Many people claim one cannot enjoy both Star Trek and Star Wars- you have to love one and hate the other. I disagree; while my first love in movies is Star Wars, I do enjoy Star Trek. I'm a casual fan- I've watched a handful of Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes, seen most of the movies, and really liked J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek reboot, where he used a wormhole to create an alternate reality to bring back the originals- Kirk, Spock, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, McCoy, and the like. Into Darkness, today's review, is the sequel to that reboot. It came out 8 months ago, but it's cheaper to wait for the blu-ray release. Thus, I just watched it yesterday.
Into Darkness, like the first reboot, contains many references to the original Star Trek series and movies. I didn't catch them all, being a casual fan, but I did note a few. The most obvious parallels are to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. I haven't seen that movie in 15+ years, so memory is dim, but I like the way Abrams brings in the new while paying homage to the old. Like Star Trek II, here the villain is Khan (a genetically-engineered superhuman), who commits an act of terrorism, then flees to Klingon space. The Enterprise goes on an unofficial mission to bring him to revenge/justice, but things take an unexpected turn. Watch the movie if you want to know more.
Into Darkness is, at its heart, the story of Captain Kirk, and his inner struggles between recklessness and responsibility, and justice and revenge. He's headstrong, impetuous, and goes by his gut/emotions. His first officer, Spock, is cold, logical, and rule-following to the bone. In this film, they both learn the value and necessity of the others' approach. Basically, to me it came down to spirit vs. letter of the law, and the importance of both. I'm oversimplifying; there's more to it than that, and frankly, I need to think on it more. The movie succeeds in that regard- it gives some food for thought on several topics, and it's skillfully written, giving a complexity that mandates further reflection. Sometimes it felt forced or rushed, so I give it a few dings for that, but a good flick overall.
Rating: A-
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