Welcome back to the Geekdom, I’ll be your Guide. I’m
going to be frank with you, I’m a Star Trek fan, but I wouldn’t say I’m an
obsessive Trekkie. If you’re looking for a review where I point out every
single continuity error that the producers of the film seemed to have missed,
you’re going to have to wait for my review of the next Star Wars film. So being
a casual Trekkie, how did I feel about the new film? Let’s review Star Trek:
Into Darkness.
The
Negative
Is it just me or did the Starfleet uniforms look really
weird in this film. I don’t mean the typically yellow, blue, and red shirts;
I’m talking about everything else they wore outside of those. Star Trek is well
known for changing their uniforms over the course of its many series but all of
the extra uniforms just didn’t seem right in this movie. I’m sure the new uniforms were supposed to be dressing for the
occasion such as the need to be under cover or the need to be presentable for a
meeting, but none of these new suits looked like a natural piece of clothing to
wear.
The Opening. I get what they were trying to do. They were
trying to show us a wacky ground mission that was fast paced and would get the
audience into a lighthearted mood for the film, but the opening just seems too
over the top and ridiculous with its execution. Why did the Enterprise have to be
underwater? Why did Kirk have to steal the native tribe’s idol and lead them in
a crazy forest chase (Similar to Raiders of the Lost Ark)? Why did Spock have
to be in the Volcano in order to set off the bomb? I know that some of these
were answered in film, but the entire opening situation was just too wacky for
my taste. (But not for my editor who thought it was great.)
The
Positive
Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan was amazing. This was a Khan
unlike the previous depiction. This wasn’t a Khan without technology prowess
like in the classic Star Trek episode Space Seed, nor was it a vengeful Khan
out for blood like in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. This version of Khan was
a tactical mastermind who had been awake for some time before encountering our
heroes. This was Khan at his most powerful and Benedict Cumberbatch pulled it
off perfectly.
The Vengeance. Star Trek has had a massive number of
enemy starships over the course of its history, but I have to say The Vengeance
was one of the scariest and most intimidating ships I have ever seen. This
thing was awe-inspiring. It’s a massive, darker version of the Enterprise and
it had the power to just shoot them out of warp speed if it wanted to. The
Vengeance was a true threat to the Enterprise and I loved every moment it was
onscreen.
Spoilers to the endings of Star Trek II: The Wrath of
Khan and Star Trek: Into Darkness follows. If you don’t want these endings
spoiled for you, please proceed directly to the conclusion of the review.
Everyone else, keep reading.
I know a few people disagree with me on this point, but I
believe the reversal death scene was a brilliant move on Into Darkness part. The
scene where Mr. Spock dies in Wrath of Khan is almost perfectly recreated, but
with Kirk standing in Spock’s position. Mr. Spock’s plot in this film was to
see him form a true bond of friendship with Kirk, a friendship that he wouldn’t
fully understand until Kirk’s sacrifice. Before Spock viewed their relationship
as Captain and Officer, but now he truly saw what their relationship meant in
Kirk’s final moments. This event really peaked Spock’s arc in this film. This
reversal also added a level of suspense. Spock died from the events that
occurred in Wrath of Khan, and so, for the briefest of moments I didn’t know if
they were bold enough to go through with Kirk’s death. Plot elements revealed
how Kirk could be easily brought back, but for a moment I wasn’t sure where the
plot was going to go.
In
Conclusion
I’ve mentioned before how much of a fan I am of the 2009
Star Trek film, and I believe its sequel continued the winning streak. This was
an amazing film with truly spectacular villains and fantastic character plots.
My only problem with it was a few odd choices in costume and the beginning of
the film. I honestly hope that J.J. Abrams can return to the Star Trek universe
after his Star Wars film, because I can’t wait to see more. 4.8 out of 5
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