"Star Trek Into Darkness" Review

Rating: 9/10 (27 May 2013)

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is a more personal story than the first film. It really delves into the relationship of Kirk and Spock as well as Kirk finally becoming a leader that the enterprise needs and deserves.
J.J. Abrams again does a fantastic job at directing. His camera work and set pieces are well composed. He manages to balance great humor with a lot of emotional and dramatic depth. I, in particular, really like how every character is showcased well. They don't just take the back seat to Kirk and Spock. Action sequences are well choreographed and really gets the blood pumping. There are so many moments where I am legitimately worried about the faith of a character.
The characters are great and retain a lot of what we love about them from the first movie. Kirk, Chris Pine, in particular shows a lot of growth. He slowly turns from an arrogant captain to an actual leader. Spock's dedication to Kirk is commendable and he has some really great moments near the end of the film. Zachery Quinto is amazing as this character to a point where he matches even surpasses the original. Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan is great. His portrayal is menacing and he even has moments where we feel sorry for him.
Overall "Star Trek Into Darkness" is a really great movie with lots of great action, a compelling story, and characters that are incredibly likable. Michael Giacchino's score is fantastic and comes in at the right time to where everything just becomes better. His score has a layer of mystery and adventure in it that just absorbs the audience into the film. The one problem I had with this film is towards the end. It had me scratching my head, but it has to do something with Khan and his blood. However, that's just a minor nitpick in a fantastic movie. I give it 4.5/5, entertaining, compelling, and a lot of fun.