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<Review by: Farzad Mistry>
Directed by JJ Abrams. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Chris Pine, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho, Bruce Greenwood, Alice Eve, Peter Weller
This film is the sequel to the successful 2009 Star Trek film that was designed to be a reboot of the original Star Trek show created by Gene Roddenberry. Though the Star Trek franchise is one of the oldest and most successful Sci-fi franchises it’s popularity had started to wane in the early 2000s.
The last few movies were rather disappointing and even fans were losing interest. All this changed in 2009 when the new movie was released. It was a fun, fast paced, witty, sci-fi action adventure that fans and non-fans loved. I had seen the 2009 film with a few of my friends who were not fans of the franchise when they went in the theatre but they definitely were when they came out.
When I saw the official trailers of Star Trek: Into Darkness I wasn’t really sure if this film would be as good as the last one. In most cases you can tell how good a film is from its trailer but not in this case. This film is so much better than its trailer suggests. The trailer almost misdirects and confuses you into thinking things about the storyline that aren’t really true.
Let’s start with the basic plot; a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks a Starfleet building in London and a conference of senior Starfleet commanders in San Francisco and then escapes to a hostile enemy planet. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew are naturally ordered to find and kill him. However, Kirk being his usual maverick self decides on doing things his own way. This of course leads to a dangerous mission on a hostile alien planet and the discovery of a conspiracy.
The Captain and his crew must face their most formidable enemy yet and save the world. There are some spectacularly heart-stopping action sequences using the kind of top-notch special effects that we have all come to expect especially after the brilliantly slick first Star Trek film.
Now I know all this sounds like it has been done a million times before but trust me the storyline is more complex and interesting than it sounds.
Besides the touch of intrigue and mystery in the story there also seems to be an effort to give more depth to some of the main characters and the relationships between them. Most notably Spock’s (Zachary Quinto) inability to bend the rules in emergency situations causing a strain on his friendship with Kirk. On the other hand, Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Spock’s relationship troubles add a bit of humor to the script with one particularly funny lover’s spat in the midst of a dangerous mission.
I am deliberately not giving away too much of the plot in this review because that would ruin the experience.
Rest assured that there are great twists in the movie that will make more and more sense as the plot unfolds. Fans will love all references to the classic series as well as a few surprise guests in the film. But even if you are not a fan and haven’t seen a single Star Trek show or movie you will probably like this one. It has something for everyone: humour, action, drama and intrigue, making it a very well rounded and enjoyable film.
The best action film so far this year and definitely one of the best I have seen in a long time. Star Trek Into Darkness is a very worthy successor to the 2009 film with a more interesting and complex plot making it a more enjoyable and action-packed ride. I have never seen a theatre audience applaud as much in any other film.
PS: Check out our preceding Trailer Review complete with prediction and analyses of who the villain in Star Trek Into Darkness will turn out to be. Of course, we know the truth. Now you boldly go and find out!
- Zoe Saldana as Uhura in the movie Star Trek Into Darkness
- Spock in the volcano in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Earth falls and so does the Enterprise… or does it? Star Trek Into Darkness
- Actor Zachary Quinto as Spock and Chris Pine as Captain Kirk in the movie Star Trek Into Darkness
- A love story of a different kind between Uhura and Spock in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Anton Yelchin as acting Chief of Engineering Mr Chekov in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Cryogenic sleep chambers… but who’s in them? Star Trek Into Darkness
- Starfleet HQ briefing gets a surprise visitor in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Hot Actors Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine pose at a Sydney hotel ahead of the premiere of their movie Star Trek Into Darkness
- Captain Kirk defends Starfleet HQ in Star Trek Into Darkness
- “I have been and always shall be… your friend.” Dialogue and moments from the original series relived in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Lens flares and lycra-tight space suits in Star Trek Into Darkness
- The Enterprise takes a pounding but does it fall… Star Trek Into Darkness
- Dr ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban) takes a blood sample of the new prisoner. But why? In Star Trek Into Darkness
- Spock, Harrison and Kirk in the brig in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Alice Eve gives us a treat in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Zachary Quinto is out and about as Spock in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Everyone’s favourite villain Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison (or is he?) in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Alice Eve as Dr Carol Marcus and Chris Pine as Captain James T Kirk in Star Trek Into Darkness
- JJ Abrams favourite shot similar to the first film. Space diving in Star Trek Into Darkness
- The Klingons attack in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Zoe Saldana as Uhura in the movie Star Trek Into Darkness
- Enterprise NCC 1701 leaves space dock in search of strange new worlds in Star Trek Into Darkness
- Mr Scott comforting Uhura… but who is it that has died? Or have they?
- Star Trek Into Darkness movie poster
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