If You Liked J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, Then You'll Like This One!

Rating: Null/10 (25 August 2015)

Treading on the same path as the previous chapter, the second instalment in the rebooted Star Trek franchise retains the freshness, vibrancy & momentum of the original, adds a few upgrades of its own to give it a more polished look but just like its predecessor, it stays on the same level from start to finish, thus bringing neither excitement nor escalation to the plot.
Set one year after the events of the first film, Star Trek Into Darkness finds the crew of USS Enterprise going against a new enemy that has risen from within their own organisation and who makes his intentions clear when he detonates an entire fleet & leaves the world in complete chaos, following which Captain Kirk leads his team on a manhunt to apprehend the man responsible.
Directed by J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness finds its director in prime form for he has crafted this picture with same rigour & passion with which he made the previous one work. The script further expands the rebooted universe, adds newer elements & also resurrects a notorious antagonist this time, and yet the whole experience is pretty much the same as last time.
The set pieces are wonderfully detailed & grander in appearance. Cinematography presents a slightly darker tinge while maintaining the same kinetic camera-work that worked in favour of the last feature. Its 133 minutes of runtime isn't felt but the story never shifts gears at any given point.Also, the use of CGI is overwhelming at times. And Michael Giacchino chips in with yet another amazing score.
Coming to the performances, the returning cast of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana & Simon Pegg do exhibit a better grip on their respective characters but this time, it's Benedict Cumberbatch who ends up stealing the show for his screen presence is infectious while his performance is quite impressive and yet, the notorious character he's revealed to be never seems convincing enough & feels a bit forced.
On an overall scale, Star Trek Into Darkness does everything a sequel is supposed to do, is an enjoyable, entertaining & adequately satisfying ride for the most part, is further boosted by Cumberbatch's stellar performance, plus packs in a fine dose of spectacle in its riveting tale and yet, the whole experience of sitting through it is virtually the same as the previous chapter. So if you liked Abrams' Star Trek, then his Star Trek Into Darkness is definitely for you.