Thrillingly, Witty and one Hell of a Ride.

Rating: 8/10 (12 May 2013)

Being a big of fan of Star Trek, and seeing what Abrams had done in the 2009 film, I had high hopes for this. I half expected it to be not as good as the first one, as most sequels tend to be.
I was wrong.
You can watch the trailers all you like, scan through every single picture on IMDb of it, but until you watch it you cannot prepare yourself for just how good a film this is.
The film builds very well from the start, and has a very convincing and realistic (in Sci-Fi terms) storyline. Characters don't get much of an introduction, so you'll need to see the 2009 film to find out more, but this doesn't affect viewing pleasure in any way. What's more is that it thoroughly respects the world of Star Trek with plenty of things that Trekkies will pick up on. Yet, it is also a film that non-Trekkies can watch and thoroughly enjoy, just like the previous film. It doesn't diverge at any point either. But it also has some seriously good action scenes that will have you on the edge of your seat - they are some of the best I have ever seen. Some areas of the story were a tad predictable, but certainly nothing bad. It's explosive, clever and fun.
Characters developed well from the star as well. Kirk remains bold & arrogant, while Spock retains his logical and clean attitude. Some characters could have had more a part in this - Chekov didn't get as much attention as I would have hoped, ans I would have liked to see more from the Klingons as well. Scotty really adds to witty side to this. While most the characters have the 'one liners', Scotty makes the film witty, but doesn't turn it into a comedy. He comes in at all the right moments to make this film a lot of fun to watch. However the real star of the show was Cumberbatch. He is a truly fantastic villain who really drives the story and provides a fantastic enemy.
Visuals are very good as usual, and it would seem that the lens flare has been turned down just slightly. Whether you like them or not, it gives the film a real uniqueness. Like with the last film, everything in Into Darkness reflects the original, while having a modernised look. It respects the original series of Star Trek while bringing it up to date with modern technology.
The only thing that I can really say is negative about the film (if I had to be honest) is that I found some of the action scenes too fast paced to make sense of them. The 2009 film had a similar problem, but it is far outweighed by the rest of the film.
If you think you know what is going to happen from watch the trailers, forget it. This is a seriously good film that is fast paced, action packed. Abrams has achieved a fantastic balance action and story to make Into Darkness one of, if not, the best Star Trek film to date. It has something for everyone, Trekkies and non Trekkies alike. Best film of 2013? I have little doubt of that. Best Star Trek film ever? I would certainly say so. Best Sci-Fi film ever? Not quite, that place is taken by other films. But boy is it up there. Don't hesitate to see this in cinemas - you will regret it.
9/10