Star Trek Into Darkness

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana
Director: J.J. Abrams

There are no words. Well, there are some words, but it's all about how Star Trek Into Darkness is definitely worth the wait. It's been four years since the first one came out, and this one definitely didn't disappoint. I'm not familiar with the whole Star Trek saga but this is one movie that even non-fans will enjoy. I can't find the exact words, nor write cohesive paragraphs about me liking this movie, so hit the jump for the reasons why I liked Star Trek Into Darkness (so much that I'm thinking of going back to the theater and watching it again).


1. It was clearly made to entertain.
I can't speak for Star Trek fans (as I am only familiar with the two movies of the installment) but for an audience similar to me, this was a fun watch. It had tons of actions and comedy, coupled with a bit of drama and romance, all mixed up in a sci-fi movie. The plot is easy to follow and understand. I think it may be partly because of the script, that it was toned down for better understanding. However, this particular aspect may be one of the movie's flaws. But more on that later.

2. The trailer doesn't give away much.
Again, this is just me, but I didn't read much articles in anticipation of the movie. I've only watch the trailers a couple of times and there were parts of the movie that they didn't give away. It mainly focused between Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto trying to defeat Benedict Cumberbatch. That much, I know. I entered the cinema not know what to expect, but I left in awe and satisfied with what I watched.

3. The cast.
Zachary Quinto! Benedict Cumberbatch! Simon Pegg! Anton Yelchin! John Cho! Keith Urban! Despite the others not getting as much screen time, it was nice to see some familiar faces aboard the Enterprise. The movie focused more on Kirk's ability to lead his crew and make the right decisions, aside from his personal agenda against John Harrison. Hoping the supporting cast does more in the third installment, as they do play an important part in the saga.

4. The friendship between Captain Kirk and Spock
This is sort of a spoiler-y reason, but this is mainly fueled by the exploration of Spock's human side. Overly dramatic scene aside, I like how Kirk and Spock work together, even if they are in two different sides of a spectrum. Kirk is a doer; he doesn't think much about his actions, neither does he reflect on them. He can be easily persuaded, and despite his acts of patriotism, often get others into trouble. Spock is the thinker, who always tends to stick by the book, but can somewhat surprise you in the end.

5. Material is not heavy
Although part of a trilogy, this seems like a stand alone film. It's not material-driven, as the entire plot falls around a basic premise. It's not connected to the first, but I think it might get connected with the third; I can see it going a lot of ways. *SPOILER-RELATED OPINION* I think the third movie might have something to do with the Klingons, mainly because there has to be some valid reason as to why John Harrison would go there, and it couldn't just be simply abandoned after capturing him. *END SPOILER-RELATED OPINION* As I've mentioned, it was easy to understand. This is another reason why the movie was made to entertain and garner a wider audience.

6. Benedict Cumberbatch
I know I mentioned him in the cast, but he does make a great addition to the group. This is his first performance I've seen of him outside of Sherlock, and he does fit the role. He has a capability of acting like a villain  although some of his scenes may be too exaggerated, to use a word. Plus, I understand him here! Maybe it's just me, but it does take me some time to completely understand what he's saying in Sherlock, until I get used to him talking.

7. Shooting of the movie
I liked how some of the scenes were shot, mostly focusing on the characters' facial expressions. The sequences looked great and very sci-fi. Watching some of the action sequences reminded me of a couple sci-fi movies. I also liked the use of color, as everything seemed to pop out. It might have been because of how it was shot.

The only 'irk' I had was the the role of Carol, played by Alice Eve. She does play one of the love interests of Captain Kirk, which is probably a way of introducing her for the later installment. She didn't really contribute to much, and was even a liability somewhere along the movie. Granted the movie has some plot holes, but with everything going on screen, I didn't even think twice about it. It really is entertaining and it's a fun watch. Definitely a release that shouldn't be missed.

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