As a Star Trek fan, I was initially skeptical of J.J. Abrams attempts to reboot the movie franchise. Especially by taking another stab at the past, which despite some gallant efforts from some fans to keep it on, simply didn’t work with the ill-fated tv series, Star Trek Enterprise. Then, I saw his 2009 Star Trek, and all my fears vanished. Abrams successfully cold started NCC-1701’s engines one more time for a new generation.
It was inevitable that Paramount would be eager for a second helping, as well as the fans- old and new. And Star Trek Into Darkness attempts to one up it’s predecessor with a flurry of breathless, non-stop action along with some winks and smiles cleverly aimed at Trek’s iconic past. It’s completely laced with old familiar dialogue, character perks, vicious enemies, and a little fan favorite creature, keeping you entertained and intensified all at once.
Chris Pine’s “reputable” Jim Kirk is apparently still learning the ropes as a young Star Fleet captain. Proof of this opens the sequel as he and Dr.(Bones) McCoy (Karl Urban) on one of their first missions, are being chased through a red forest by the chalk faced natives of planet Nibiru. Unfortunately their mission to save the planet results in a violation of the Prime Directive for which Kirk suffers. He is redeemed almost immediately when a terrorist(allegedly one of Star Fleet’s own), John Harrison, starts wreaking explosive havoc towards the federation.
As you might expect, since their last outing, the crew has gotten to know one another pretty well. It’s a work in progress. Besides, when you’re all together on one starship, what choice is there? The period episodes of light bickering and serious conversations between the prime characters provides most of the laugh relief. Two of the most interesting relationships are the Kirk-Spock “bromance” and the Spock-Uhura romance,the latter playing out quite well during a voyage to the Klingon homeworld, Kronos.
Zachary Quinto effectively reprises his role as the logically minded, half human Mr. Spock. He inhabits the part with all the gusto and mildly annoying meth-odical thinking indicative of Vulcans. Even in an extremely perilous situation, Spock has the uncanny ability to suppress his human emotions and remain focused. It’s so incredible, that you might actually envy him.
Alice Eve, whose beauty was properly showcased in “She’s out of my League”, joins the crew as new comer/ Kirk’s old flame from Star Trek 2, Dr. Carol Marcus. She gets to show off that beauty once again in one gratuitous scene involving her “future lover”(?). Of course her mind is just as sharp as her body, diffusing a precarious situation that places the metaphorically adept Dr. McCoy in very unwanted jeopardy.
Primary villains always seem invariably intriguing, and Benedict Cumber-batch’s enigmatic John Harrison makes it plain that he’s no ordinary antag-onist. Considering his speed and strength outmatches any ordinary human (except the half-human Spock), he makes a very surprising move that may or may not have ulterior motive written all over it.
There’s no question now that Star Trek, the old demised 60’s tv series, resurrected and spawning five other tv spin offs (remember Adromeda?) , plus twelve feature films, has returned. And all, if not most, Trekkies and Trekkers seem to love it. If Abrams and his stalwart production crew, including composer Michael Giacchino, can maintain this novel iteration of what the late Gene Roddenberry referred to a “Wagon train to the stars”, plus continue character arcs of Trek’s “Magnificent Seven” (Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekhov and Uhura), who knows where the new Enterprise could take us.