Star Trek Into Darkness

Space: the final frontier. These are the words that preceded every episode of an almost fifty year old TV show called Star Trek, which has come to be one of the biggest names and driving forced in science fiction in the decades since the first journeys of the USS Enterprise. That is especially true today, when Star Trek enjoys widespread and unheard of mainstream popularity, largely thanks to the 2009 film reboot directed by JJ Abrams. With a story that both honored the past while introducing new comers to Star Trek lore, a very talented cast and some utterly fantastic looking special effects, the film did what was once viewed as impossible: it made Star Trek cool.

Needless to say, this means that the follow-up has big shoes to fill – even bigger given the anticipation over JJ Abrams getting the job of breathing new life into Star Wars like he did for Star Trek , to say nothing of upping the ante for the Star Trek franchise he’s already saved. Of course, he has a great deal working in his favor – not only did the stellar cast from the first film return, but the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain did much to put things on a good starting note, as did the clever move of promoting the film by attaching the film’s opening scene to The Hobbit , which combined with a few other released scenes, were all but enough to sell me on a ticket.

So, does this follow up go where no film has gone before, or has this sequel left us KHAAAN-ed? Join me on the bridge as I set a course for Star Trek Into Darkness.

The film opens with newly-minted Captain of the USS Enterprise, James T. Kirk, in hot water with Star Fleet High Command for his devil-may care attitude – or he is until most of Star Fleet High Command get’s assassinated in an attack by a rouge Starfleet agent known as John Harrison, among the deceased Kirk’s mentor Admiral Pike. Set on vengeance, as well as restoring his reputation, Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise volunteer to track down Harrison, who has taken refuge in the Klingon Empire, with tensions between the Federation and the Empire already riding high. It will be a dangerous mission, not just for the nature of their enemy, but for secrets held from them by command, loyalties of the crew divided, and Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the crew struggle with internal demons as much as external threats.

For those that complained that the 2009 film was ‘just’ a great looking space opera, bereft of all the deep themes of the original Star Trek series’, this film should more than placate your needs – the movie, with its plot, manages to touch on a number of critical issues today, ranging from major ones like lone world terrorism and increasing militarism, to minor ones like drone warfare and the increasingly blurred sides of modern warfare, all while roping them into the narrative without bludgeoning you over the head like so many other films these days do, all while retaining the thrilling space opera feel of the 2009 film. Much the same, there are a great many shout outs to Star Trek lore, mainly Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , so long time fans will have a lot to admire. Finally, a highlight is that, for the most part, the script and dialog is extremely clever, avoiding some genre pitfalls and actually presenting some clever moments in the film, especially some smart moments from the story and characters.

It’s with those characters again that, like the 2009 film, are such a highlight if not more so, as most of the returning cast having been introduced in the past film, are allowed to develop and quite often shine in this film. Chris Pine, as the famed cocky captain of the Enterprise James Kirk, is the sharp-tongued and witty womanizer we’ve come to know, yet we also see him at his most vulnerable, as he struggles with the mantle of leadership and comes to assume it. Zachary Quinto once again shines as Spock, as he both continues to find his place as the logical Vulcan second in command and struggles with his emotions and relationships with his human compatriots, especially girlfriend Uhura. All the returning cast gets extended focus and development, ranging from Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy to Simon Peg’s Scotty to John Cho’s Sulu, and all once again do wonderfully.

In fact, among the supporting cast, my only complaint seems to be Alice Eve as Dr. Carol Marcus, whose main purpose seems to be providing fan service, albeit marvelously as anyone who’s seen her promo shots knows, and for the fact that the Klingons appearance in the film is a rather big letdown. Also, every time I see Karl Urban, I expect him to say ‘I am the Law‘, not ‘Dammit Jim, I’m a doctor not a ____’, but that added to the film if anything.

Of course, the true show stopper is the film’s mysterious antagonist played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who goes by the name John Harrison for half of the film – and let’s just say I Khan’t say too much about the second half, hint hint. He is absolutely captivating as a cold, calculating villain, whom however monstrous his actions, remains to a certain extent sympathetic, even as his loyalties and true mission lie veiled and murky. Between this, Guy Pearce in Iron Man 3 , Michael Shannon in Man of Steel and Cumberbatch returning to play both Smaug AND the Necromancer in this December’s sequel to the Hobbit , 2013 is quickly shaping up to be a great year for villains.

This brings us to the cinematography and special effects, which were one of the prior films hallmarks, are again magnificent. The size and scope of nearly every scene are enormous, and the details given incredible and the result is the Star Trek universe really does feel as vast as the Final Frontier. A number of scenes are jaw-droppingly impressive, chief among them the initial mission at the start of the film on a colorful alien world that in ten minutes puts Pandora to shame, a flight through a debris strewn space battle in the middle of the film, and a climactic battle in San Francisco at the film’s end, any one of which is worth buying an IMAX ticket for. Even the much maligned JJ Abrams lens flare has been dramatically toned down, albeit still noticeable in a few scenes. Abrams also manages to work in more Star Trek shout outs than Star Wars ones this time around, and has built off of the prior film within Star Trek lore in a few interesting ways – let’s just say there are some subtle changes in the Federation since watching Vulcan get Alderon’ed a few years ago that may remind more people of the Terran Empire than the United Federation of Planets.

All in all, this was a film that needed to raise the stakes and expand the scope of the previous film, and Star Trek Into Darkness runs with it like a starship on warp. The plot is much more interesting, and manages to be both headier and remain very entertaining. The cast performs magnificently, getting much more screen time and character development, and benefits from having a truly cunning enemy to work against. The film is visually stunning, and quite an achievement worth attention for a number of scenes alone. Add in some interesting details and possibilities for the sequel and we have a Star Trek film that actually manages to further improve the standing of the venerable franchise even further. It was a fun and fascinating film from start to finish, and one I highly recommend, proof yet again that the possibilities of this franchise are as vast as the final frontier.

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