Movie Review: "Star Trek Into Darkness"

Amidst the action, special effects, and broadly appealing comedy there was something about the previous Star Trek film that just worked. It was an almost magical quality that brought life to the film and helped make everything that's cheesy and manufactured in a majority of summer blockbusters become genuine and emotional. Four years later, Star Trek Into Darkness has finally hit the big screen with hopes to continue the long running series series. And it has all the action you'd expect, state of the art special effects, and dozens of one liners. Essentially, it has everything you'd expect to see in a summer movie. Everything except that magical quality.

First thing's first- do not read any spoilers about the film prior to seeing it. Paramount has done a remarkable job at keeping much of the film's plot under wraps and while the story never really breaks new ground it was oddly refreshing to watch a film and not have every single plot development spoiled for me by a trailer or review. And while this story isn't as emotionally charged as its predecessor, it's still quite compelling and interesting, if not a bit too convuluted. The film changes focus a few times too many, with character's true motivations being a bit clouded and inconsistent. Meanwhile, different subplots are used to introduce plot devices where a quick exchange of dialogue between two characters would accomplish the same tasks in considerably less time. And any evil plans introduced are not really explained all that well- like many summer films before it, viewers are expected to believe a character is evil 'just because'. But, like the last film, Into Darkness introduces a main theme in it's opening scene and uses it throughout in a way that doesn't feel nearly as cheesy or manipulative as it could have. And it really is remarkable that the script manages to give every major character a moment to shine, even with three news characters climbing aboard.

The cast is also phenomenal and rivals The Avengers in terms of chemistry between stars. Every actor feels perfectly suited for their individual roles but can also play off the others well. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are a fascinating onscreen pair as they find a common emotional ground between their very different characters. Meanwhile Zoe Saldana deserves quite a bit of credit for bringing a sense of attitude and emotion to Uhura. While she doesn't have as much to do as her male counterparts, she's completely believable and charismatic. But much of the attention is built around Benedict Cumberbatch, who's role as the primary antagonist has been kept shrouded in secrecy. The actor brings a very theatrical flair to the whole production that could have gone a bit too over the top had he been given more screen time, but the film always cuts away at just the right time, leaving his character sinister and not cartoon like. The remainder of the cast- specifically the always funny Simon Pegg- do a solid job as well.

But let's face it: this is a summer movie, and audiences are going for the thrills. And there are certainly thrills to be had. The film opens with an intense chase on a strange planet while another character is lowered into a volcano that's about to explode. It only gets bigger from there. Into Darkness is epic in terms of size and scope, and each new action scene manages to feel unique. Much like the previous movie, the highlight of the film involves the characters flying through space at an incredibly fast speed, but every sequence brings something new to the table and the sequences never fall flat. What's strange, however, is that the film moves at an almost too quick pace once the characters voyage into space, with an action sequence that essentially starts at the 30 minute mark and doesn't end until the credits begin, only taking short breaks that are only slightly less intense. On one hand, audiences will never be bored. On the other, it really ruins the films central structure. If the film is set up only to end in one long, 90 minute scene, doesn't that mean it's a bit of a mess?

And then there's the fact that, despite these solid action scenes, none of them ever really get all that exciting. They all feel like less entertaining versions of some of the best moments from the original. They aren't technically worse than those in the original, and in fact have many similar qualities. But by failing to improve or even match the original moments in terms of entertainment, they inadvertently become worse. As a whole, Star Trek Into Darkness is very similar in tone and structure to Star Trek. Unlike many other movie sequels, the film doesn't really take on a darker, more mature tone (despite what the title may suggest) and it doesn't strive to be any more or less epic than it's predecessor. And that's all fine, but if a sequel wants to evoke the film that came before it, then everyone involved must work pretty damn hard to improve upon it. So, on one hand, Star Trek Into Darkness is quality entertainment. Audiences will go home happy. But audiences will also be pleased with 2009's Star Trek. So, why go with the newer model when the last one does all the same things better?

Now I will admit: 2009's Star Trek is one of my favorite action films of all time. It was, and still is, an incredibly exciting film with so much life and energy that it's impossible to not have a good time. So, any sequel would have gigantic shoes to fill and those without my sky high expectations will probably like it much more. But the truth is, sequels are supposed to bring something new to a franchise. Otherwise, audiences would get bored and eventually stop caring, especially when they can pay less money and watch a more entertaining version of the same film at home. So, like the last Trek, J.J. Abrams fills almost every minute of this movie with spectacle and suspense, while the uniformly lovable cast trade witty one liners. But where the first film felt fresh, Into Darkness feels a bit stale. Yes, it's still entertaining and audiences will certainly get their money's worth. But Star Trek is a film I've found myself wanting to revisit time and time again. And if I ever feel the desire to return to the franchise, I promise you it will never lead me to this movie.

OVERALL GRADE: B-