JJ Abrams Returns With An Epic Character Driven Dive "Into Darkness"

Rating: 9/10 (17 May 2013)

The Short: Featuring a strong and incredibly dynamic cast that is both well acted and written, a grandeur of delicious special effects and an incredible sense of pacing to match the first, JJ Abrams returns with "Into Darkness" only to (nearly) out-do himself. 9.25/10
Ah, the summer movie season. The time when we are blown away by grand demonstrations of digital artists, loud and booming explosions, and silly excuses for characters and story thrown into the mix. It's a summer movie cliché; one that is fun, yet unfulfilling. You could be easily skeptical of the sequel to one of 2009's best films, Star Trek, but have no fear...JJ Abrams is back in action.
Into Darkness has come early in the summer movie season, but I'm sure it is going to be a favorite pick for most movie goers and also Trek fans. For me, it's definitely going to be one of the 2013 summer blockbusters to judge all others, simply because it does nearly everything right.
Returning with a phenomenal cast, Into Darkness goes for a more character driven piece this time, which succeeds in almost every way. The whole cast, from Kirk to Spock (Pine and Quinto), Scotty to Chekov (Pegg and Yelchin), I could go on and on...the whole cast rocks. Dashes of great humor and stupendous writing are the strong points here, with each and every character having their shining "moment." Cumberbatch, our villain this time around, is also fantastic, featuring an intense and believable performance that doesn't feel cliché or silly. Above all else one of my favorites, Scotty, gets plenty of screen time and steals the show in nearly every scene. It's only some of the newer faces on the Enterprise are simply "there", but it's cool to see so many different characters get a chance in the limelight. The character driven story could've fallen apart, but gladly the characters are written even better this time around and are heroes you'll want to root for.
The story of Into Darkness is nothing "new", but it's far from boring and dull. Featuring some interesting twists and incredible action set pieces, the story told is one that could've easily been rudimentary but is instead smart and exciting. While the plot of the original is a little "thrown in there", the plot here is more essential to the experience, it's just a little less original. There are a couple of plot holes, mainly when getting closer to the ending, but it doesn't distract...it simply (and sadly) mars an incredible experience.
The visual effects wizards that Abrams commands are also back, with some incredibly delicious results. Ships look gorgeous, phasers and guns look vibrant and cool, and the action sequences are FANTASTIC. Abrams trademark style shines here too, with some sequences that are pretty simple but are shot in such fantastically cool ways that it's impossible not to be glued to your seat. There are also some simply gorgeous shots, from great use of rack focusing and quick zooms to create a sense of realism in even the most CGI enhanced scenes.
The soundtrack (composed by the wonderful Michael Giacchino) is perfect. The theme is incredible, Khan's theme is excellent, and the booming percussion will get your blood pumping. The sound effects are loud and in your face, but you also never lose the intimacy of an important dialogue moment. It's edited to perfection (in theaters).
It's only a couple of plot holes and the lack of "freshness" that made the original so incredible that keeps Into Darkness just shy of greatness. It's the characters and thrilling story that keeps you glued to your chair, which arguably is more important and thus makes Into Darkness the superior entry in the series.
As for now, Into Darkness is a truly spectacular 2nd act for the Enterprise and crew, one that takes their relationships to the breaking point and truly tests both the cast and Abrams once again to return and try top themselves once again. Into Darkness doesn't boldly go where no film has gone before, but it is surely one of the most solid sequels that Hollywood has dished out in recent memory.
But I'll stand by this: What a fantastic way to begin the summer movie season.
9.25/10