Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

This review is coming from the standpoint of a person who has never even remotely been a part of the Star Trek universe. I had and still have not watched The Wrath of Khan; I did not understand any of the references in the movie to the past Star Trek universe. It is precisely in this way, however, that J. J. Abrams manages to succeed: he makes the movie appealing to both audiences unfamiliar with Star Trek and those that have been Trekkies from the start.

By any standard, Star Trek Into Darkness is a superb action movie. Certain action movies have come to bore me (read: Fast & Furious 6, but that's for another day), but J. J. Abrams keeps the movie interesting by doing what he does best--developing the characters in such a way that the audience actually cares for their wellbeing. Of course, there are some moments that engender some incredulity, but what are Hollywood action movies without characters who survive despite the impossibility of it all?

The movie begins on a gorgeous red planet populated by a primitive white species. While trying to save the planet from an impending volcanic eruption, something invariably goes wrong and violation of the Prime Directive is necessary to save Spock from being burnt to a crisp in the volcanic core. It is here that we begin to see the dynamic that has come to define Kirk and Spock's relationship. Spock, with his actions defined by irrefutable logic and the ongoing internal conflict between his Vulcan and human roots, would rather sacrifice his life than violate the Prime Directive. Kirk, with his careless, playboy, "I do what I want" attitude, has no problems disregarding the Prime Directive to save his friend. It's Kirk's general tendency to make spontaneous and completely rash decisions that unfailingly result in Kirk winning by the seat of his pants that keeps this movie moving along. Plot twists and emotionally-charged moments (read: Spock and Kirk's bromance) are abound with a scene that harkens back to The Wrath of Khan. I didn't get it at the time, but I feel like it would have been a nice touch to Trekkies everywhere.

Benedict Cumberbatch makes for an excellent villain. I'd hate to have to share a screen with Cumberbatch--any acting by most other actors just pales in comparison. While Chris Pine is no doubt an excellent actor himself, there are some scenes where he falls short of Cumberbatch, not even with the aid of his piercing blue eyes (pretty sure half the movie's color palette was chosen specifically to complement his eyes).

This movie was not only worth the $11.50 for a ticket, but also worth the extra $6 to watch in 3D. While most movies released in 3D today seem to serve no other purpose than for the sake of being in 3D (and reaping the cash), the effects were truly something special--it's hard to believe the 3D effects were put in post-production.