Star Trek Into Darkness review

Star Trek Into Darkness

Louise boldly goes where no other reviewer has gone before…

The Low Down : The much-anticipated sequel to the first reboot of the Star Trek franchise follows the continuing adventures of Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and company as they battle a rogue Starfleet agent, played by a touted Benedict Cumberbatch.

Review: It’s very tricky to follow up such a blockbuster-smasher as the first new Star Trek, especially after the new franchise continued to gather up fans to suckle at it’s sci-fi teat long after its release. I really loved the first outing of the modern Star Trek, self-referential and in-jokey as it was, mainly due to the inspired casting and spectacular visuals. But this one? I have my reservations. There was much to recommend in Into Darkness-a bigger role for Simon Pegg’s Scotty, for one, and the excellent Zachary Quinto once again nailing it as a very modern Spock. The visuals were flawless- the first introduction of the Klingons was a particular standout. But the story was messy at best, and non-existent at worst-the plot was an excuse for a collection of increasingly over-the-top action sequences, and the criminal underuse of Benedict as a glowering villain who may or may not be a very specific character from the original series was a real sore spot for all the Sherlock aficionados.

The Best: Some astonishingly cool standoffs, the swathes of chemistry between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto and the outstanding interiors of the Enterprise. I want to live there. I’ll marry Bones if I have to. Oh, and a very gratifying nod to the original Spock.

The Worst: The surgical removal of narrative structure, the mere hints at the humour of the original and Alice Eve’s pointless and utterly bland new addition to the Enterprise crew. I would have loved to see some more Cumberbatch, too, considering how much his role was rubbed in our faces in every trailer since last year.

Verdict: A blockbusting blast, as long as you don’t think about it too hard.

Celluloid Influences: Star Trek + The Phantom Menace = Star Trek Into Darkness