OK folks first of all, this is a movie. J.J. is not trying to re-invent the wheel here. What J.J. Abrams has accomplished here is to re-imagine a burned out brand and series (that I loved as much as any true fan) and had the guts to go where no director has gone before with it. He shows his total respect for the best of the previously done films, his respect for the fans of the original films, and bravely creates a marvelous environment for the future of this series. I cannot tell you the last time I have sit in a darkened movie theater (full of fans and first timers) and had so much fun listening to the audience ooh and aah at what they were seeing and hearing from the screen. I along with them laughed, oohed, aah-ed, and even shed a tear, as this movie unfolded, and cannot remember the last time I felt so satisfied in seeing a film.To all of the families with teens and tweens out there, Yes! this is the whole family movie experience you've been waiting for (and to be fair, there are some really intense scenes, and a four letter word uttered, but you just know the character would really say it in the heat of the moment) !!! It Is Fun! The cast is pitch perfect, the look, sound, and feel of "Into Darkness" is a joy to behold, and a loving homage to all of us who loved the original characters and films, and to those of us who just love good old fashion science fiction. It is a first class roller coaster ride and a true challenge to film makers to up the ante for audiences, if you want us to continue to shell out the movie bucks. By the way, this is a repeater for me as I will go back to see it again.
To J.J. Abrams and your entire crew, Thank You! for being so fearless, so brave to tweak and tamper with a sci-fi original, and re-remind me why I like to go to the movies. I think that Gene Roddenberry would be so proud of your take on his universe.
To the entire cast, Thank You! for being true to the original actors and characters, for giving them your spin, and making the roles your own. I have not had this much fun in a movie theater in a long, long, time, and in a galaxy far, far, away. BRAVO !!!
And to those of you that are leaving such horrid and negative comments to my review, WAKE UP!! These are MOVIES that we are talking about. I now understand why some actors comment at some point in their careers, about some fans needing to get a life. Movies are not real life changing events. They are meant for ALL of us to ENJOY (or not)for the two or three hours we sit in that theater, and maybe learn a little something (or not). Movies allow us to escape our sometimes droll and stressful lives for just a moment, to fantasize, to dream for a moment, to forget how different our lives have become. If you don't like or feel the same way about a movie as I do, I understand. But understand this, I don't try to keep people from seeing, renting, or buying a film because I don't like it, nor do I spend my time trying to drag someone else down because their opinion is different from mine.
I saw this film and I had Fun!! It took me back to the early days of Bart Sloane (The 4D Man The Blob), Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts), and Stanley Kubrick (2001: A Space Odyssey) when special effects were in their infancy. I felt the same way when I saw my first Steven Spielberg film (Jaws), my first Ridley Scott movie (Alien), George Lucas (Star Wars), and now J.J. Abrams. These are but a minute few of the hundreds of great filmmakers (I could go on forever)that have gone the extra mile to entertain us, to give us a break from the real world that is so full of Intolerance, Hate, Fear, Hunger, Struggle, and Disease. Give them a break guy's, they are just making movies for us to enjoy (or not).
Remember, the world will still turn tomorrow, that is unless God decides that he has had enough of us, and the way we treat each other, and decides to just shakes us off of this little blue planet that we do not respect at all.
Here's why:
The story was engaging, exciting, and had plenty of edge of your seat moments.
The way it wove the new story together using prior movie and TV themes to build on was kind of genius. Those who know Star Trek will enjoy that.
It had humor with a few good laughs and chuckles, but it also brought tears to my eyes.
I loved the way they developed the relationships between the main characters, especially between Spock and Kirk. I very much disagree with the poster who said there wasn't enough character development. I felt it was quite the opposite.
There were surprises. Especially one big one, which I won't reveal. I enjoyed that this movie wasn't predictable.
The casting was spot on. It's so believable that these are the young versions of Spock, Kirk, etc.
The acting was superb.
What else can you want!
I saw it at an IMAX 3-D theater, and I'd highly recommend that. The 3-D was phenomenal on this huge screen. There were moments when I could imagine I was in space.
I think that Star Trek fans, as well as those who are new to Star Trek, will enjoy the movie. You really don't have to know Star Trek history to enjoy this movie, but if you are familiar, you'll get a lot more out of it.
So Star Trek fans shouldn't miss this new addition. I also recommend this movie to all scifi and action fans. I'll be purchasing this movie when it becomes available, and I'm sure I'll watch it many times.
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4 years, almost to the date, any concerns fans had over Paramount Studio's decision to reboot the initial Star Trek `Enterprise & Crew' were, within the first 30 minutes dispelled, and a new generation and legions of new fans embraced the concept of `new faces' to the `old characters'.All associated with this project are due credit for successfully rebooting and breathing new life into a tired franchise. The real credit resides with Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci who's homage to the initial Star Trek, highlighted by the presence of Lenoard Memoy, complete with a clever alternate time line and universe, allowed J.J. Abrams' the opportunity to mine the history of the Star Trek universe, and unfettered by the history and short comings of the previous movies, allowed the same characters to be developed in a different arc.
With the same crew in-front of and behind the camera from the first outing, Star Trek into Darkness with a longer running time, affords greater character development and screen time to each member of the Enterprise. In the process each actor elevates the status and depth of their characters and in the process finally lay to rest, the ghost of, and, any comparisons to the initial cast and crew.
The show here belongs to, and is focused on the central relationship between Chris Pine's Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, their emerging friendship, and the impact and cost this relationship will have on each character and each other.
Credit once again must go to Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci and Damon Lindelof who's story and script anchors this film with the characters and their relationship, and do not allow the spectacular, non-stop action, and dynamic set pieces to overshadow the real story, which is one of relationships, and the cost and price friendship can demand. This is no simple achievement, but is the basis on which this film will be categorised as either good, great, or, brilliant.
J.J. Abrams continuing foray into this genre, is nothing short of spectacular! His ability to not only maintain, but improve on his re-booting of Star Trek is a phenomenal achievement, and testament to his skill as a visionary story teller and action director, which are the real reasons that Disney and George Lucas went out of their way to secure his Directorial Services for the forthcoming Star Wars IIV.
The barometer for Star Trek into Darkness should not be measured against Star Trek, but against the recently released Iron Man 3 which appears to be the movie that all 2013 releases will be gauged. In this face-off, Star Trek into Darkness casts the longer shadow, and on all aspects of movie making, can be counted as the best movie thus far in 2013.
Prior to concluding, particular mention must go to the `Supporting Cast', especially Bruce Greenwood, in a limited but career best performance, ably supported by Peter Weller However, the real star of Star Trek is Benedict Cumberbatch, who's screen presence is 3D even in 2D. Every frame, each perfectly enunciated syllable and facial nuance is one of pure intensity, malevolence and distain that would send a shiver down the spine of Hannibal Lecter (even on a second viewing). This follows on from his excellent and measured performance in Cloud Atlas, his spectacular ownership of Sherlock Holmes, and the as yet unknown performance in The Hobbit Trilogy!
In conclusion, STAR TREK into DARKNESS is a spectacular movie, a rare achievement, matched only by the calibre of talent in front of, and behind the lens, and is an indictment of a director with a limited number of peers. This is a movie that can be deemed a companion and equal to movies such as The Dark Knight Rises, Blade Runner, The Lives of Others, Alien, Shawshank Redemption.
9.5 out of 10"Star Trek: Into Darkness" manages to be several entertaining movies at once. It is first a very exciting action movie with lots of excellent special effects that should hold the viewer's interest from start to finish. Second, it is a well-done prequel to the earlier Star Trek movies and even the television series. We get to meet the crew of the Starship Enterprise before that five year mission of exploration. The actors who portray the main characters at a younger age should be instantly recognizable to generations of Star Trek fans. Third, the movie is a fairly clever remix of familiar story elements that pays homage but is not a slavish imitation of those earlier stories. The movie succeeds particularly well in exploring the interactions of the main characters, and in rebooting the most famous villain of the Star Trek series.
The movie begins with an extended action sequence on a distant world, where Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) has once again exceeded his guidance and put his crew and ship at risk. Kirk gets out of it by violating rules and directives, and finds himself demoted, and separated from Spock (Zachary Quinto), when he returns to Earth. The actions of a vengeful Starfleet officer named John Harrison (a superb Benedict Cumberbatch) create a new crisis seemingly tailor-made for Kirk's talents. He is restored to command and sent after the bad guy, who is hiding out on the edge of the Klingon part of the galaxy.
Harrison turns out to have a surprising agenda and equally surprising enemies; he and Kirk must be uncertain allies for a time. But the audience knows there will eventually be a confrontation, one so serious that Kirk, Spock, and the crew of Enterprise will be tested to their limits. This movie is great fun, and highly recommended.Star Trek Into Darkness is a spectacular addition to the franchise. It's one of the very best Star Trek films, and is even better than the reboot that preceded it. SPOILERS FOLLOW
What makes it so good? In the first place, it's action-packed with great special effects, which is kind of key for a summer blockbuster, but that alone won't cut it with Star Trek fans. It also has good writing and surprisingly good acting. A lot of the plot is character driven, as Chris Pine's Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock continue to take each other's measure: by now Kirk and Spock are friends, but rather uneasily so. The impulsive, by the seat of his pants Kirk finds his relationship to Spock tested by Spock's logical, by-the-book approach that threatens Kirk's very career, while Quinto's Spock does a great job of trying--ultimately without success--to suppress his emotional, impulsive side. By the end of the movie, each of them has applied and learned the value of the other's approach, doing a bit of a role-reversal. Pine and Quinto manage to bring some real depth to this struggle. This is further accentuated by the fact that, as is often the case, the struggle is over matters that reflect current events. Do we arrest terrorists or treat them as legitimate targets of war? Can we cross international boundaries to get at them? Where do Kirk's and Spock's real duties lie? Where does revenge fit in, if it fits in at all?
The character who forces Kirk and Spock to wrestle with these issues, partly against their will, is the superb Benedict Cumberbatch, who gives the movie franchise some of its strongest acting ever. Cumberbatch is bound for great things, and he shows it in this role. Midway through the film he is revealed to be none other than Khan Noonien Singh, whom he plays with a dramatic intensity worthy of--and even exceeding--the performance of Ricardo Montalban. Khan is an intriguing character, and Cumberbatch takes him to a whole new level, his schemes consisting of wheels within wheels, becoming in at least one way like a sinister mirror image of Kirk. If Kirk's actions are justified by his concern for his crew, then aren't Khan's as well? A disturbing thought, given where Khan goes with it.
But that's not all. Karl Urban continues to channel DeForest Kelly's McCoy, even more successfully than in the previous film. He trades the inevitable barbs with Spock, but most of his relational development is with regard to Kirk in this film. Bruce Greenwood gives another strong, but all too brief, performance as Chritopher Pike. The rest of the Enterprise crew are in fine form as well.
One of the nicest touches for hard-core trekkies is how skillfully J. J. Abrams and the writers have woven Trek lore into the plot, and in a way that (mostly) doesn't feel forced. Khan's appearance is foreshadowed by events that are clearly referenced in the original series as well as Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Carol Marcus slips deftly into the story line as well, providing in interesting link to the shadowy Section 31, the very mention of which warns us that all in this film will not be as it seems. And the reprise of the death scene from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is pulled off with great care. It could have been cheesy, an instance of Star Trek lampooning itself, but the result is anything but that. And in consequence, we get to see the genetically-engineered superman Khan in a knock-down flight with an enraged Vulcan. The only thing that felt a bit odd was a tribble as a lab rat. (How could you, McCoy?)
Of course, this isn't the original series. The actors are different; Abrams's' approach is different; the times are different. Nevertheless, Abrams has been true to the original in some core ways. And in this film, even more than the last, he's set himself a high bar for further entries in the franchise. Well done!
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