Gene Roddenberry would be proud . . . .wow !!!

Rating: 10/10 (21 May 2013)

Let's get this out of the way right off the bat. This is the best film I've seen in 10 years and, yes, I am a Star Trek fan. Does that necessarily make me biased ?? Well . . .no, because this is most definitely Star Trek Mark 2 for those who've never seen an episode of any of the series or one of the other 10 films prior to J.J. Abrams re-working from 4 years ago.
There is a major difference between the Cinema experience and Home Entertainment so if you're waiting for this to come out on BluRay . . .don't. Get out to see it in all its' cinematic glory.
Damien Lindelof did a lot right with his script for Into Darkness. Bringing back Khan as the villain was an inspired choice given that this character was central in one of the most beloved episodes of the original Star Trek TV series and again in, arguably, one of the best movies involving the original crew. I had reservations about Benedict Cumberbatch before seeing this but his performance as "John Harrison"/Khan is permeated with quiet yet forceful menace.
The Spock/Kirk relationship is pitched just right here too after the fraught antagonism of the first Abrams movie. Not sure about the smoochy stuff between Spock and Uhura, though.
I was led to believe that the action in this film was even more energetic and fast-paced than the last and I wasn't disappointed on that score either. And, of course, the brief inclusion of some Klingons was very welcome also.
The two hours and a bit screening time just zipped by in the cinema and, quite honestly, I could have managed another hour. Even the end credits are watchable.
So without going on at length this is, in my humble opinion, the perfect cinema night or day out. It has drama, pathos, loads of action with a credible villain delivered in beautiful tones and backgrounds with solid performances from all the cast.
What more could you want ???