As a Non-Trekkie, Loved It!

Rating: 8/10 (23 May 2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness was the kickstart that I needed for the summer film season, especially after the underwhelming Iron Man 3. JJ Abrams second outing started off with a bang, the initial sequence was breathtaking, considering that I watched it unfold in glorious IMAX 3D (and I hate 3D, wanted to watch it in IMAX 2D, but my cinema only showed the film in IMAX 3D)!!
And the fun did not stop there, as the film continuously thrilled me with its fantastic action sequences and humour. The CGI was amazing as is expected from the geniuses at ILM. At times, I was wowed by what I was watching, the volcano scene, the bombing of Section 31 & the Vengeance crashing. The music was a major plus point for me, I was humming the theme (Enterprising Young Men) as I walked out of the cinema.
JJ Abrams does a solid job yet again, he does not disappoint. The screenplay though might irk some longtime Trekkies due to its similarity with The Wrath of Khan, in fact some might even consider it a poor rehash. I am not a big Trekkie, in fact I have only watched Abrams' 2009 reboot & a few episodes of The Next Generation, so I loved how this film was handled in terms of storyline. It had some socio-political undertones which mirrors our current state of affairs.
Moving on to the cast, for me, Benedict Cumberbatch was head & shoulders above the rest, playing his character with ease and menace. Zachary Quito was excellent as well, with Spock showing a wider range of emotion. The rest were adequately used as each had their individual story arcs fully fleshed out. Plus I also loved the new look of the Klingons on their planet, here's hoping we get them as villains for the 3rd film.
I would give this a high rating as I thoroughly enjoyed, best movie of the year thus far for me.