Good but not as good as the first.

Rating: 8/10 (10 February 2015)

While Star Trek: Into Darkness was still a really good sci-fi film, it unfortunately failed to either live up to or exceed the standard set by the first film in this newly rebooted franchise. The acting by the entire cast, including additions Benedict Cumberbatch and Alice Eve, was fantastic and the special effects continued to be on par with the best in the business. I also thought Abrams did a good job continuing the development of the characters from the first film, making these movies really feel like they connect well. The only negatives with the film, in my opinion, stem from them not branching away from the original series. I didn't love that in the first film but I thought the "alternate universe" concept was an interesting way to stay true to the franchise source material while still allowing the writers a certain level of artistic freedom. That is no longer the case and Abrams' insistent on staying attached at the hip to the original was a weak point for me. While it felt like an interesting concept in the first film, it felt like lazy writing in this one. I really do hope they continue to build this story with more films because I love the universe and the cast but hopefully in future endeavors they leave Leonard Nimoy off of the cast list.