Star Trek: Into Darkness: Khaaaaaaannnnn!!!!

Anybody interested in seeing Star Trek: Into Darkness has likely already seen it by now and I'm not going to do any more persuading.  It's a difficult film for someone like myself to review considering the fact that I've never been much of a sci-fi aficionado, nor have I ever really gotten into any sort of Star Trek universe.  I saw a lot of the originals when I was a kid and forgot them almost as soon as they were over.  I recognized Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean Luc Picard before he was ever Professor X.  I know who the next generation are and I know who the originals are.  I practiced my "live long and prosper" hand sign until I finally got it and could show anyone in a flash.  But, other than that, all the movies sort of, just... blend together.  They're sci-fi that aren't Star Wars or Alien and that means I'm pretty much not going to care.

However, when I saw the first J.J. Abrams version of Star Trek, I was thoroughly impressed.  He was able to give a rather dull Star Trek franchise new life.  Chris Pine was great as the rebellious Captain Kirk, Simon Pegg was in it, the bad guy was a semi-competent foe to our protagonists and there were some pretty epic fight/action scenes.  So, I was on board for a second film.  One thing you can give Abrams credit for, and what I think will make his new Star Wars movies better than George Lucas' prequels is his attention to detail. He's so meticulous when selecting the right shot, at the right place, in the most sophisticated looking area on the ship, or a new planet, or in the heart of space.  The colors he chooses for certain scenes, deep reds, yellows, oranges, blues are each specifically selected to reflect the mood of the scene as well as accentuate the beauty of film.  Star Trek: Into Darkness is viscerally stunning, and that's obviously not an accident.

While Abrams has a keen eye for the visual, he's never been one to get too bogged down in story.  While I'm not saying that ST:ID has no story, it's that the story we're given doesn't feel like it has the Abrams seal of originality.  There are still a lot of sci-fi tropes in the film that we've seen before, as well as sequel-itis.  There has to be new conflict for our crew because the conflict of the first film has already been resolved.  So, our heroes bicker and fight and misunderstand each other to the point of almost obnoxiousness.  It's the hitch of the sequel.

But, what lacks slightly in this film is made up ten fold by the new antagonist (spoiler alert, but I know you've already seen it) Kahn.  I'd never seen Benedict Cumberbatch in anything before, but had heard that he's fantastic in his Sherlock Holmes television show.  I'm almost sure I can back that up because he's fantastic in this film too.  While he looks a little lanky and his deep British voice surely doesn't match his face, he's terrifying.  He could tell me he just made me pancakes in that voice and I'd probably pass out from fear.  The whole film, you're never quite sure of his angle.  While you inevitably know that Khan is not a good guy, you have to wonder if what he's saying in each scene is the truth or if he's weaving this web of lies in order to plan this gigantic double cross of our heroes.  He's what truly drives the film.

Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, and Karl Urban (incredibly underrated actor by the way) shine as well.  They're finally starting to fit together in a neat little package that makes us want to sit and watch their journeys and missions.  The first Star Trek had everyone at odds with one another and all you really wanted to see were these people getting along finally.  Well, now they're starting to, and even as a cohesive unit, they're still frail and imperfect.  If there's ever a third installment, Abrams should do well to keep in mind that we like these guys.  We want them to work together.  But, there also needs to be a kick-ass bad guy to tear them all apart.  That's where this film truly succeeds.

So, what can I say about Star Trek: Into Darkness?  It's pretty much what you'd expect it to be.  It's just like the first film, but with a better villain.

B