Modern politics meets sci-fi meets action thriller

Rating: 7/10 (2 August 2016)

JJ Abrams' reboot of the Star Trek film franchise attempted to bring everyone on board, providing something for long-standing fans and newbies like me alike. He continues to do this successfully in Into Darkness.
Much like the TV series, the film has discussions on important philosophical ideas such as the Prime Directive and the concept of pacifism and non-intervention. The narrative of the film in particular hinges on terrorism and the Federation's response to it. However, unlike the small-screen series it conducts these discussions while entire cities explode and characters jump of out of spaceships in outer space.
Into Darkness moves along at a rattling pace and the fight and chase scenes through the streets of Earth have a sense of weight to them. Benedict Cumberbatch has excellent screen presence as the cold and menacing villain Khan and Zachary Quinto is fantastic as Spock. Occasionally the plot strays into questionable territory but no matter, the action is at warp drive.