May I be the first (or maybe the last at this point) person to confirm that there is NO ONE from this generation who knows how to make movies that are as entertaining as an J.J. Abrams? He is, by far, the most marketable director out there today and his movies are easily the most exciting and fan friendly since Steven Spielberg. That being said, Star Trek Into Darkness is THE popcorn film of the summer! It’s got everything! Action! Suspense! Comedy! Violence! AND…it is actually one of the best 3D movies I have ever seen! It is PERFECT in every sense of the word and there are moments in the movie where I found myself thinking…”I can’t WAIT to see what this guy does with the Star Wars franchise!” It’s SO good, that there are moments where I thought I WAS watching a Star Wars movie without all the bad dialogue and ridiculous beauty cutaways of cityscapes that George Lucas uses so poorly in his films.
*breath*
Ok…so where to begin. Let’s see…this movie returns the old gang from the original. Everyone is back reprising their roles. Pine is an excellent Kirk, Quinto is Spock, Saldana is Uhura, Urban is Bones, Pegg is Scotty, Cho is Sulu, Yelchin is Chekov. Everyone is the perfect replacement for the originals and they all do an excellent job keeping their characters in check. From that point, let’s take a look at the bad guy in this one because HE is what sets this film apart. Benedict Cumberbatch is the best bad guy in the Star Trek arsenal. He’s got those cold eyes and is an ass-kicking, take no prisoners type of villain and there are scenes in this movie that made me want to hate him even though, at a point during the movie, you actually start to sympathize with him. He has an agenda and the script is so well written that his every move makes total sense (unlike some films where the villain’s motives are sometimes questionable).
Everything in this movie falls into place and the action is breathtaking! From a scene where Kirk pilots an unmanned shuttle through the Klingon planet of Qo’noS while under attack (which totally feels like a scene ripped from a Star Wars movie) to a scene where Spock is chasing Cumberbatch on foot through the the city, the pacing, the shot selections, everything is exciting and a complete adrenaline rush! Unlike some directors who over-edit action scenes, Abrams lets your eye settle in for the 3D moments without jerking you from one shot to another, completely blowing the multi-dimensional experience.
There are only 2 negative things I can say about this movie. First off, the soundtrack can be annoying at times and there are a few instances where it actually SOUNDS like the Star Wars soundtrack. And then there is a romantic relationship between 2 characters that is really more of a setup for a funny scene in the middle of the movie that works, but it doesn’t really play into the film at all.
Other than that? I got nuthin. Star Trek Into Darkness is an excellent way to beat a late spring rainfall and I can’t reiterate enough…see it on an IMAX screen in 3D. It is AMAZING!
Overall Rating: A+
Popcorn And A Soda 