Star Trek: Into Darkness

Into Darkness is a bit of a head-scratching title for the sequel to 2009's mega hit and franchise resurrecting Star Trek. J.J. Abrams has always been a writing phenom in the film and television world, but Star Trek moved him into a class of his own as a director. Into Darkness is a bit of a double entendre referring to the crew of the Enterprise as they boldly go where no one has gone before, and Captain Kirk's own struggles to maintain composure and prevent his reckless behavior from compromising the lives of his people. The film is not, however, quite as dark and dramatic as advertised.

The trailers pit the crew in impossible situations, dire peril, moral dilemmas, and Kirk is to blame. There is a Federation traitor who has a terrorist agenda and is wreaking havoc on Earth. Kirk must make sacrifices and decisions that are beyond his ability. These are all ideas that transcend the Star Trek genre alone, they are great emotional action themes. I have to say that Paramount and Bad Robot did one of the best jobs of marketing the film that I've seen in a long time. The previews make the film out to be much more dramatic than it is in reality, and the short teaser shown before The Hobbit in December dropped us right in the action and left us thinking that the situation was hopeless.

That's the magic of Star Trek. Every episode has the heavy feeling of hopelessness, and there's always a clever gadget or an emerging hero that helps them to narrowly escape harms way. This film has no shortage of classic plot points. The warp drive breaks down. The ship is disabled. Crew are stuck on a hostile planet. Kirk breaks protocol and Federation orders, much to the chagrin of his superiors (and Spock). There is a love/hate relationship between Kirk and Spock. And finally, the thing I just can't quite get behind: The rules of gravity and space are suspended. I mean come on, how does a spaceship lift off from earth, or hover, or emerge from under water? Warp speed, OK. Phasers, OK. I know it's the Trek universe, but it annoys me (as if everything else is realistic).

Our story drops us right in the middle of an uncivilized ancient planet, where the crew is attempting to stop a volcano from destroying all of life, while simultaneously avoiding giving any clues to the indigenous people that there is technology beyond the wheel or fire. Of course, there are problems with their plan, and we are given a fifteen minute action sequence that jolts us right into the film. Great job by Abrams. We are then introduced to our antagonist. A Federation traitor named John Harrison who has secrets and is one of the better villains on screen this year. Played by Benedict Cumberbatch, his voice has the perfect deep British accent that just oozes confidence. He turns out to be more than expected, both physically and in character. The rest of the film follows the Enterprise crew as they hunt down Harrison through the deep chasms of space, finding themselves among familiar enemies, the Klingons. They are as dangerous as ever, but have an updated look. Don't expect to see Wharf, these guys are a bit more intimidating. They then discover a secret that they need to remedy or the fate of the entire planet Earth will be compromised. You know, typical Star Trek.

J.J. Abrams is hotter than Chris Nolan right now, and will be transitioning from Star Trek to Star Wars just in time. This film was a Director's nightmare. A sequel to a massively successful action film that's based on a beloved cult classic storyline. Sounds a lot like Star Wars. Wait, what? Abrams has more pressure on his next project than any other director in perhaps the last few decades. Sure, it's just in the writing stage, but the expectations will be astronomical, both in quality and box office. Disney and Abrams? It will be bigger than the Pirates' franchise. To direct a sequel and do it justice is simply unheard of, and unfortunately, Star Trek: Into Darkness just wasn't as good as the original. Better antagonist? Absolutely. Better action? Not quite. Better story? It's a tough call. Better swagger by Kirk? Definitely. Abrams is jumping ship before the third act, which is a good call. Many directors have done a fine job with the third film, but more often than not, it's just box office fodder and there is lost respect for the art. I like Abrams as much as the next guy, but I'm excited to see him dip his toes into something new. Side note about Nolan if we're comparing directors. His involvement in the DC Comics universe will probably continue for a few more years, at least as a writer/producer/consultant, but the latest rumor has him taking on the next James Bond film. Think about that prospect for a minute.

Chris Pine has his Jim Kirk down pat. He's capitalized on this opportunity and then some. Expect that when a new director takes the helm, he will be back in the captain's chair with his ice blue eyes and perpetual smirk. Zachary Quinto, likewise is a perfect choice for Spock. The two of them enjoy witty banter with hyperbolic technical jargon that you understand, but don't quite understand. The rest of the cast does a nice job, but after the first film introduced us to the next generation, this one hones in on Kirk and Spock. I must say that of the new cast members, Karl Urban as "Bones" McCoy does a pretty fine job, as does Simon Pegg as Scotty. He's a bit over the top at times, but still gets the character down. Anton Yelchin as Chekov is a ridiculous choice, and the forged accent is over done and annoying.

There are more than just a few sparkles of the original series in this second film, and not just because of Leonard Nimoy's annoyingly cheesy recurring presence. That kills it for me a bit, and was one of the fun, yet disappointing aspects of the 2009 film. At least there's no Shatner, that would just be sad. Star Trek: Into Darkness makes me want to go back and watch the original films (I-III, they went to crap with IV and beyond). There is an unavoidable sense of nostalgia, and Abrams evokes that nicely if not a bit too obviously. I like the Star Trek storyline, and I'm by no means a Trekkie, but I'm also no stranger. It's a fun idea; innocent, heroic, and endless possibilities. A crew of highly trained scientists, pilots, engineers, linguists, and medical officers exploring and discovering distant parts of the universe. There's something pure and exciting about that.

You know you'll see the film. It's the transition action film after the behemoth Iron Man, but before the summer storm of visual action overload. It isn't as good as the 2009 version, but it is still very well done, and a fun time. 7/10.