A scintillating blockbuster.

Rating: 9/10 (24 May 2013)

Kicking off with a frenetic opening scene where Kirk (Chris Pine), now Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, breaks regulations to save the life of best pal Spock (Zachary Quinto - again a standout), Into Darkness sets a fast pace from the get go and seldom lets up. The two hour plus runtime flies by with action sequence after action sequence - each one somehow topping the last, all the way to the utterly mind-blowing crashing-spaceship climax - that boasts expert choreography and a sense of real danger paired with flawless CGI and sensational use of the third dimension.
The characters and story aren't given short shrift mind you. The testy friendship between polar opposites Kirk and Spock is given ample time to grow; the narrative is intelligent, unpredictable and bold in its choices; and, in this film's biggest improvement on its predecessor, the villain is granted an intriguing backstory and is subsequently explored in great depth. That the mysterious terrorist and one man army John Harrison is so compelling boils down to the phenomenal performance from Benedict Cumberbatch; his vengeful antagonist is physically powerful, dramatically commanding and simply electric, all but stealing the show in the process.
It's the merging of all these elements, along with Michael Giacchino's unsurprisingly regal score and the spot-on humour impeccably placed throughout, that ensures this a spellbinding journey from start to finish. The standard of sequel Iron Man 3 was aiming for but couldn't reach, J.J. Abrams' follow up to his 2009 smash hit is the most scintillating blockbuster of the year so far.