Star Trek Into Darkness - Review

For this film fan Star Trek was the least interesting thing in sci-fi cinema, until in 2009 J.J. Abrams revitalised the franchise into something that was, well . . . cool. A truly entertaining and fresh look at the story revolving around the original TV series. The first outing did an outstanding job of bringing these characters together and making it feel new, rather than treading down a familiar path. Just like Christopher Nolan brought Batman back to life, Abrams has reinvigorated Star Trek and catered to a much wider audience. Four years on and the follow up; Star Trek Into Darkness looks to be bigger and bolder, but will it be better?

Into Darkness see's Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Qunito) and the crew of the Enterprise hunt down John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) a one man weapon of mass destruction, after he attacks Federation headquarters on earth. With a lot at stake, and difficult decisions to meet head on their subsequent mission to find and kill him reveals truths about themselves, their enemy and the Federation.

Into Darkness starts with an almighty bang, no introduction necessary, as we see the crew in the final climactic stages of a mission to seek out new civilisations, to boldly go . . . etc. Lives are already on the line and lands us right in the middle of a situation that could end the life of certain pointy eared crew member. The crew is exactly how we left them in Star Trek, albeit a little on edge right now, in what will be the most exciting opener you'll see all year. It's great to see that the mood created in the first outing is reignited by throwing a bit more gas on the fire.

The following major plot thread doesn't give anyone time to breath. There are some dialogue scenes including Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and Kirk in a bar in a 'wait haven't we been here before?' moment (seriously every bar on earth must be lit same way in the future). Though no sooner are the crew back on Earth, they are abruptly en-route to find and destroy their new nemesis John Harrison. In the lead up there are expansions on Starfleet and the 'Prime Directive' which basically entails not starting or seeking out confrontation. However as terrorists go John Harrison is pretty ruthless, having beamed to another planet during an attack that has close personal cost to Kirk, the fool hardy Captain naturally seeks out revenge that could spark a war. So far so reasonably simple, there are some great dynamics created here, Cumberbatch plays the villain with a thickly laden menace, and Kirk responds as you'd expect. Later in the film the two have a furious one on one of deathly stares and brash words, in which I felt Cumberbatch although convincing, over egged the evil a little. The events of the opening act fuel the drama in the relationships and choices of the crew. All the major crew members are given some part to play that are ultimately greater than the those of the previous film, with Scotty (Simon Pegg) getting a lot more screen time in this case. The locations created are believable and everything once again looks visually astounding, with added Abrams lens flares, naturally. The soundtrack once again hits the mark with a definite theme running through that may have you humming it out the door.

The action moves at a lightning pace and certain twists and turns in the plot raise some questions. It's difficult to disclose any plot points here because they will ruin the overall surprise, but the film keeps going at a furious pace with a lot of serious conversations happening in the middle of the action. It gives you no chance to sit back and think about out that what you just witnessed. What helps carry the plot is the fantastic cast and sharp writing. The chemistry between these characters still feels electric and fun, Bones (Karl Urban) Kirk and Spock bounce off each other like an expert comedy trio. All the characters have a distinct impact on the tone of the film which is great to see in production that relies heavily on CGI and action. The final act is explosive without being overly grand, certainly not as epic as blowing up planets and creating black holes that you're nearly sucked in to. However the stakes are risen at a human level as Kirk risks his life to save his crew, and Spock has his moment to exact some green blooded bad assery.

The result is a fantastic re-visit to the crew of the Enterprise one that sees the pace vastly increased and the stakes risen. However with questions raised concerning the plot line dominating the third act, one feels the first outing was better executed and more believable. This is still great fun to watch and it once again keeps things interesting for fans and the newly initiated. Having been chosen to helm the new Star Wars movies, this film shows that J.J. Abrams is the only man qualified for the job. The joy is upon leaving the cinema in 2009, having just seen Star Trek, I craved more. Into Darkness was no different, I still want to see more.

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆