Star Trek Into Darkness

Though he successfully saved Earth 6 months ago, Kirk (Pine) has yet to fully embrace his role as captain of the Enterprise. Following a somewhat disastrous mission, he finds himself demoted and at odds with Spock (Quinto), though the two must swiftly put aside their differences when Starfleet, on the brink of war with the Klingon Empire, finds itself under attack from within. Charged with catching the culprit, John Harrison (Cumberbatch), Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise must venture into enemy territory, but soon find that everyone, even Harrison, has their own agenda and that nothing is as simple as it appears.

Following on from his successful 2009 reboot, J. J. Abrams continues to drag Star Trek into the 21st century whilst trying to remain true to its original ideals. Star Trek: Into Darkness is certainly not as deep as the original sometimes tried to be. Helped immensely by Abrams’ steady hand, it fares much better as a modern summer blockbuster. The plot, however, may for some be too referential to the source material when there exists a wealth of other ideas created by the reboot, though it makes sure to forge its own interpretation.

It’s the performances that really carry Star Trek Into Darkness. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto keep the bromance going as Kirk and Spock, whilst Benedict Cumberbatch steals every scene he is in as the villainous Harrison: the standout of the considerably talented cast. Special mention should go to Simon Pegg, who continues to impress as Scotty and may well turn out to be the overall ensemble dark horse.

Star Trek Into Darkness might not be as fresh as its predecessor was, but it is still a strong entry into the long-running franchise and a good piece of sci-fi overall.

Tom Freeman