JJ Strikes Back

Rating: 9/10 (14 May 2013)

The 2nd instalment of the new generation cast to cement their feet into the shoes of well established characters, settings and the famous ship, the Starship Enterprise. In the hands of JJ Abrams, the franchise is on the right course to expand and attract new fans. There will always be the die hard fans (and I'm not talking about the Bruce Willis films here guys!) who will object to their beloved characters and universe going in a different direction or in a particular style.
This is a reboot, get over it. If people are so objectionable over the way the Star Trek mythology is handled you can go back to your Star Trek: The Motion Picture and your Star Trek Insurrection's and remember how dull and awfully slow they were. Those films will never be able to convert non fans to the franchise but this one and the previous chapter will, I for one, am on board and can not wait to see how things continue you develop.
The sequel opens up with a bang as the crew (and the audience) are hurtled straight into danger. Kirk and co, are on a planet trying to save it's alien inhabitants from an erupting volcano. When things call for a drastic and immediate decision, Kirk disobeys Star Fleet code of ethics and saves the day. Unfortunately his superiors (and Spock) do not agree. Believing he will be assigned to a 5year exploration of deep space, he is instead call up to be reprimanded and loses his captaincy of the ship. Meanwhile in London, we are introduced to the mysterious John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who coerces a Star Fleet Officer with a promise to save his dying daughter for an exchange of a favour...I could go on with the plot, but it's safe to say it's up to the crew to stop Harrison's plot and there are plenty of twist and turns which will keep the viewers on their seat.
All the cast return and put on their best impersonation of these well loved (and known) characters, some getting more screen time (Scotty) while others are reduces to little dialogue and actions (Sulu, Chekov and Bones) but that isn't really a criticism. If the characters were all given the same or more things to do, the film's run time would easily exceed 3+ hours. As it is, most of them are reduced to what their designated status and skill sets are to progress the plot's natural progression.
The main leads do perform an admirable display and imbue their characters with a lot of depth and emotion. There is a genuine connection that the audience can feel between Kirk and Spock. Benedict Cumberbatch's villain is a great deal more than a maniacal menace. There is a reason for his vengeance against Star Fleet and there is a great deal of control to his performance which is never over the top and provides the viewer with sympathy to his cause.
There are nods and winks to the Star Trek lore, (with the most apparent coming near the end) and there is an utter respect to the old films and series. Things which both old and new fans can both enjoy and appreciate. What is totally different is the pacing of theses films. There isn't many scenes where some explosion or action sequence is on show, but that is punctuated with very talky, science fiction dialogue as it cuts back and forth between action and drama. It works very well.
Is this a better film than the previous effort. No. It's a continuation to the series which opens up many doors for it's characters and world to go into. It's a solid encounter for the crew of the Enterprise with a very polished finish (lens flair still intact!). It's an entertaining ride with some great touches of humour and dramatic performances, with plenty on offer for everyone.