Star Trek Into Darkness
4/4
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence
Of all the movies that are going to be released this summer, none had me more excited than "Star Trek Into Darkness." I'm not a Trekkie (I got bored with the pilot episode), but I loved the first one. My excitment for the film increased exponentially when the trailer was released. Sadly, my hopes were not met. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and don't hesitate to recommend the film. But it's not as good as I'd hoped.
James Kirk (Pine) is in trouble...again. A rescue mission of a planet went sour, and Jim broke the protocol to save Spock from certain death. Now the Enterprise has been taken away from him, and he's been sent back to the Academy. His former officer, Pike (Bruce Greenwood), gets him a break and allows him to become his first mate. That's all put aside when a bombing outside Starfleet HQ leaves dozens dead, and after Pike's death, Kirk is once again captain of the Enterprise. He and the crew are tracking down the terrorist behind the bombings, a man named John Harrison (Cumberbatch). Things aren't what they seem, however, and if Kirk doesn't play his cards right, he'll start an open war.
Paramount is going for the world market here, which means that plot and character are toned down in favor of special effects. The plot still grabs us even though it becomes quite contrived at times, and our relationship with the characters in the first film carries us through the film. It's a shame, though, because Chris Pine and especially Zachary Quinto make Kirk and Spock so interesting in the 2009 film, and their relationship isn't as complex in this outing.
The cast does their jobs admirably, but the real star, of course, is Benedict Cumberbatch. A rising star thanks to his "Sherlock Holmes" reboot (although to me, he will always be Paul Marshall from "Atonement"). John Harrison is terrific is-he-or-isn't-he adversary. Alternately chilling and sympathetic, Cumberbatch owns the role.
J.J. Abrams proved himself to be a wonderful storyteller when he has a good script (I should say here that "Mission Impossible III" did not have a good script), and that's what's missing here. Abrams doesn't find the right balance between story and special effects (although those are awesome here. There were definately times when I was on the edge of my seat, and more than a few effective shocks) nor menace and crowd-pleasing humor. The result is a disjointed, but still satisfying night at the movies. Just avoid the 3D; even in IMAX, it's awful.
Revision: Some movies grow on you, for good or ill. Believe it or not, I didn't like "Brotherhood of the Wolf" the first time I saw it, but I gave it another chance and liked it. Now it's my favorite movie of all time. I liked, but did not love, "Star Trek Into Darkness" the first time I saw it, but I saw it again in the theater with a friend of mine and enjoyed it a lot more. I saw it five more times in theaters, and enjoyed it more and more. I admire its construction and its strong story. I liked how I felt multiple feelings about each of the characters. And I liked how, every time I see it, I get on the edge of my seat. This is relentlessly crafted and the story holds up upon close examination. But all of that is ultimately meaningless. I'm giving it a 4/4 (as opposed to a 3/4, or a 3.5/4 as I briefly considered, because of the most important reason: I enjoyed the hell out of it, and it is considerably better than the first one.
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin
Rated PG-13 for Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence
Of all the movies that are going to be released this summer, none had me more excited than "Star Trek Into Darkness." I'm not a Trekkie (I got bored with the pilot episode), but I loved the first one. My excitment for the film increased exponentially when the trailer was released. Sadly, my hopes were not met. Don't get me wrong, I had a great time and don't hesitate to recommend the film. But it's not as good as I'd hoped.
James Kirk (Pine) is in trouble...again. A rescue mission of a planet went sour, and Jim broke the protocol to save Spock from certain death. Now the Enterprise has been taken away from him, and he's been sent back to the Academy. His former officer, Pike (Bruce Greenwood), gets him a break and allows him to become his first mate. That's all put aside when a bombing outside Starfleet HQ leaves dozens dead, and after Pike's death, Kirk is once again captain of the Enterprise. He and the crew are tracking down the terrorist behind the bombings, a man named John Harrison (Cumberbatch). Things aren't what they seem, however, and if Kirk doesn't play his cards right, he'll start an open war.
Paramount is going for the world market here, which means that plot and character are toned down in favor of special effects. The plot still grabs us even though it becomes quite contrived at times, and our relationship with the characters in the first film carries us through the film. It's a shame, though, because Chris Pine and especially Zachary Quinto make Kirk and Spock so interesting in the 2009 film, and their relationship isn't as complex in this outing.
The cast does their jobs admirably, but the real star, of course, is Benedict Cumberbatch. A rising star thanks to his "Sherlock Holmes" reboot (although to me, he will always be Paul Marshall from "Atonement"). John Harrison is terrific is-he-or-isn't-he adversary. Alternately chilling and sympathetic, Cumberbatch owns the role.
J.J. Abrams proved himself to be a wonderful storyteller when he has a good script (I should say here that "Mission Impossible III" did not have a good script), and that's what's missing here. Abrams doesn't find the right balance between story and special effects (although those are awesome here. There were definately times when I was on the edge of my seat, and more than a few effective shocks) nor menace and crowd-pleasing humor. The result is a disjointed, but still satisfying night at the movies. Just avoid the 3D; even in IMAX, it's awful.
Revision: Some movies grow on you, for good or ill. Believe it or not, I didn't like "Brotherhood of the Wolf" the first time I saw it, but I gave it another chance and liked it. Now it's my favorite movie of all time. I liked, but did not love, "Star Trek Into Darkness" the first time I saw it, but I saw it again in the theater with a friend of mine and enjoyed it a lot more. I saw it five more times in theaters, and enjoyed it more and more. I admire its construction and its strong story. I liked how I felt multiple feelings about each of the characters. And I liked how, every time I see it, I get on the edge of my seat. This is relentlessly crafted and the story holds up upon close examination. But all of that is ultimately meaningless. I'm giving it a 4/4 (as opposed to a 3/4, or a 3.5/4 as I briefly considered, because of the most important reason: I enjoyed the hell out of it, and it is considerably better than the first one.
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