Darker & Still A Lot Of Fun

Rating: 8/10 (27 May 2013)

This new ST movie lacks the freshness & surprise factor of the franchise's reboot. (The last ST succeeded way beyond our expectations.)
However, it is still a blast to watch. The characters play off each other beautifully, Burt Cumberbatch makes a great villain, the script inverts (subverts?) things in surprising & satisfying ways and there is just the right amount of sly humor to go with your popcorn.
I was most surprised by how heavy & philosophical this movie got at times. Star Trek has never tried to hide its humanistic beliefs. That's what has helped make this such a viable & potent franchise over ALL of these years & virtually forced its resurrections by it fan base. (BTW: I don't call myself a Trekkie --Trekker?-- not that there is anything wrong with that.)
The negative backlash is unwarranted & it definitely has a right to exist. All I know is that I got my money's worth of way above entertainment.