2 really big movies in, and it's completely shaping up to be a controversial, twisty summer for fanboys everywhere. Given the reveal of "The Mandarin" in "Iron Man 3", "Star Trek Into Darkness" follows a very similar suite by taking a classic villain of fanboy mythos and transforming him into something reasonably different. And based on a few reviews from cinephile sites, it sounds like not everyone is happy. I'm fairly pleased to say though, that this particular fanboy, ladies and gents, liked what he saw...mostly anyway.
Now granted, take that with a grain of salt, because I may not take JJ Abrams' reinterpretations to heart as much as many other hardcore folks online might. If I were to classify myself as any sort of Trekkie, I'd honestly say casual at best, only really devoted to Next Generation and (so far) the Abrams franchise. I have seen the original movies, and I know enough about the mythology to get by without being murdered for complete ignorance at Comic Con. Given that, I'm not nearly as offended as many geeks out there seem to be, so if you're reading this and you're a hardcore Trekkie, don't gauge my eyes out for giving it a good rating.
Overall, this was a fun, exciting movie. In fact I has slightly less problems with this one than I did Iron Man 3. But that doesn't mean it doesn't have its share of issues. More on those later.
The basic premise of the film goes as follows: A bio-genetically engineered man named "John Harrison" ends up attacking the Starfleet senior officers, killing an important character in the process. In search of retribution and justice Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew go on a manhunt for him. They are able to capture him. However this all ends when Kirk finds that one of the higher officers of Starfleet has not told him the entire truth about "John Harrison", and discovers a few more frightening things about the character, including what he wants. Then the film turns into an all-out war between the Enterprise, a second Starfleet vessel and "John Harrison."
First, let's discuss, perhaps, the movie's 2 greatest assets: Zachary Quinto as Spock, and Benedict Cumberbatch as...er..."John Harrison". Those who have seen the really fantastic 2009 film are probably already sold on Quinto's Spock, as he did a magnificent job in that film. I'm happy to report that he continues the trend here. Spock is conflicted much of the time, never knowing whether or not to make the logical choice or the right one. He's learned to chill a little more since the first movie, and Quinto plays the role he inherited from Leonard Nimoy with total conviction. You really buy into Spock's motivations, why he feels the way he feels, why he does the things he does. For me he is the linchpin of this entire vision of the franchise. As for Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself, Benedict Cumberbatch takes what he can with a fairly under-written role (i.m.o), and elevates it magnificently in the time that's given to him. His villain is devious, intense, and far more interesting than some of the other characters in the Enterprise crew--or at least would even be more interesting had his role been larger. And all of this is done simply with strong vocal intonation, calculating intensity, inflection, cold eyes, and callousness.
On the topic of performances, by the way, I'd also like to point out that the "always welcome" Simon Pegg deserves praise too. His Scotty provides some much needed comic relief to the film--then eventually plays an even much larger role in this film (especially towards the end) than he ever did in the original movie.
Now, the action sequences and set pieces are also quite breathtaking, and the movie is pretty relentless with these scenes. We break every moment we get to breathe with a legitimately well filmed, tension-filled action scene. My particular favorite is a sequence in which Kirk and "John Harrison" are flying through space to try and make it into a very tiny spaceship door while having to avoid floating debris. There is also a great fight/chase scene towards the end between Spock and "John Harrison." Watching all of this unfold on IMAX 3D, by the way, is incredibly worth it!
Now for the twist. I daresay, without spoiling anything, I very much enjoyed the reveal of who "John Harrison" really was. It's predictable, sure. And fanboys complained that this was mostly fan service. But I can honestly say I bought into it--mostly because Cumberbatch is such a fantastic performer. When the reveal happened, my audience, a wide selection of hardcore and casual Trekkies clapped happily. And naturally, what the character's identity really is ends up driving the story forward. Many fanboys took issue with this, stating that it would be ruining the previous incarnations of this character. But frankly, who cares what they think? This is a NEW Star Trek parallel universe. Anything goes here. And bringing a familiar character to the table that may not 100% resemble the character's counterpart from previous Star Trek entries is acceptable in my book.
Now for some of the problems...
First off the writing for the film really isn't perfect. In fact, I took issue with a subplot containing a secondary villain, which I felt was generally unnecessary I'd wager that you could have the "John Harrison" storyline drive the film without need for any distracting garbage concerning Admiral Markus. Yet it's still a significant part of the story. Why is that? My guess is--they had to fill the time somehow.
But hey, congrats to Paramount because mission accomplished there. Additionally, Cumberbatch's character "John Harrison" really ends up not having too much to do until after the team lands on Chronos. We hear 1-2 lines about the characters motivation, but frankly it's not enough for us, as the audience, to really understand or identify with his feelings and thought process. It ultimately made the character slightly weaker since there's not a whole lot else revealed about him during the movie. Additionally, there's also a 3rd subplot--the looming threat of a war with the Klingons--that goes absolutely nowhere.
There are also some problems with predictability. Certain scenes, the writers will have a character literally call out an important detail just so that we catch it in time for it to be referenced in the movie later on. The problem with this is that we end up knowing these elements are all going to come into play sooner or later, and therefore, the surprises end up lost because we can see them before they happen based on unsubtle details. (Particularly a scene involving a vial of blood).
Another major problem I had was that outside of Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and to a far lesser degree, Bones and Uhura, the crew we grew to love in the first film has practically nothing to do in this film. In fact one of the best qualities in the previous film was that everyone got their moment to shine. No such luck for "Into Darkness" sadly.
I also must admit, I was not taken by Chris Pine's Kirk this time around. The way Kirk was written in this film makes him look gullible, overly brash, and foolish. Furthermore, it was hard for me to take any of the more dramatic scenes seriously, since Pine's tendency to overact comes out--especially during crying scenes. And unfortunately, in this film, there are scenes where dramatic weight Pine just doesn't have, are required. Next to more subtle actors like Cumberbatch and Quinto, he grossly pales in comparison. And overall that's a shame, since this entire story, from the 2009 film to now, has basically been told through Kirk's eyes. Kirk should be the anchor of a Star Trek movie (being the captain and all), but he ends up lacking in the end.
However, to end on a high note--A few more things I did like:
The score by Michael Giacchino is top notch. I found myself humming the Star Trek reboot theme as I left the theatre. However his score really does influence the effect certain scenes had on me, so kudos for that. The visual effects in the film are also very, very good. Everything looked really shiny and reallistic.
I also applaud JJ Abrams for his overall kinetic energy and pacing with these films. He directs each scene with a sense of fun and tension, ultimately making you care about the situation. And visual landscapes of future San Francisco, and desolate Chronos are quite stunning. Furthermore, Abrams is able to get a few emotional moments out of film, but I'd say they had a less personal impact on me than when he's giving us his action (primarily due to some overacting here and there on Pine's behalf). Fair warning though: You will see a great deal of lens flare throughout the movie.
I also very much like how the writers and director are definitely keeping this franchise firmly grounded as both a sequel to previous films and a reboot at the same time. There's one scene--a fun, little cameo--the directly references the events of a previous film that happened before the reboot. Despite this entire franchise being a reboot, we are explicitly cannon here folks, and that in and of itself is a very interesting notion. In fact, despite the presence of Spock Prime in the original movie, only a handful of call outs were made to the original continuum in the first film. In one scene here, we get an official callout to the previous events in the previous movies, and it's rather interesting how that plays out.
Now overall, I honestly don't think this is better than the 2009 film. That one was fun, easy to understand, and well-acted. But, in spite of its flaws, I do believe this was a fun, exciting romp with amazing performances, and less plotholes than Iron Man 3 (even if the villain and his motivations are largely ignored). I enjoyed myself immensely, getting sucked into the drama, the tension, the situations, and the creative spins on elements of classic Trek mythology. If you get a choice to "boldly go" to the movies to see this Trek, then make it so! You won't be sorry.
Overall Grade: A -
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