Star Trek: Into Darkness - 9/10
Thanks to the fact that this story didn't have to deal with the complexities and pitfalls of time travel, this second outing for the newly established Star Trek is a more fluid and accessible film. The narrative is more focused, and it allows the writers and the director to present the audience with a fun, heart felt and exhilarating experience. The performances, the musical score, action set pieces, pacing, and humor were all top notch. The film also does a nice job of continuing to demonstrate how these iconic characters are growing, learning and evolving into becoming the people we've shared so many adventures with. I think some people believe that these characters should have reached their full maturity at the end of the last film. The simple truth is that this new franchise is still showing the audience how these characters eventually become the crew of the USS Enterprise that we've long known. To expect them to have come full circle in one film is unrealistic.
Not surprisingly, there are a lot of naysayers. During my viewing of the film, I could not comprehend how anyone could have anything negative to say about the movie. It's an immersive experience, and I loved every minute of it. Now that I've seen it and have had a chance to read some of the negative things being said about the film, I now see who in particular is upset. I would say it isn't surprising to see some of the die hard Trekkies complaining, especially when you consider all of the references and nods to the original series and motion pictures present in Into Darkness, but I should have known better. If you're going to watch a movie and get hung up on whether or not a "personal hyperwarp transporter device" has any place in Star Trek, then I don't know what to tell you. Continue watching reruns of a long dead show if those sort of things are going to disrupt your viewing experience.
With the viewing of the Wednesday night preview IMAX presentation of Star Trek: Into Darkness, came this awesome glow in the dark Mark Englert poster:
