Star Trek into Darkness (B+ or 3/4 stars)
In 2009, J.J. Abrams re-booted the wildly popular 'Star Trek' franchise to brilliant effect. It achieved critical & box office success. And ... it happened to be my favorite motion picture of the year. 'Star Trek into Darkness' (also directed by Abrams) has an opening worthy of any Bond or Indy Jones film. Brash, risk-taking Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) & his loyal crew are trying to save a primitive (aboriginal-like) society on a faraway planet from an erupting volcano. In the process, 1/2 human-1/2 Vulcan Spock (Zachary Quinto) becomes trapped in said volcano & Kirk must violate The Federation's 'Prime Directive' to save his life. This results in The USS Enterprise being given back to Rear Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) & Kirk being angrily demoted to 1st Officer.
However, as all of this is happening, rogue Starfleet officer John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) has declared war on his employers. He has a bomb detonated in London, then stages a sneak attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), Pike's superior, gives The USS Enterprise back to Kirk with pressing orders: find Harrison, who has gone into hiding on the Klingon home planet, and kill him. At 1st, John Harrison seems to be little more than a typical terrorist with a grudge but, as the plot unfolds, we learn that there is more to his actions; and we learn who he truly is. Poignant action scenes & large ethical conundrums ensue. At the heart of the drama is Kirk, burdened by the difficult choices which he must make to save every crewmember of The Enterprise.
'Star Trek into Darkness' hurdles along at breakneck speed (constant exposition & action; executed well, but lacking in some suspense). The script explores the friendship btwn. Spock - who is driven by logic - and Kirk, who makes ethical decisions based on emotions. Both men are forced to go against the grain of these traits as the plot calls for it. I like that the film uses its futuristic scenario to comment on contemporary issues - in this case, domestic terrorism. Now, because the film feels like one big climax ... the ending concludes without the exclamation point you might expect. After an epic journey featuring distant worlds, space battles & stunning revelations, it all comes down to an over-the-top, effect-driven fist fight {haha}. The movie also cheats a bit by playing on our emotions. Several characters die (or almost do) and J.J. Abrams lingers a few extra beats on faces so that we may 'feel' what they're feeling.
As usual, I enjoyed the characters. Though, the '09 film offered more time for character introduction, interaction, & camaraderie. Chris Pine's Kirk still has the requisite swagger, heroism, & looks of Kirk. Zachary Quinto finds a really nice balance btwn. scientific logic & heartrending emotion (that Nimoy mastered so long ago). Benedict Cumberbatch does a superb job playing Harrison as more than a 1-dimensional baddie. There's cool malice & surprising depth to the portrayal; given who he is in the Star Trek universe. Anytime he showed up onscreen, the stakes went way up. 2 other newcomers include Alice Eve & Peter Weller as Dr. Carol Marcus & her father, the Admiral. Though the role is limited, I liked Eve, and Trekkies know that she goes on to become the mother of Kirk's son. But Weller (of Robocop) plays the upper echelon Starfleet admiral in a loud, dictioned manner that felt bizarre compared to the performances from the rest of the cast.
The special effects are incredible. I was often stunned at what I was seeing. Everything onscreen was seamless. The otherworldly production design (especially of futuristic London & San Francisco) is astounding. The photography, costumes, & sound work all highly impress. I also loved Michael Giacchino’s rousing, propulsive musical score; parts are reminiscent of the '09 film, and parts even hearken to the old Trek movies (Alexander Courage & Jerry Goldsmith's contributions).
'Star Trek into Darkness' is a very satisfying & skilled summer blockbuster entry. However, I wouldn't call it a genre-defining masterpiece; nor is it as excellent as the fun, warm, eye-popping '09 film. I mean, everything is in place: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho et al doing their thing. There's great craftsmanship, humor, and pathos. I can go on. But there was something, well, missing. The 2009 'Star Trek' felt fresh, rich, & involving (where I leaned forward in my seat with joy & anticipation of what was to come). This film was engaging, but not involving. There's a slight difference. Nevertheless, as I said with the '09 film, this one already has me ready for the next adventure ... to see these characters live long & prosper.
However, as all of this is happening, rogue Starfleet officer John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) has declared war on his employers. He has a bomb detonated in London, then stages a sneak attack on Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), Pike's superior, gives The USS Enterprise back to Kirk with pressing orders: find Harrison, who has gone into hiding on the Klingon home planet, and kill him. At 1st, John Harrison seems to be little more than a typical terrorist with a grudge but, as the plot unfolds, we learn that there is more to his actions; and we learn who he truly is. Poignant action scenes & large ethical conundrums ensue. At the heart of the drama is Kirk, burdened by the difficult choices which he must make to save every crewmember of The Enterprise.
'Star Trek into Darkness' hurdles along at breakneck speed (constant exposition & action; executed well, but lacking in some suspense). The script explores the friendship btwn. Spock - who is driven by logic - and Kirk, who makes ethical decisions based on emotions. Both men are forced to go against the grain of these traits as the plot calls for it. I like that the film uses its futuristic scenario to comment on contemporary issues - in this case, domestic terrorism. Now, because the film feels like one big climax ... the ending concludes without the exclamation point you might expect. After an epic journey featuring distant worlds, space battles & stunning revelations, it all comes down to an over-the-top, effect-driven fist fight {haha}. The movie also cheats a bit by playing on our emotions. Several characters die (or almost do) and J.J. Abrams lingers a few extra beats on faces so that we may 'feel' what they're feeling.
As usual, I enjoyed the characters. Though, the '09 film offered more time for character introduction, interaction, & camaraderie. Chris Pine's Kirk still has the requisite swagger, heroism, & looks of Kirk. Zachary Quinto finds a really nice balance btwn. scientific logic & heartrending emotion (that Nimoy mastered so long ago). Benedict Cumberbatch does a superb job playing Harrison as more than a 1-dimensional baddie. There's cool malice & surprising depth to the portrayal; given who he is in the Star Trek universe. Anytime he showed up onscreen, the stakes went way up. 2 other newcomers include Alice Eve & Peter Weller as Dr. Carol Marcus & her father, the Admiral. Though the role is limited, I liked Eve, and Trekkies know that she goes on to become the mother of Kirk's son. But Weller (of Robocop) plays the upper echelon Starfleet admiral in a loud, dictioned manner that felt bizarre compared to the performances from the rest of the cast.
The special effects are incredible. I was often stunned at what I was seeing. Everything onscreen was seamless. The otherworldly production design (especially of futuristic London & San Francisco) is astounding. The photography, costumes, & sound work all highly impress. I also loved Michael Giacchino’s rousing, propulsive musical score; parts are reminiscent of the '09 film, and parts even hearken to the old Trek movies (Alexander Courage & Jerry Goldsmith's contributions).
'Star Trek into Darkness' is a very satisfying & skilled summer blockbuster entry. However, I wouldn't call it a genre-defining masterpiece; nor is it as excellent as the fun, warm, eye-popping '09 film. I mean, everything is in place: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, John Cho et al doing their thing. There's great craftsmanship, humor, and pathos. I can go on. But there was something, well, missing. The 2009 'Star Trek' felt fresh, rich, & involving (where I leaned forward in my seat with joy & anticipation of what was to come). This film was engaging, but not involving. There's a slight difference. Nevertheless, as I said with the '09 film, this one already has me ready for the next adventure ... to see these characters live long & prosper.