Movie Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

Whether you’re a stone cold Trek Nerd who comes to the multiplex in costume, or just someone looking for an early summer night out at the movies, ‘Star Trek: Into Darkness’ is just about perfect as an action/adventure flick.

It has a great cast and stunts that are more thrilling (and more believable) than anything you’ll see in ‘Fast & Furious 6’ opening next week, FYI. But the reason this movie works so well, ironically for a movie about “darkness,” is its very lightness. Yep—this movie lobs one-liners like smile-grenades, always tempering the heavy content with good-natured chuckles. And, it almost goes without saying, the film rewards the franchise fans with little references that’ll have them spazzing out in their seats.

As the film starts, Spock is about to sacrifice himself to stop a volcano from blowing and decimating an indigenous population of a planet with bright red trees. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine has quickly commandeered this character) breaks some very important rules to save Spock’s life. Something that gets him demoted and out of the Captain’s chair, and separates him from Spock….UNTIL….five minutes later –haha, sorry, no more spoilers—this is in the first 15 minutes.

The boys and the crew we know and love are all reunited to take on a special guerilla mission: they’ve been sent by big-wig Peter Weller, looking awesomely authentic as a future version of Richard Widmark, to assassinate a rogue who’s lately gotten his kicks by blowing up London buildings and even staging an attack on the Trek brass themselves. The only problem? This villain is holed up on a part of Klingon territory, and getting him without disturbing the peace will be tricky. One false move could start a war the Klingons.

Okay, I lied, a teeny spoiler: that idea is also dropped pretty quickly as a plot point. Hell, it doesn’t matter—let’s just say that director/writer J.J. Abrams either has a short attention span, or he thinks we do. This guy keeps the action moving, but he seemingly changes the motivation for the characters more often than you’d accept from a movie that didn’t generate so much good will.

But mostly, this is a chance to be in the good company of the Enterprise crew, and to root against one villain (who can’t be named) and another, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who really knows how to lay on that sophisticated British Bad Guy elocution-pretty scary! And even he has a surprise in store for us—when his true name is revealed the audience gasps en masse.

I’m not a Sci-Fi guy, generally speaking, but “Star Trek: Into Darkness” is a lot more like an old Western, or a new Super Hero flick—it’s three acts, a climactic action sequence that goes on just a bit too long near the finale, and the good guys triumph over evil. Or close enough.

So, yes, in many ways, you’ve seen this formula. If you’re the kind of movie goer who loves the formula, this skillful rendering invites you to pour Kool-Aid powder into its formula, then shake well and drink. Drink it all!

And if you’re a casual someone who wants to walk out feeling exhilarated, feeling like your time and money were well spent? Here you go. Let’s hope Abrams can keep this up—live long and prosper, J.J.

This film was reviewed in 3-D, which didn’t seem necessary. If anything, it just makes some of the already too dark scenes even darker.