by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

The crew of the USS Enterprise returns for further big screen adventures with the latest installment in the franchise: Star Trek Into Darkness.  Directed by J.J. Abrams, this new story in the Trek universe focuses on a threat that hits close to home, and forces the intrepid group of explorers to face their deepest fears. Star Trek (2009) had set the bar so high that it was hard to not to walk into the sequel without raised expectations.

When Starfleet is attacked on Earth by one of their own, Kirk and crew are called in to help with the manhunt. Blood is spilled and the crew of the USS Enterprise are pushed to their limits. Chris Pine (Rise of the Guardians) and Zachary Quinto (Heroes) return as “Best Space Friends” Kirk and Spock, Zoe Saldana (Avatar), Karl Urban (Dredd), Simon Pegg (Shawn of The Dead), John Cho (Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle), Anton Yelchin (Terminator: Salvation), and Bruce Greenwood (Batman: Under The Red Hood) head back into space to protect Earth against this mysterious new foe. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) provides the crew with the main threat of the film, taking on the guise of former Starfleet Officer turned terrorist John Harrison. Peter Weller (Robocop, Batman: The Dark Knight Returns Parts 1 and 2) joins the cast as Admiral Marcus – head of Starfleet Operations, and Alice Eve (Men In Black 3) joins as Dr. Carol Marcus.

Here is where we get into some minor (but important) spoilers. Beware if you continue reading. 

When we saw the first trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, it was pretty easy to speculate about the threat for this film. There were several elements from Trek lore that were prominently featured, and fans quickly guessed that Cumberbatch would be taking on the role of the Enterprise’s arch nemesis: Khan. These rumors were quickly denied by all involved in the film, and we were told that he would instead be playing the role of “John Harrison”. As more and more information about this movie was released, it was becoming abundantly clear that there were going to be ties to Wrath of Khan (Carol Marcus, cryo-tubes, a certain hand pressed up against glass… just to name a few). So when Kirk finally comes face to face with John, we quickly learn that he is actually….wait for it….KHAN.

I think Cumberbatch was the perfect fit for this character and I loved his portrayal of Khan, but this reveal bothered me. It was just too obvious. As the story progressed, that seemed to be my line of thought for the rest of the movie. There were some surprises, but generally the film was predictable to the point where my excitement level steadily declined. This is not to say that it was a bad movie, I just was hoping that the boundaries would be pushed in the same way that they were in the last theatrical release. Abrams pushed so hard to incorporate throwbacks to Wrath of Khan that is just made the movie feel somewhat predictable. While there are plenty of moments that will wow the audience, there were a large number of overly cheesy moments as well (we had some audible groans during a few points when it was obvious as to what was coming next). If you are a fan of the original Star Trek movies, there are several role reversals that are blatantly obvious in this film, and while some of them come across as nice homages, there are others that just feel entirely too forced. They definitely made Khan a real threat to be reckoned with, but I was disappointed with how some of the larger story elements were rushed to get things to fall into place.

In addition to Khan, the Enterprise must avoid starting an all out war with the Klingon Empire. Abrams introduces viewers to a newly stylized version of the Klingons (who first appeared in a deleted scene from the 2009 release). While these warriors don’t get a ton of screen time, we are treated to some smaller versions of the “Bird of Prey” class ships. I did enjoy how they did incorporate some of the more identifiable traits of the Klingons into this film (ships, insignia, and weaponry), I was disappointed that they didn’t get much screen time. I am guessing that we will see much more of them in future installments, especially with the threat of war looming on the horizon.

Morality plays a prominent role in Star Trek Into Darkness, and is probably one of the most interesting components of the film. What lengths would you go to in order to protect the people you care about? What would you do if your best friend was in danger? Would you disregard the rules and risk everything to do what you believed is right? For Kirk and Spock, this element takes both of our lead actors in some interesting directions that previously had not been explored with the characters. The old Trek saying “the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” returns in this film, and it is interesting to see how this quote is applied to both the Kirk/Spock dynamic, as well as the actions and motivations for both Khan and Admiral Marcus.

There are some interesting uses of 3D in the film, but it is used haphazardly, and J.J. Abrams seemed to direct a lot of the movie without the 3D effects in mind. For every cool moment where something extends into the background, plays with depth and space, or is thrust at the audience, there are a dozen scenes where the 3D is ignored, or worse, where it is detrimental to enjoying the film due to the use of transitions and camera movements that can be hard on the eyes of 3D viewing audiences.

Speaking of things that are hard on the eyes, it is time that we as film-lovers sit down with J.J. Abrams and have a serious talk with him about his addiction to lens flares. His problem, widely mocked after Super 8 and his first Star Trek, has not been addressed in his newest film. The flares are back, and they are as bad as ever, most notably when Carol Marcus appears to be decapitated by a lens flare that bears a disturbing likeness to a lightsaber during an otherwise serious moment. (Just to clarify, I am not saying she dies. I am saying that there was crazy lens flare during the scene). The effects are so obnoxious and so common that at the end of the film I passed an older audience member complaining to the screening staff that the 3D in the film was creating ‘bizarre reflections of light around the screen that made it difficult to follow the action.’ Those not aware of Abrams’ infatuation may be able blame the pointless, distracting lights on problems with 3D technology, but the rest of us realize that it is merely a horrible aesthetic choice. (Dear Mr. Abrams: Your obsession with lens flares as an artistic statement is unhealthy, and is doing nothing but hurting you, your films, and the people who watch them. Please stop. Thank you for your time.)

EDITORS NOTE: Matt Rizzo, a guest reporter from our St Louis ComicsOnline team, brought up an interesting character revelation about Spock: Spock is autistic. It really works as a Vulcan character trait. Rizzo says this as a father of a son with autism, and really gets Spock’s behavior now after being immersed in the autism community. It may seem an odd perspective on the character, but his detachment from humanity is identifiable for people who understand this disorder. Perhaps Spock’s undeniable humanity may offer the autism community an excellent new role model. Rizzo points out a very poignant line given this context; in a touching scene Spock says, “Because you are my friend.”

Overall

The first Star Trek movie from Abrams left me feeling excited about the possibilities for this newly revised franchise, and Star Trek Into Darkness definitely came close to matching that feeling. There are a ton of moments in the film that I loved, but overall there was something lacking about the cohesiveness of the main story that left me bothered. I love the setup that we are left with at the end of the film, and I think that there is still a ton of potential for this current incarnation of the Star Trek franchise. The cast did a phenomenal job, and I truly can’t wait to see what is next for this crew of the Enterprise.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Star Trek Into Darkness 4 out of 5 attitudes that I am demonstrating right now.

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