Star Trek Into Darkness

WARNING: The following review contains major spoilers...

J.J. Abrams was given a clean slate when he rebooted the Star Trek franchise in 2009 with Chris Pine in the Captain’s chair and a well-rounded supporting cast to make up the crew of the USS Enterprise. Not only did it please many of the most die-hard Trek fans, but it also introduced the franchise to an entire new generation. Abram’s latest trek into space pushes Captain Kirk’s capabilities to the limit when he comes face to face with a foe who’s stronger, faster, and smarter than anyone he’s encountered before.

Star Trek Into Darkness sees Captain Kirks entire world come crashing down around him, all at the hands of a single man, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), who is out for revenge against all of Starfleet. With his fellow commanders and friends dying around him Kirk will stop at nothing to bring Harrison to justice.

Ever since it was first announced, there has been nothing but speculation and rumors about who exactly this John Harrison is and whether or not his name is a red herring or he’s an entirely new character comprised of various traits from previous villains. As it turns out, he’s who everyone expected; Khan.

Into Darkness goes boldly where others have gone by rehashing The Wrath of Khan. There’s little left to the imagination in terms of what’s going to happen, and the film relies on iconic Star Trek moments to wow fans. Rather than focus on character development or plot, it pushes over-the-top action setpieces that look fantastic on screen but don’t matter all that much when it comes to the bigger picture.

It’s entertaining, but I can’t help but feel that Abrams is taking the easy way out by relying so heavily on Khan to develop the story. There are plenty of gapping plot holes, such as how they can somehow manage to beam someone up to a ship going warp speed in the first film but can’t seem to work it when someone is barely moving in this film. Fortunately, Benedict Comberbatch’s onscreen performance alleviates some of the WTF moments induced by the film’s plot.

Cumberbatch is the perfect villain of the film. A product of the genetic enhancements, he’s a superhuman who is far superior to Kirk or anyone else in his crew in every way. The way he addresses anyone with such ferocity and certainty makes you believe that he is a force to be reckoned with. You don’t need to see him take down an entire Klingon patrol singlehandedly to know that he’s the superior being, but he does so anyway. He’s the kind of villain who will strike fear in your heart from just looking at him and Cumberbatch nails the role spot-on. If there’s anyone who can revitalize this iconic villain, it’s him.

Star Trek Into Darkness delivers an entertaining and action-packed adventure that just so happens to have the Star Trek name attached to it. It’s not Star Trek in the traditional sense, and that may disappoint some hardcore fans. In the end, though, Abrams makes it work. He’s proven to work wonders with the sci-fi genre and Into Darkness is no different. While not a good as its predecessor, the film will thrill audiences with fantastic action-filled visuals and a maniacally evil villain.