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Star Trek Into Darkness
12 years ago
Taking a load off.
I wasn't sure that J.J. Abrams and his crew would be able to pull off another success with this franchise. The 2009 Star Trek reboot was a surprise hit with audiences and critics that no one really saw coming. When I first saw the trailer for that film I thought I was looking at a last desperate attempt to make Star Trek relevant. Much to my surprise I ended up applauding at the end of the reboot. It was fast paced, well-acted, and visually extraordinary- the most entertaining space opera to hit the big screens since the original Star Wars trilogy. More importantly, it managed to breathe new life into the Star Trek franchise. Trek was cool, and except for some Trek purists out there, everyone applauded the film.
Now 4 years have passed. There is now a high expectation on a Trek film that was not placed on the 09 entry. I had my doubts. Star Trek 2009 was a surprise; a great blockbuster that few saw coming. Into Darkness rides in four years later and had to meet expectations set by the 09 film...And it did!
Star Trek Into Darkness is what a quality summer blockbuster and sequel should be. It doesn't slow itself down at any points and gets straight to what the audience cares about. Character development and interactions are handled in such a way that the film never gets boring, and the narrative moves forward without many stalls. At times I found myself on the edge of the seat, and throughout the entire film I legitimately felt for the characters and wanted to know how the conflict would be resolved. This movie knows how to take a basic plot and transform it into Grade-A entertainment.
We cannot address Into Darkness without discussing its villain. Many complained about the blue collar villain Nero in the '09 Trek (I personally enjoyed him, but the masses have spoken) and we do get a vastly superior antagonist in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). Cumberbatch is a menacing, physically imposing, charismatic figure who easily dominates every scene he appears on screen for. In other words: everything Nero was not. Although I think some Trek purists may complain about this character for spoiler related matters I think most viewers will just accept him for the outstanding performance.
The only fault I can think of is that the film isn't any larger in scale than the previous...In fact, given the last one's villain was destroying entire planets, Into Darkness may be somewhat of a step back in scale. But this movie didn't need to be like The Dark Knight where each film raises the stakes. As a continuation of a long running franchise Into Darkness is exciting, has genuine humor, suspense, visual spectacle, superb action, and character moments. It is what every popcorn film should strive to be.
Of course, some fans will complain over the emphasis on action over political intrigue and such. I get it, I love that stuff in the show, but we just have to accept that we're dealing with two different mediums. If you're going to make a blockbuster movie you have to appeal to the masses, and Abrams Star Trek movies do it incredibly well.
If you are one of those Star Trek purists who cannot accept the changes made in the 2009 reboot you're better off steering away from this entry as it will probably give you more to gripe about. But if you're a casual Trek fan like me who loved the 2009 film you will not be disappointed.
4.5/5 Stars
P.S. I actually got into a press screening of this a day before its release but was feeling pretty sick so didn't get around to commenting on the film until now :c
Now 4 years have passed. There is now a high expectation on a Trek film that was not placed on the 09 entry. I had my doubts. Star Trek 2009 was a surprise; a great blockbuster that few saw coming. Into Darkness rides in four years later and had to meet expectations set by the 09 film...And it did!
Star Trek Into Darkness is what a quality summer blockbuster and sequel should be. It doesn't slow itself down at any points and gets straight to what the audience cares about. Character development and interactions are handled in such a way that the film never gets boring, and the narrative moves forward without many stalls. At times I found myself on the edge of the seat, and throughout the entire film I legitimately felt for the characters and wanted to know how the conflict would be resolved. This movie knows how to take a basic plot and transform it into Grade-A entertainment.
We cannot address Into Darkness without discussing its villain. Many complained about the blue collar villain Nero in the '09 Trek (I personally enjoyed him, but the masses have spoken) and we do get a vastly superior antagonist in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock). Cumberbatch is a menacing, physically imposing, charismatic figure who easily dominates every scene he appears on screen for. In other words: everything Nero was not. Although I think some Trek purists may complain about this character for spoiler related matters I think most viewers will just accept him for the outstanding performance.
The only fault I can think of is that the film isn't any larger in scale than the previous...In fact, given the last one's villain was destroying entire planets, Into Darkness may be somewhat of a step back in scale. But this movie didn't need to be like The Dark Knight where each film raises the stakes. As a continuation of a long running franchise Into Darkness is exciting, has genuine humor, suspense, visual spectacle, superb action, and character moments. It is what every popcorn film should strive to be.
Of course, some fans will complain over the emphasis on action over political intrigue and such. I get it, I love that stuff in the show, but we just have to accept that we're dealing with two different mediums. If you're going to make a blockbuster movie you have to appeal to the masses, and Abrams Star Trek movies do it incredibly well.
If you are one of those Star Trek purists who cannot accept the changes made in the 2009 reboot you're better off steering away from this entry as it will probably give you more to gripe about. But if you're a casual Trek fan like me who loved the 2009 film you will not be disappointed.
4.5/5 Stars
P.S. I actually got into a press screening of this a day before its release but was feeling pretty sick so didn't get around to commenting on the film until now :c
