An enthralling sci-fi epic makes its case for best picture of 2013.

Rating: 9/10 (27 August 2013)

I never got into Star Trek like I did Star Wars. Sure I have seen a few of the old TV series episodes and a couple of the movies, including Wrath of Kahn, but still that epic adventure was in a galaxy far far away for me. And then in 2009, J.J. Abrams changed all of that with the more-than-stellar reboot of the franchise which left me wanting more. Enter Star Trek: Into Darkness, a true sci-fi epic that had me wanting even more than the first time.
When you're put in charge of creating a major motion picture for a franchise that has one of the largest followings in the world, the pressure can be immense. For J.J. Abrams, it was no problem. Right from the start of the movie I could tell that I was going to be treated to an action-packed movie filled with intense moments and solid humor throughout. I was not disappointed.
Eventually we get to revisit one of the most iconic star ships of all- time, the USS Enterprise and it's wonderfully talented crew. The acting from the cast in the film was superb. Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg and John Cho among others nail their respective roles of Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Bones, Scotty and Sulu. Each character is developed well and you come to care for each one in their own way.
Now let's get to business. Without going into spoilers, the movie's story was wonderful. It provided a great sense of action, emotion, fantasy, and mystery, and paid homage to an old Star Trek classic, that will have Trekkies screaming like little girls at a Justin Bieber concert. The action throughout the movie could be summed up in one simple if overused word: EPIC. Spectacular CG effects are on full display here and add to some wonderfully penned action sequences to create intense and exciting action scenes. Entire worlds are brought to life and the movie delivers a sense of scale few franchises can match.
I won't say too much about the movie's main antagonist due to spoilers, but I will say that John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is a wonderful villain who is dark, mysterious and very dangerous. He his a villain you love to hate, and again, will have the Trekkies loving him even more by the end credits.
On a little unrelated note, another thing this movie provided for me personally was security in J.J. Abrams. As most know, Abrams as been tasked with directing the other major "Star" franchise in the upcoming Star Wars: Episode VII. I know it seems like it has nothing to do with Into Darkness but it does, a lot actually. What I'm basically doing is praising J.J. Abrams for his work, showing me that I don't need to worry about Episode 7 after this masterpiece. Into Darkness is a fantastic sci-fi epic and after all, that's what Star Wars is as well. So this section of the review was really to applaud Abrams for his work and talents. I hope you bring your magic over to Star Wars.
Now back to Star Trek. In conclusion, the Star Trek franchise has garnered my interest more than I thought it ever would thanks to its last two films. Into Darkness was in short, a spectacular movie. Full of talented acting that provides characters you care about and want to root for, exhilarating and immersing action supported by tremendous CGI, a sense of adventure and fantasy, fun humor that gives you a break from all the chaos, a very well paced and written story with a plot twist that fan boys will love, and all in all, it gives the Star Trek universe the movie it deserves. Star Trek: Into Darkness is a truly spectacular sci-fi adventure that has given me a new reason to become a Trekkie, and given me faith in another iconic franchise.
9/10