Spectacular in every way, another great addition to Abrams' collection and possibly the greatest film in terms of entertainment of all time.

Rating: 9/10 (12 May 2013)

When I first watched the 2009 Star Trek reboot, I thought that - despite it's flaws - nothing could compare entertainment-wise. That was until I watched its darker, grittier sequel, Into Darkness. The flaws from the first movie are gone, and there are a number of great additions to the series, which I wholly hope will continue.
Into darkness is an action-packed, but well-paced movie for hardcore Trekkers and newcomers alike. The writing and screenplay are excellent: the storyline is thoroughly enjoyable throughout and draws from elements of some of the best Star Trek films from the past. Our heroes are back, but this time they're even better: Spock (Zachary Quinto) is Vulcan as ever, and Kirk (Chris Pine) is a humbler, more Shatner-esque captain. Actors in supporting roles all do fantastic work. No star's acting can be faulted.
Most impressive of all, the villain (whose name I have withheld to avoid spoilers), played by Benedict Cumberbatch, is both compelling and fantastically developed. Over the course of the movie, I began to empathise with the seemingly misunderstood antagonist, but - with a sudden, well-placed plot twist, I started to hate him, more than any other movie villain before. I took pleasure in seeing the crew of the Enterprise finally deal some blows, and genuinely felt part of the movie. Into darkness made me cry, cheer and rage in the best of ways, like I never had before.
As with any other Abrams movie, the special effects are incredibly impressive. The director has a way of making the large feel large and the epic feel epic, which really adds to a movie like Into Darkness. The direction was, in a word, spectacular. When I watched the film, it was in 3D IMAX, and I can honestly say that this was one of the few movies 3D added something to. It had me on the edge of my seat throughout, and during several different parts of the film, the entire audience jumped. I had never seen that before other than in a horror movie. I really was impressed and will be seeing it again as well as buying it on Blu-ray and adding it to my collection of favourites.
The only criticism I cold possibly make is that the soundtrack - though one of my favourites - is a little overused. It does not detract from the experience at all, so I didn't feel that such a minor fault was worth me deducting a point out of 10.
If you love the Enterprise or don't, Into Darkness is a fantastically entertaining experience throughout its two and a half hour runtime. It's definitely my favourite film of all time, and I believe it's going to make it into the IMDb top 10 movies ever made.