Review as follows.
It's been four long years since our first journey with the new crew of the Enterprise, and man has it been worth the wait. JJ Abrams follows up his first outing with the new crew with a second adventure that is more than equal to its predecessor.
The title Into Darkness is possibly a little misleading because the tone of the film isn't all that different from film one, if anything the opening sequence points to the exact opposite, but where characters go on a personal level fits perfectly with it. This is a film about actions and the consequences that come from them. Kirk's actions in the opening sequence and events in between films have landed him in hot water. His blatant disregard for authority and arrogance toward the prime directive sees him reprimanded by Star Fleet resulting in demotion. His back seat doesn't last long however, when John Harrison strikes against both London and Star Fleet Kirk virtually demands he be the one to hunt him down.
What follows is best left unspoiled, but the journey the characters go on is quite riveting. Kirk's original intent is to kill Harrison, but it's during the journey and eventual capture of him Kirk's attitude begins to change from one of dismissal of Star Fleet's principles to one that understands their importance. Kirk's journey is about him actually knowing what it means to be a captain. It's not just about the fact you get to sit in the chair, it's about the choices you make whilst in the chair and what that chair stands for. Pine is good but I still can't help but feel he doesn't quit fit into this role all that well, he still give a great performance however.
Spock's arc is especially interesting, throughout the course of the film we get under the surface of a Vulcan character like we've never one before. For starters he's got relationship issues with Uruha. Emotions have always been a part of Vulcan history, but for the first real time on film it's explored in a way that really delves into the why's. The arc comes into full effect later on when he realized the value of Kirk's friendship. Zach Quinto seems to be the one actor in this series that has genuinely made the rebooted character his own.
Rest of the cast is good but doesn't have a lot else to do. Karl Uban as Bones doesn't have a lot of screen time but has some typically good one-liners to quip. Simon Pegg as Scotty is hilarious as always. Mr Sulu gets a run in the captains chair, whilst Mr Chekov is virtually a background character. Alice Eve is well, there, for no other reason other than she's hot I guess, she didn't have much to do, but was pretty to look at and had a totally pointless underwear shot, so I'm not complaining lol.
Best thing about the cast is without a doubt Benedict Chamberbatch. He is without doubt one of the coldest and frankly most terrifying bad guys in recent years for a mainstream film. His face is a constant mix of hate, contempt, arrogance, and is virtually made of stone throughout the entire movie. It's almost unnerving the way he speaks, he has this gravely monotone voice that would suit a serial killer. This guy would totally destroy you, your entire family and your pet cat up without a second thought, and yet you can't look away. He alone makes this film better than it's predecessor which lacked a good villain.
The films climax is without a doubt the highlight, the emotions run extremely high and for the last half an hour I was on the edge of my seat. There's so much more at stake this time around than the last film when the Enterprise is critically hit but unfortunately it loses its steam for reasons that will become obvious to many.
On the technical side, people will be happy to know the lens flair issues have been reduced substantially, and the effects are outstanding. The scene's in London really give off a Children of Men vibe in their subtlety, it's the future but it's not screaming out 'hey look at me'. We also get our first look at the Klingons in this series, and whilst we only get a brief glimpse it's really only a subtle redesign which shouldn't enrage too many people, the Bird of Prey though does get a decent overhaul though does retain the spirit of the original design.
Downsides, they are few but there were some cheesy moments early on, a couple of eye rolls here and there, and a few logic issues which had me scratching my head, and honestly I didn't really care all that much for the opening sequence. It's that stuff you kinda just accept with these type of movies and whether they call attention to themselves depends entirely on the film. It's a very well paced movie, there's never a moment that really drags out longer than it should. I do have an issue with the ending but I'll get to that when the film starts opening up to more places.
Overall I struggle to see how anyone who didn't enjoy the first film won't walk away from this one equally satisfied if not more so. It's fun but it's also got something to say, and importantly it has heart. Where things boldly go from here is anyone's guess, but here's hoping JJ Abrams is involved in some capacity.
8.5/10
