Star Trek Into Darkness

When J.J. Abrams reinvented Star Trek back in 2009 his intention was to appeal to fans of the franchise and the not so, taking the ever so popular modern element of things and running with it. Doing so has reeled in a huge demographic; if not for the plot, then for the fantastic sequences of action. Those who thoroughly enjoyed Star Trek's Hollywood return were left to anticipate an exciting sequel in what was surely on my list of the summers most exciting movies. Star Trek into Darkness has not only satisfied my thirst for action, but its simple plot of revenge along with the return of Kirk and Spock that has paved way for a J.J. Abrams inter galactic trilogy. 

Beginning at a fast pace, we are immediately reminded of Kirk's (Chris Pine) leadership upon the Enterprise as he puts the crew in jeopardy following his decision to save Spock (Zachary Quinto) from an erupting volcano. Thinking about friendship rather than the reputation of the federation, Kirk is demoted and the Enterprise removed from his control. Meanwhile John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is about to destroy the federation from the inside out, reinstating his own history with the federation by blowing up one of its organisations in London. His catastrophic mark is the first of many as he sets on destroying everything in his path using personal revenge as a valuable motive.

Kirk convinces Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller aka Robocop) to let him go after John who is holding ground in Klingon territory.

So begins a cat and mouse plot, as Kirk along with Spock regather the team of explorers in a bid to capture the one man army that is John. Desperate to bring John to justice, Kirk and the Enterprise fight through the powerful force of John, only to unravel a historic tale of love and revenge, leading to consequential decisions from everyone on board the ship.

The star of the show here is Spock, as he continuously plays the conscience of Kirk to a wonderful extent. Spock is involved in a tremendous introduction and a frenetic showdown.  His onscreen friendship with Kirk is both comedic and dramatically heartfelt through out the events of the Enterprise's ambitious man hunt. Chris Pine is brilliant as he masters the heroic persona of Kirk once again - showing off his dramatic skills also, in scenes of quality acting.

This is not a "leave your brain at the door" type of flick, so it is open to people who choose to nit-pick at potential flaws of the movie. In terms of Star Trek history, I am not the guy, however Star Trek into Darkness does offer scenes of endless solutions, even at the worst of times. While Kirk's vigilante style heroics are played to the fullest, the movie's disastrous scenes are always met with simple, yet predictable solutions in almost impossible circumstances. I found that quite annoying through-out, and you will find these decisions being carried out right up to the climatic ending. I would not have been surprised to see Spock or Kirk whip out shark spray from a bat belt!

But ignoring their desperate attempt at survival, the villainous presence of John Harrison is spine tingling  This guy does not hold back. The heartless thrive of John reminds you that of agent Smith in the Matrix. Comparing powers would be fun actually!

Into Darkness offers a more dramatic element than the first movie, revealing a selfishness within certain characters of the movie, which blends nicely with the darker, more in-dept elements of the sequel. 

Star Trek into Darkness is a good time, as J.J. Abrams shows off his brilliant imagination and his motivation behind transferring a simple plot of revenge using quality cinematic visuals for you to explore. Just like the first movie, the dialog involved with characters such as Kirk and Spock, not forgetting Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Bones (Karl Urban) who are all a joy to engage with.

8.5/10

Star Trek 3 has been announced for 2016, while fans can look forward to J.J. Abrams and his take on Star Wars in  Star Wars: Episode VII.