Beams me up!

Rating: 10/10 (16 May 2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness combines good-to-excellent CGI, a fast-paced plot with original series undertakings/conflicts that will excite, I believe, the novice Trekkies along with enduring fans. It holds you in a constant crisis mode - nearly 75% of the time is racing against the clock - and that allows only little moments for characters to interact more deeply. You get these moments - but its in up close, quick conversations where neither party (or parties) get to dwell too long on, or able to revise their thoughts, which is actually the best for it.
In fact, one scene is too much exposition - really the only one - but it served as a way to feel as others have when all they treasure is being destroyed or taken from them: it is the primary source of conflict in this movie.
The course of this movie is set in rapid fire, almost WWII battle scene action, where things will get missed on first pass. I've seen STID twice now, and I got more from it the 2nd run. Not a bad thing - it is imminently watchable for the action junkie; and,a necessity for the Trekkie to compare and contrast details missed. The twists are much like a war - retreat/devise plan/counterattack/on-the-fly decisions - so if you like that, great, if you like a psychological and silent exploration, or brooding, foreboding, unknown conflict, well this movie will disappoint on that level.
It shouldn't though. Kirk and Spock cement their visible bond. Sulu envisions his future. McCoy accepts begrudgingly with metaphor always handy. Scotty is Scotty - wisecracking his way through and to warp 9. And a future trek is possible -even as sacrifices/choices were made - as a "Star Trek Beyond Space and Time" movie could happen...(My suggestion for a future title.) In comparison to other action - superhero adventures (Marvel), Trek has equaled their level, and surpassed in my opinion. Only the Dark Knight trilogy is far superior - and that should tell you something. Kudos to JJ Abrams for taking on the venerable and while not sticking directly to it, he does his homages to the source material. Not without flaws or corniness, but it's a 2-hr movie, not an exam.