Into the Darkness We Go

Rating: 9/10 (10 April 2015)

J.J. Abrams takes this new brand of Star Trek to the next level. It reaches greater heights that XI could not, starting with a hard-edged villain in the shape of Benedict Cumberbatch. He's a largely physical presence, saying little and conveying power through a stare or his baritone voice. He's more than a match for Chris Pine's Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise; after a devastating attack on earth, they spend most of their time one step behind him. The alternate reality/new time-line from the previous film has now branched off like a tributary, opening up possibilities for familiar characters with different stories. Into Darkness, rather than choosing to go further afield, stays close to home, looking no further than the Academy. Cumberbatch's space-terrorist is a member of the organisation, so trust is limited for Kirk and company. Pine, Quinto and the rest are as engaging as ever, but it's Cumberbatch that hogs the spotlight. The story is even more epic than the last, and the ending boldly goes where no man has gone before. This might be a slight exaggeration, but it's a significant improvement on the first (eleventh) film.