored, because the interaction between characters is just as fun to watch as all the space fights and explosions.
What surprised me about this movie, is the emotion in it. Into Darkness takes cues from a story told way back in the original Star Trek series, and in doing this, both plays to your expectations, and turns your expectations upside down. Towards the end of the movie, as the stakes, and sacrifices, continue to mount and grow, Abrams delivers something that is both a callback AND a twist, something that isn't easy to pull off without backlash. In addition, Into Darkness has a far more involved and focused villain compared to Nero in Star Trek 09. However, I felt the last few minutes of the movie were a bit rushed, and despite having a great climax, it wrapped up a bit too quickly for my tastes.
Acting
The entire cast of Star Trek 09 returns, and everyone does a perfectly good job in their roles. Sadly, asides from Kirk, Spock (Zachary Quinto), and Scotty (Simon Pegg), most of the characters tend to just be faces in the background, so if you're looking for everyonee to be pulling equal weight in Into Darkness, you'll probably be disappointed. Kirk and Spock, however, both shine once again here, with Chris Pine doing amazing in both an entertaining and dramatic sense, and Zachary Quinto once again playing the half-human half-vulcan who's torn between his own heritage with expert skill. Newcomer Alice Eve does a solid job as well, but like many of the others, she tends to be swept into the background.
The notable newcomer in the bunch is Benedict Cumberbatch playing John Harrison. Now, this is the first time I've seen Cumberbatch in a role, and I know he has a huge following, so I want to clear that up so you don't accuse me of just being a fanboy or something. But man, does he kill it in this role. Cumberbatch is easily the highlight of the movie, simultaneously pulling off being cold, emotionless, intelligent, sympathetic, and downright savage, all at the same time. I know that his role in Sherlock has gotten him popularity, but hopefully with this more mainstream movie, he'll be getting more attention and more roles.
Presentation
Michael Giacchino returns to do the score for Into Darkness, and he does a damn good job at it. The soundtrack here is absolutely great, and perfectly suits everything happening in the movie, so there's absolutely no complaints on that front. In terms of visuals, the visuals are great. The CG is nothing mind blowing to be sure, but it's absolutely solid still. And on a side note, it's nice to see some alien races played with practical effects and makeup, rather than be CG creatures.
Verdict
So in the end, I thought Star Trek Into Darkness was:
Great!!
This movie was close to getting an Awesome rating. The cast does a great job in their roles, everything in th story front is improved over Star Trek 09, the action is better, Cumberbatch does fantastic as the villain, and the score is absolutely great. However, the fact that some characters get swept into the background, and the ending wrapping up a bit too quickly both just barely hold it back. Don't let that fool you though; I loved this movie, and if you're a fan of sci-fi or the 2009 Star Trek, you should absolutely check this out.
So, have you seen Star Trek Into Darkness? What did you think? Was I too harsh or too lenient? Did I miss anything? Let me know.
baylaust out.
Edited by baylaust