Soars with a stellar cast and script

Rating: 10/10 (20 May 2013)

Star Trek (2009) was a fantastic accomplishment for many reasons. Chief among these was its honoring of the Trek that was, while re-booting the franchise to liberate it from the weighty canon that preceded it. It also returned it to its roots, with the original crew of the USS Enterprise that started it all. With the freedom to now do what they pleased with the franchise, J.J. Abrams and his team have created a bold, thrilling installment with the sequel, Star Trek into Darkness.
The film picks up largely where the first film left off- Kirk (Chris Pine) is now in command of the Enterprise, and is still hot-headed, reckless, and impulsive. He is grounded by his counterpoint, Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), who clearly respects his captain but does not agree with his disdain for the rules. Abrams does the sequel justice by not forgetting that this dynamic between these two characters is the crux of this film franchise, and they haven't lost a step. The chemistry these two actors bring to these roles is perfect and seamless- the two characters can and do disagree, but they could practically finish one another's sentences.
It is because of the genius of this cast that the first film worked so well, and that carries perfectly into the sequel. Bones (Karl Urban) still has an amazing dynamic with Jim, and Urban is fantastic once again. Sulu (John Cho) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) continue to shine in their relatively smaller roles, and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) really turns her supporting role into something stronger. Though her lover's quarrel with Spock in the middle of a mission on the Klingon home planet is drastically out of place in the film- one of its few weaknesses- she and Quinto continue to have great chemistry and their dynamic is yet another successful one.
The film's only real weakness, like its predecessor, is Simon Pegg as Scotty. He is great in the role as he was in the first film, but he is played as largely comic relief again. The character lends himself to comedy and when the scenes aren't forced, they are great, but sadly too many scenes are written just for him to be funny and they interrupt the flow of the film. It is not as jarring as it was in the first film this time around, and isn't as much of a distraction, but it is still a waste at best and irritating at worse. And why was that little creature companion of his back? It's as if the film needed to force Scotty to have some kind of audience at all times so he could be absurdly cartoonish through the runtime. Please, for the sequel's sake, tone down the utter ridiculousness of Scotty in part III.
Outside of the few gripes above, however, the film is beautiful and brilliant. The script- all at once about love, honor, friendship, sacrifice, and heroism- is absolutely phenomenal. Through it the characters grow- particularly Pine's Kirk, who learns about humility and what it takes to be a hero. Quinto's Spock still struggles with the human and Vulcan parts of his heritage, but learns to better communicate his feelings. He and Kirk grow to understand one another better- Kirk learns what it means to respect orders and follow them, and Spock understands what it means to be emotional and impulsive.
The story is equally phenomenal here- an attack on Starfleet sends Kirk and his crew on a manhunt to the Klingon home planet, searching for John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). Once the audience really gets a chance to see Harrison in action, however, it is clear that this is only a ruse, which is explained shortly thereafter in a frankly stellar nod to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan- as long rumored, Cumberbatch reveals himself as Khan, one of the greatest villains in Trek history, and does him incredible justice. Cumberbatch frankly steals every scene he is in, but the film doesn't play as a remake of WoK at all- with the changes to the timeline, this alternate universe sees an entirely different story for Khan. Once again Abrams and the screen writing team- this time joined by 'LOST' alum and Prometheus screenwriter Damon Lindelof- have paid homage to Trek of old in a brilliant way, but forged something entirely their own. Cumberbatch's Khan is a completely different animal than was Ricardo Montalbon's, but he is every bit as cunning and dangerous.
Once the reveal comes that Harrison is actually Khan, the film kicks into high gear and never looks back. Its final homage to WoK sees a Kirk desperate to protect his loved ones at any cost and at his most selfless- Pine has an amazing journey with this character in the first film and that journey continues strongly here. Contrary to criticisms from hardcore Trek fans, Abrams knows that Star Trek is, at is core, a journey to the center of the self- to the heart of humanity, and this film again succeeds not only in sending the Enterprise to different worlds and meeting alien races, but at driving to the depths of mankind to find the good within us all. His Trek, however, doesn't alienate- it invites. It doesn't lose itself within its techno-jargon and self-indulgence, it makes it accessible for all. Abrams continues to cement himself as one of the best directors working in Hollywood- can't wait to see what he'll bring to Star Wars. The only question that remains is, where will the sequel take Kirk and his crew?