You can't go wrong in seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Rating: 10/10 (9 June 2013)

J.J. Abrams's first Star Trek picture managed to take the familiar characters that die hard fans have relished for decades and bring them back to life with greatness, as well as present a new twist in the Star Trek universe. With "Star Trek Into Darkness," can Abrams and his team of writers make a sequel that is as good, perhaps even better than its predecessor? The answer is yes. This success is not necessarily just from the reappearance of all the characters from the previous film. Nor is it even from the photo-realistic visual effects and action sequences. Rather, it is revealed from its clever story and one of the best Star Trek villains ever brought back to the big screen...Kahn.
The film picks up a year after the events from the prequel. Kirk has botched a mission and is demoted from his position as captain. When a series of events follow suit, including mass destruction and a death of a close friend, Kirk is put back in the captain's chair and sent on a mission to capture Kahn, the man responsible. But like with all J.J. Abram films and TV shows, there is more to it than you would ever anticipate. What is so good about this Stark Trek, is that it is quite unpredictable. Characters die sudden and unexpectedly. The story makes twist and turns, elements that are enough to put me on the edge of my seat at times. There is never a dull moment in this film. What is also so good is the amount of references tied in from other Stark Trek films. Not trying to give much away, but there is a scene re-adapted more or less from "Wrath of Kahn." It is a beautiful and poignant scene that many past Star Trek fans will find amusing and touching.
English actor Benedict Cumberbatch takes the mantle as Kahn. For those of you who remember Ricardo Montalban in Wrath of Kahn, an old man with bad make up and a fake chest and biceps, well, Kahn is not like this anymore. His intelligence and strength are strong enough to make him more than a formidable enemy for Kirk and the Starship Enterprise's crew. His performance, loaded with blank facial expressions and lifeless eyes almost remind me of a young Anthony Hopkins playing Hannibal Lector. It would be interesting to see the two play a game of chess.
J.J. Abrams has out done himself again with his new installment of his Star Trek series. It is blockbuster success in terms of fun, entertainment, action, humor, story, and above all a great villain. You can't go wrong in seeing "Star Trek Into Darkness."