Benedict CumberBOSS

Rating: 7/10 (15 June 2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness is a superior sequel in every way compared to its 2009 predecessor. J. J. Abrams' second effort in the franchise travels galaxies further in action, characters and overall storytelling which makes the sequel overall, indisputably an enjoyable experience.
Cats would be all over my tongue if I attempted to approach Star Trek Into Darkness from the perspective of a Trek fan due to my unfamiliarity with the Star Trek universe that fans hold dear. Rather, this 2013 instalment is a much more approachable story than Star Trek (2009), and this mass appeal may discourage some loyal fans to the series, though I am unable to confirm such a claim. What I can say is that the film simply entertains and certainly makes Paramount's profuse marketing worth the effort. Even more so than the lavish yet appropriate CG effects, the character interactions emerge victorious in the quest for cinematic supremacy. The experience is only heightened by the trekmendous cast, particularly Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and
Benedict Cumberbatch (Yes, he is that good he deserves his own paragraph). The Sherlock actor absolutely dominates each and every second of screen time through voice, actions, persona and the intentions of his character John Harrison. He is so spectacularly, ostentatiously gracious is where he takes the character, and that destination will almost undoubtedly flourish over time, into one of the most memorable motion picture villains of the early 21st century. Each time his scenes conclude or the camera cuts away from him, inside you feel a little disappointed "ohhh, ahhh" hoping for his return soon due to Cumberbatch's franchise-defining performance. If you fail to take much away from Star Trek Into Darkness, I can almost assure you that the iconic, villainous portrayal by Cumberbatch will be imprinted into your mind for a long time to come.
While Cumberbatch's performance remains isolated from the film's other elements in its magnificence, the interdependent relationship between James. T Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) prospers so greatly as their relationship develops, and feels more genuine than their previous collaboration four years ago. They share such a magical dialogue between one another, filled with wit, rhythm and even emotional chemistry, which is most explicitly examined during the unexpectedly heartfelt climax of the film. The writers (Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof) warrant an enormous amount of credit for displaying how films that are primarily action based, can in fact posses scenes of characters verbally interacting with one another and still remain as strong blockbuster fun.
Of course, Star Trek Into Darkness wouldn't achieve its blockbuster status by having its array of adored characters talking for two hours. No, the film requires an enormous amount of visual effects in order to achieve its title, and fortunately, the action is actually quite remarkably enjoyable. Dazzling images of majestic terror, colourful settings and of course explosions captivate your gaze for 132 minutes as they make you feel you are drifting through space for the first time, surrounded by unknown sights to behold. All the while, Star Trek Into Darkness manages to stay on course and not allow itself to divert into overlong and frustrating routes of action.
The film is certainly not without its conveniences to presumably satisfy its audience; though ironically by doing this it dissatisfies the viewer as the level of predictability increases throughout and the story's resolution irritatingly pounces on an opportunity to conclude itself 'happily' and keep the narrative self-contained. This is primarily frustrating due to the manner in which the film could have ended: as an emotionally investing, sacrificial and unpredictable satisfying film. Instead, the plot's direction puts the clutch into reverse and ends up going back on itself due to its level of predictability as equilibrium is restored.
If you are able to forgive the film's weaker elements and preserve judgement for the highly enjoyable experience that surrounds the characters and action, then Star Trek Into Darkness is likely to fulfil everything that it has promised. Even if in six months the four words Star, Trek, Into and Darkness fail to mean anything to you, be warned that the wrath of Cumberbatch's prevailing performance will likely remain prevalent amongst the mind's of us cinema-goers when considering who the greatest cinematic villains of recent history are.