A highly entertaining Star Trek blockbuster with an ending that will possibly ruin the experience for certain viewers

Rating: 8/10 (13 June 2013)

The main focus of the Star Trek: The Original Series was always exploration. But it's strength laid in the crew of the Starship U.S.S. Enterprise crew and their interaction with each other, Kirk and Spock in particular. Outside of the short introduction sequence, Into Darkness has nothing to do with exploration, but the crew is as interesting and entertaining ever, staying true to the core of each character despite being remakes in an alternate reality.
The story does come with clever and interesting twists and turns. The script itself is very well written - especially the dialog, delivering several memorable quotes, polished and entertaining exposition, and individual speech types for each of the characters, which is rarer than one might think. But it's not just the dialog and story that brings us such entertaining and likable characters. The acting is solid throughout the entire film. Not one actor does a bad job here.
But there is one who stands out – Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison! He gives us, despite hamming it up here and there, a very memorable performance. John Harrison is meticulously cunning, ruthless, and is a physical force to be reckoned with – and yet, impressively, we still feel for him.
Another thing about Into Darkness which impress is the visuals. And not just with the CGI, but with beautiful cinematography and mise-en-scène as well, and the warp aesthetics, and how well they utilize the scenery.
Of course, no movie is without fault, and this one is certainly no exception. In fact, there is one aspect which will possibly ruin nearly the entire experience for some; the ending is quite stupid, which there's no denying, and it goes too far with trying to tie in with the old Star Trek that it comes off as plain lazy.
While this is overall a very well made movie, I expect the final rating from the audience will vary greatly from individual to individual because of the ending. But this particular individual loved it enough to see it a second time in the theaters. Something I've only done once before.
Full review: http://kenikkiscorner.blogspot.se/2013/06/movie-review- star-trek-into-darkness.html