Back in 2009, when popular television producer J.J. Abrams
rebooted “Star Trek”, he simultaneously did what many have never been able do
before; successfully make “Star Trek” relevant to the youthful uninitiated again,
tie in the original franchise in a clever way that kept his film from feeling
like a cynical wiping of the slate, and most of all, he was able to bridge the
lifelong chasm between the Trekkies and “Star Wars” fans.
Of
course not everyone was happy with J.J’s vision of Gene Roddenberry’s sci-fi
dream of the future. The action was ramped up, the actors were cast to be
younger and better looking, and the focus was now shifted from socio-political
ideas to character quirks and their humorous interactions. These changes were
not unnoticed and not only have some die-hard fans turned their backs on this
reboot, but it has also been recently announced that Abrams will be helming the
upcoming “Star Wars” semi-sequel.
With
this year's release of “Star Trek into Darkness” Abrams returns without reservation to
the world he established in 2009 and the minority of fans who have been cursing
his involvement—probably in Klingon—won’t find any reason to be interested in this film either, as it
is even more exciting and risk taking than it’s predecessor.
Following
the events of the first film, James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) who has been hastily demoted
from Captain of the Enterprise, due to his unorthodox methods, is awaiting confirmation of a five year
exploration mission, when he is told that he can only join again under the supervision
of his superiors. Before they even take off, a mysterious terrorist (Benedict
Cumberbatch) begins to enacts random bombings at Starfleet headquarters. Kirk and his crew are then sent out to
capture or kill this man as he is hiding in enemy territory. All the while, Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Uhura
(Zoe Saldana) are having relationship issues and Kirk has to prove himself to
be a responsible Captain.
Like I
have already stated, this is a very consistent sequel with what Abrams has put
into motion four years ago. In fact it is so consistent that I found it hard to
believe it had been that long since the last movie came out. The actors comfortably slide right back into
position and their chemistry is never obscured or lost. Considering how much of
this film is wall to wall action spectacle, Abrams knows when the slow things
down and breathe with his cast and let them charm the audience on their
side. Because we care so much for these
guys, when they are later put into amazing feats of peril, we clench the arms
of our seats, totally invested in their outcome.
More so
than any other Trek movie in cannon, this is an action film through and
through. The construction of the plot is designed for flashy, effects-driven,
set –pieces and the plot reveals push the drama into tighter situations that the
crew has to get themselves out of. Sometimes these scenes have a tendency to
over-climax, but never to the point of seriously compromising the movie as a
whole.
In some ways, the form of this film seems to be a
response to the colossal success of recent superhero stuff. In fact,
Cumberbatch as the villain is not unlike The Joker, Loki in “The Avengers” or
even Ben Kingsley’s Mandarin in “Iron Man 3”.
I guess
I can sympathize a little with the aged Trekkies who have to come to terms with
the fact that Abrams has infused “Star Trek” with something that is tonally closer
to its space-fantasy competitors—which leads one to wonder; how he will be able
to do “Star Wars” better than he has already done here? Regardless, whatever it is, “Star Trek into
Darkness” sets the bar commendably high for genre entertainment this summer.
Grade: A-
Originally published in the Idaho State Journal/May-2013
Originally published in the Idaho State Journal/May-2013
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