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Plot Summary: After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction.

Director: J. J. Abrams

Writers: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

Runtime: 133 min

Main Cast:

• Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk
• Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock
• Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant as Nyota Uhura
• Simon Pegg as Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
• Karl Urban as Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
• John Cho as Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu
• Benedict Cumberbatch as Commander John Harrison

Review: by The Superior Spider-Sam

The next installment in the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek franchise, there's no way I was going to miss out on this.

What I Liked:

Benedict Cumberbatch delivered in his albeit brief time in the film.  His Captain John Harrison was one of the few characters with whom I could relate.  Not to spoil too much, but once they reveal who he is and why he’s doing these things, you start to realize he’s not the typical “bad guy.”  Cumberbatch’s emotional transitions played a large part in this.  He is kind of a big deal.

Spock and Kirk’s relationship is great.  Kirk is the cool guy who breaks all the rules, and Spock is the logical, nerdy stickler for the rules.  It is a timeless relationship that works as well now as it did in the 60s.  Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, Spock and Kirk respectively, have developed great onscreen chemistry, and their banter could almost lead me to believe that the two of them spend time together off the set.

The special effects were great; although, that shouldn’t be a surprise. I’m not the biggest J.J. Abrams fan, but he is always on point with the special effects.  I suggest seeing the film in IMAX, as the scope of the film plays a part.

The movie even threw in a couple of bonuses for Trekkies, such as Bones’ famous quote “Damnit, I’m a doctor!”

What I Didn’t Like:

As previously stated, Cumberbatch portrayed one of the few characters with whom I really related, which was more an effort of mine than the movie’s.  The movie was lacking in character development due largely to a pacing issue.  There’s a lot of bouncing from scene to scene, and you don’t spend a lot of time with the characters.

There were many interesting scenes that I believe could have been more developed but seemed to be cut short in interest of limiting the length of the movie.  Overall, I was not a fan of the story that the movie told.  It seemed to only have two big scenes.

Second Opinion: by Anthony

Let us start this off by saying that I am not a Trekkie.  I came to this movie with no pre-conceived notions or attachments other than those established in Star Trek (2009).

What I Liked:

It felt like a honest to goodness sequel movie where the story picked up from the first, giving more character development, rather than just having a stand-alone story.

The acting was fantastic. Chris pine was amazing, as was Benedict Cumberbatch (as always), but Zachary Quinto stole the show as Commander Spock whose struggle as a half-Vulcan to show and express his emotions for his loved ones almost brought me, and definitely brought Lee, to tears several times throughout the movie.

Just like the last movie, it seemed to be great for both Trekkies and new fans alike.  There are plenty of cameos and one-liners about which Trekkies can reminisce while new fans get introduced for the first time.

Also, the ending really leaves the series in a great position to go anywhere in the Star Trek Universe.

What I Didn’t Like:

It felt like Alice Eve’s character was only in the movie so there could be a hot blonde on the screen to sex things up a bit.

There are a few plot holes that hit me on the drive home from the theater and nagged at me, such as the lack of assistance from additional Star Fleet units during the last big battle (considering its close proximity to Earth).

You can purchase Star Trek Into Darkness on Blu Ray from Amazon here:

Images Courtesy of IMDB