Dark sci-fi adventure that delivers a non-stop thrill ride

Rating: 5/10 (30 September 2014)

Star Trek Into Darkness continues on some time after the events of the 2009 movie. The story is carried with quite dark tone of intrigue and betrayal as Kirk and his crew search for an elusive terrorist. The pace is super fast and very slick, taking me from one scene to the next with hardly room to think. These scenes are interspersed with frenetic fight and chase sequences that really put me right there at the centre of the action. There is also an array of gorgeous special effects, set visuals and soundtracks that effectively capture the mood of the scenes.
Spock and Kirk are played well enough but don't really display great chemistry between them, despite the heavy drama that develops later in the film. The rest of the crew are pretty much redundant in their roles too in terms of dialogue and aren't really developed any further than they were in the 2009 film. They do their best but I don't feel much affection or warmth towards any of the characters.
The premise of this film is quite exciting and I like the idea of how a society deals with an all-too-real threat against their way of life. The main antagonist, Khan, delivers a charismatic yet enigmatic turn as a hunted man with a shadowy past. The actor playing him injects a lot of energy into his role but isn't given the best dialogue to work with. In fact, a lot of the dialogue throughout the movie is often clunky, clumsy and forced. This is a shame as I think there is a lot of material in the narrative to bring out something more meaningful.
Overall, Star Trek Into Darkness offers an atmospheric and ambitious spectacle but at the same time a soulless drama.