Into Darkness is polished pop cinema that's also one of this summer's best releases.

Rating: 8/10 (20 July 2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness is an exciting science fiction action film, with more emphasis on action than on science fiction. It's a sequel that's on par with Star Trek (2009). Trekkers may again be disappointed with director J. J. Abrams' work because he replaced much of the intelligence of the old Star Trek with humor, spectacle and, dare I say it, violence. But what else can one expect from summer blockbusters these days? It's a sign of the times, and if you want to know why it is so I recommend reading books by American historian Carroll Quigley. The well-chosen cast remain intact and provide more of that humor and interplay that people liked so much in the previous film. They do a good job. With the direction of Abrams they all deliver good performances. Chris Pine was likable before but he only got better here. I think that Zachary Quinto doesn't play Spock as well as Pine plays James T. Kirk. Quinto is fine in the role, but if you compare his performance to that of Leonard Nimoy it's clear that he's lacking. Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov was one of the standouts in the previous film. It was always interesting to see him on screen. Here he's as good as ever but he was given less screen time than before. And it's not just Chekov. It seems that all the secondary characters have less dialogue this time around. More time is spent on the action. Compared to the old Star Trek films this is a difference. But the character relationships are still there. Much of the humor is provided by Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy and Simon Pegg as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. The 2009 film lacked the presence of a strong villain. This time writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof make up for that with an antagonist who's a real challenge for the entire Enterprise crew. Benedict Cumberbatch deserves the praise that he has received. He's determined. He's cunning. He's ruthless. He's sympathetic when he needs to be. The alternate time line that was established allows for some neat changes to the events in the old Star Trek films. The biggest draw, however, is the eye-popping action and the exciting, slick set pieces. These are aided by Dan Mindel's appealing cinematography and Michael Giacchino's bombastic, rousing score. In conclusion, Into Darkness is a bright futuristic adventure. Considering it's high entertainment value it's no surprise that it has become a commercial success. I recommend it.