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.

Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol Review 2011

Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt in Mission Impossible 4. The Fourth instalment, Ghost Protocol, sees the fall of the IMF organisation as Ethan seeks to recruit a team of experts to help prevent the launch of nuclear weapons from a Russian Terrorist.

The movie's plot begins with the bombing of the Kremlin in Russia were a Russian source pin-points America's IMF organisation as prime suspects. In a desperate bid to start a war between the two countries, Ethan (Cruise) as well as his boss feel it is best the IMF is abolished but sheds light on an opportunity for Ethan and a hand -picked crew to investigate and prevent further assaults from the Russian terrorist.

The cast in MI4 is a delight. As always, Ethan is accompanied by Benji (Simon Pegg) who is back to his old tricks as there is nothing standing in the way when he is involved. New to the series is Jeremy Renner who we know from Ben Affleck's The Town. Jeremy plays Brandt, a so called observer in the IMF. There is more than meets the eye with Brandt as he is a smart character but brings a lot of negativity to the crew. What would a Mission Impossible movie be without the hot female? Introducing Jane, played by Paula Patton. This is a woman that cannot be messed with! Delicate looks can be deceiving as she does more ass kicking in this movie than any other in the franchise.

Ghost Protocol is no hit and miss. This was a quality movie. In fact I believe the best in the series so far. (I say so far because Ethan will be back...I think). The action sequences were the best I have seen in a long time. MI4 avoids your typical blockbuster make no sense type a flick, this was a genuine entertaining film. We all dowelled on the Original Mission Impossible for so long, but now people will be surprised they might actually find Ghost Protocol the best of the bunch.

Certain Scenes like When Ethan is scales the Tallest Building in Dubai. Okay we all seen clips in the trailer previous, but that part in the movie was extraordinary! The whole time through that scene my mind was racing with the fact Tom Cruise performed that particular stunt? and the rest! Absolutely brilliant. There is a scene not long after when a massive sandstorm covers the area as Ethan is caught up in a game a cat and mouse.

Overall a fantastic movie. We might all agree on one thing, the fact that Mission Impossible 2 wasn't too bad and MI3 took the biscuit a bit. Mission Impossible:Ghost Protocol is a quality return to what we will always remember Tom Cruise as...Ethan Hunt! (and roll the spy tune....)