Before seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness" I had seen three other films in the series: JJ Abrams 2009 reboot, and the first two films of the original film series. I cannot deny the charm that the originals had, so fact of the matter was that I preferred JJ Abrams version of the story, along with many others of the current generation, however there were many who felt that the once cerebral series had turned into just an action series. Well, the good news is that those who preferred the 2009 reboot will find quite a lot to enjoy in "Into Darkness" and those who had an issue with the last films action-centric nature will probably hate this film even more.
This film takes advantage of having already introduced the characters and the world, so it gets right into the action from the get-go, and once the action starts there are hardly any breaks until the film is over. It's exhausting in a very good way, as all of the action is well staged and exciting, and there is a real, strong sense of high stakes throughout the film.
The storyline in this film is much more streamlined than the last one. A former Starfleet operative named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is waging a one man war against the very organization he used to belong to, and it is up to Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and the crew of the enterprise to find him and stop him. There are some cool twists to the tale and the focus on the character of Kirk is very interesting. Unfortunately, the immense forward momentum leads to a few plot holes and a thinner narrative that keep the script from being as strong as the previous outing.
The performances are just as good as they have been before, with Chris Pine especially stepping up his game. His Kirk is portrayed very realistically and well as a cocky man who is just starting to realize that he is not infallible. Zachary Quinto as well is great as Spock, given a little less to do than last time around, but making the most of it, and Simon Pegg's Scotty is a wonderful breath of lightness, serving as a source for a lot of this very dark film's humor. The rest of the enterprise crew isn't really given all that much to do. This is especially true for Carol Marcus, played by Alice Eve, whose sole purpose in the film is to look good, as exemplified by her completely unnecessary underwear scene.
However, the biggest way this film improves over the last one is in its villain. Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as John Harrison is realistic, yet incredibly intimidating. While his character, like Eric Bana's Nero, is a bit more of a physical threat than a mental one, it is escalated in the performance. Bana's performance as Nero was hammy and even pretty silly at times. Cumberbatch's John Harrison is very grounded, but with a constant sense of danger. Even when it seems like he's lost, you really feel like he can regain the upper hand at any moment. He is a true challenge for the heroes, and it is incredibly exciting to watch.
So in the end "Star Trek Into Darkness" is not quite as strong in the writing department as its previous outing. It's nonstop excitement and truly impressive villain, however, make it an even more entertaining spectacle, one that will easily please any sci-fi and action fans. It may be even more of a far cry from the original series than the 2009 film was, but it is truly one of the greatest adrenaline rushes of recent memory. A-
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