Star Trek: Into Darkness - Film

In the second film from the reboot of this classic Sci-fi franchise, we pick up as we left off with Captain James T Kirk getting into all kinds of trouble, and almost getting members of his crew killed.. again. The first scene delves straight into the action with a mission going slightly awry for the crew of the Enterprise. Then the story really begins. A disgruntled Starfleet officer by the name of John Harrison attacks Starfleet and then flees into Klingon territory, knowing full-well that it could cause a war if someone from earth were to follow him there.

It keeps getting better. There are a couple of lovely twists, especially for those of you who have seen the previous films and series. Some may not like this take, but I guarantee that if you liked the first reboot, you'll love this. It carries on in the same vein of the first film; it's full of action, great effects, interesting landscapes, a well-thought-through plot and a few laughs too. The way that the crew have been swapped about a bit and put out of their comfort zones is really clever. Sulu's turn at being captain is a priceless moment. The fact that the entire cast seem to have come back is also brilliant. It wouldn't be the same without Anton Yelkin's Russian accent or Karl Urban's cynical eyebrows.

Speaking of actors, there are so many that stood out. Some in good ways, some not so good. Chris Pine, in one particular scene, brings tears to the eyes, while Benedict Cumberbatch's superhuman villain is pure genius. The character suits him down to the ground. He's clever, sneaky, and he fights, too! His evil acting was perfect. Sometimes people can overdo the evil. Take the Wicked Witch of the West in Oz: The Great and Powerful, for example, whose laugh was so forced you wondered how she wasn't coughing after every cackle. Zachary Quinto has always been a favourite too. It's amazing how likeable Spock is, given that he hardly shows any emotion. Still, Benedict Cumberbatch wins the acting trophy hands-down.

There are some amazing effect moments; red vegetation and weird white crusty-looking indigenous species are there from the first scene. I also loved the warp dust that you get at the beginning as the title comes up. But really it's the climax where the best parts are. A free-falling spaceship anyone? Or perhaps you'd prefer a fight that ends up about 50 feet in the air with futuristic buildings all around? Maybe the aliens are more your thing. If so, look out for a lot of strange-looking people. My favourite is the one that looks rather a lot like Data, with a computer in the back of his head, bright blue eyes and a robotic voice.

So that is probably enough gushing. This film is well worth a watch, even if you've never watched the like of this before. You'll quickly get into the action and laugh with the rest of us at a few comments. It is, however, recommended that you watch the first film before this one. Should I give it a 10 out of 10? I think I will. It's the best film I've seen for a few months.

Image from renegadecinema.com