Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

As an enormous Star Trek fan and as somebody who loved the first Star Trek reboot film from J.J. Abrams, I couldn’t help but have extremely high expectations for the next film in the Star Trek universe.  My relationship with Star Trek didn’t really fully develop until I moved to college in 2008.  I discovered the Original Series and the Next Generation and simply could not get enough.  Eventually, I watched every episode of every series (including Voyager, Deep Space Nine, and Enterprise) as well as every movie that had been released at that point.  Star Trek resonates with me not only because of the fun and exciting science fiction premises and various alien species, but because it has wonderful moral lessons and insights on human emotion.  So five years after I first fell in love with Star Trek, another big movie has been released after a long wait to enthusiastic reactions from fans.  I knew I was going to have a blast with Star Trek Into Darkness, but I did not expect to be absolutely blown away by it.  And that is exactly what happened.

Star Trek Into Darkness is the 12th film in the Star Trek universe and is the sequel to 2009’s Star Trek.  I’m not going to explain the plot in detail because this movie is a non-stop thrill ride with endless twists and a TON of great references to the first run of Star Trek in the 1960s (as well as to the movies they made).  Basically, Star Trek Into Darkness begins with Kirk and his crew (all of the actors from the 2009 film are back in their roles) doing what they do, exploring the universe and “observing” unknown forms of life.  One things leads to another and Kirk loses his position as captain of the Enterprise.  Shortly thereafter, a mysterious man begins attacking Star Fleet’s various headquarters and high-ranking officers for reasons unknown.  The entire crew then sets out on a journey to stop this man.  This is probably within the first 20 minutes of this movie and I won’t go any further.  Just be ready for one of the most thrilling adventures in recent memory.

The best thing that J.J. Abrams was able to do with these reboot films is find actors who fit these classic roles perfectly without seeming overly campy or referential to a point that makes them seem unrealistic.  Instead, each classic character (Kirk, Uhura, Spock, McCoy, Scotty... etc..) has been revitalized in fun and slightly unique ways that will please fans of the original series as well as people who have never seen an episode of Star Trek.  Each one of them nails down the tiniest subtly and nuance from the classic characters in a very entertaining way.  None of this is particularly different from the first reboot movie, but I felt that they were given more to do here and no character has a moment of wasted time.  Standout performances were Karl Urban as McCoy (dammit man!), Simon Pegg as Scotty, Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Benedict Cumberbatch as... well the villain.  There wasn’t a moment in which any of the performances did not fit the tone of the movie exactly.

If there was any one thing I was concerned about with Star Trek Into Darkness as it began, it was that the entire thing may feel stale or would have been unable to capture the magic that makes the Star Trek universe feel so alive.  Fortunately, Abrams catches lightning in a bottle for the second time and everything comes together.  There are so many enormous and impressive action sequences in this movie that I had barely any time to catch my breath.  Also, these action scenes are separated by (and full of) constant character interactions and story progression that make it an almost tiring experience.  When I wasn’t laughing and having a good time with the characters, I was at the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next.  The sense of peril that is so important to a Star Trek movie is well intact here, and I feel comfortable saying that Star Trek Into Darkness took everything that was great about the first movie and somehow improved on it even more.

Star Trek Into Darkness absolutely blew me away.  It is easily the best science fiction movie I’ve seen this year (and one of the best I’ve seen in many years).  Fans of Star Trek will love the continued exploration of old characters who are brought to life in new, and somehow familiar ways.  There are non-stop throw back moments throughout the movie (watch for a Tribble) and Abrams uses his usual alternate-universe mind tricks to weave this movie’s premise with a familiar premise from the history of Star Trek.  However, even people who have never seen anything other than the 2009 film will undoubtedly have a blast with this movie.  There is so much humor and jaw-dropping action set pieces that it is truly difficult to find anything wrong with it.  Dramatically, Star Trek Into Darkness hits all of the right notes, and by the end I was more that satisfied, I was truly excited to get out and tell people about this movie.  Star Trek Into Darkness is the best movie I’ve seen in 2013, and I have a hard time seeing anything take its place at this point.

10/10