Ever since the 2009 revamp of the “Star Trek” franchise, I’ve been avidly awaiting “Star Trek Into Darkness” with baited breath. So often, sequels fall short to the quality of the original movie, and are forgotten easily. This was not the case for “Star Trek Into Darkness.” The $12.50 I paid to see the movie was definitely well worth it. “Star Trek Into Darkness” manages to maintain a perfect balance between witty and comedic dialogue and action-packed scenes. Director J.J. Abrams (”Super 8”) is a mastermind who gives every beloved character their time to shine, from Spock and Captain Kirk, to Bones and Scotty. Abrams fills his movie with enough action to satisfy all types of fans, both newbies and Trekkies.
Abrams is not one to start a movie off with a slow opening. “Star Trek” is no different. The movie begins on a foreign planet with inhabitants that are as close to being human while simultaneously being the furthest from human at the same time. First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) is sent to neutralize a volcano that is in mid-eruption. There are two obstacles he faces: one — he must not be seen by the planet’s inhabitants. Two, he must successfully stabilize the volcano without dying. Spock realizes that the latter is not possible, and opts to sacrifice himself in order to keep the native planet alive. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), captain of the USS Enterprise catches wind of Spock’s plan and immediately disobeys Federation rules to rescue him. Kirk is not one who conforms to rules of any sort, so the consequences of his actions don’t seem relevant to him at all.
In addition to the consequences mentioned above, Kirk is also faced with another challenge — a new villain arrives on scene. Khan, whose real name is in fact, not Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), has one goal in mind: the complete and utter destruction of everyone associated with Starfleet.
The special effects of this movie were by and far outstanding. While it may be true that Abrams enjoys lens flares more than the average movie director, they work to create suspense and drama. The explosions and the backgrounds are flawlessly embedded in such a way that it doesn’t seem like a fabricated movie. “Star Trek” is a movie that requires you to forget what reality allows and what it doesn’t allow. You just need to accept what you’re seeing in front of you. An extreme superhuman who single-handedly manages to create chaos and seems to not die despite the countless hurdles thrown at him? Alright. A spaceship that’s capable of warp-speed? This is nothing new.
All movies have their flaws, and “Into Darkness” is by no means perfect, but it does a better-than-average job of mixing humor and non-stop action.
Abrams does a fantastic job in making the sequel to “Star Trek.” New fans to the series will find themselves perfectly at home in the theatre. There’s no major plot twists that they won’t understand if they haven’t already seen the 2009 “Star Trek,” and anyone who enjoys a good action movie will enjoy this one.
by HARMONY REILLY
