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Star Trek Into Darkness

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass ... Read all After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

J.J. Abrams
Roberto Orci
Alex Kurtzman
Damon Lindelof
Zachary Quinto
Zoe Saldana
1.3K User reviews
587 Critic reviews
72 Metascore
7 wins & 58 nominations total

(as Zoë Saldana)

Spock Prime

Carol Marcus

Thomas Harewood

Rima Harewood

Ensign Brackett

Lieutenant Chapin

Ensign Froman
(as Jonathan H. Dixon)

Navigation Officer Darwin
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Trivia Leonard Nimoy 's final film role (and by extension, his final time portraying Spock) before his death on February 27, 2015 at the age of 83. It's also the first in the Star Trek franchise (either movie or TV series) after the death of Majel Barrett .
Goofs (at around 1h 24 mins) While planning the space jump, Sulu's display incorrectly labels the Enterprise as NCC/0514, which is the registry for the USS Kelvin from Star Trek (2009) . It should read NCC/1701.

James T. Kirk : The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

Spock : An Arabic proverb attributed to a prince who was betrayed and decapitated by his own subjects.

James T. Kirk : Well, still, it's a hell of a quote.

Crazy credits There are no opening credits in the film except for the title card, making this the third consecutive Star Trek film that does not list its cast at the beginning.
Connections Featured in The One Show: Episode #7.133 (2012)
Soundtracks Theme from 'Star Trek' TV Series Written by Alexander Courage & Gene Roddenberry

User reviews 1.3K

Mar 12, 2022

Reboots & Remakes

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May 16, 2013 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Star Trek 2
The Getty Center - 1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Star Fleet Headquarters)
Paramount Pictures
Skydance Media
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$190,000,000 (estimated)
$228,778,661
$70,165,559
May 19, 2013
$467,365,246

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 12 minutes
Dolby Digital
Dolby Atmos
IMAX 6-Track
Dolby Surround 7.1

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Film Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’

J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to 'stun' with a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor

By Scott Foundas

Scott Foundas

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J.J. Abrams sets his filmmaking to “stun” for “ Star Trek Into Darkness,” a sequel in every respect equal or even superior to its splendid 2009 predecessor, which lovingly and cleverly rebooted Gene Roddenberry ’s long-running space opera following the black hole of 2002’s “Star Trek Nemesis.” Markedly grander in scale, although never at the expense of its richly human (and half-human) characters, “Into Darkness” may not boldly go where no “Trek” adventure has gone before, but getting there is such a well-crafted, immensely pleasurable ride that it would be positively Vulcan to nitpick. Global box office cume should easily warp past the prior pic’s $385 million for this sturdy Paramount tentpole, which opens overseas May 9 before beaming down Stateside one week later.

Abrams, whose last pic was the lyrical “E.T.”/“Close Encounters” homage “Super 8,” here tips his hat to the “Indiana Jones” series, opening with a thrilling setpiece that finds Kirk ( Chris Pine ) and Bones (the sly, loose-limbed Karl Urban ) on the run from a tribe of very angry natives on the planet Nibiru. The natives, decked out in head-to-toe clay body paint, shimmer like human ceramics as they chase the Starfleet officers through a crimson forest, the lush colors of returning d.p. Dan Mindel all but searing the screen. Meanwhile, Spock ( Zachary Quinto ) toils away nearby, attempting to insert a high-tech ice cube into the raging volcano that threatens to destroy Nibiru and its inhabitants — a dangerous mission that quickly goes awry, building to a classic “Trek” standoff between stubborn Vulcan logic and impulsive human emotion.

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The Enterprise crew has scarcely recovered from that one when, back on Earth, a terror bombing lays waste to a top-secret Starfleet intelligence facility and brings to the fore a new galactic baddie: a rogue Starfleet officer named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) who claims credit for the attack and, after an equally brazen follow-up, hightails it deep into Klingon-controlled space. The hawkish Adm. Marcus ( Peter Weller ) dispatches the Enterprise in hot pursuit, with this familiar-sounding objective: Shoot first, ask questions later, and avoid starting a war with the locals. Welcome to “Star Trek Into Zero Dark Thirty.”

Only, this John Harrison is a slippery sort who, when given the chance, claims not to be the villain at all, but rather a pawn in someone else’s deadlier scheme. And for much of its running time, “ Star Trek Into Darkness ” makes a good guessing game out of whether this mysterious stranger with the glacial glare and bones seemingly made of steel is friend, foe or — like the “old Spock” of Abrams’ first “Trek” — a little bit of history repeating. It hardly matters, because whatever Cumberbatch is playing, he’s wonderful to watch, infusing the movie with the kind of exotic grandeur Eric Bana’s wan Romulan henchman (arguably the weakest link in the 2009 film) largely lacked. Also making her maiden “Trek” voyage is the lovely Alice Eve as an ambitious science officer who lies her way on to the Enterprise deck and makes goo-goo eyes with the good Captain. She is not, it turns out, the ship’s only stowaway.

Having previously established an alternate “Trek” timeline in which all the events of prior series and movies still happened, but aren’t necessarily doomed to recur, Abrams and returning writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (now joined by “Lost” co-creator Damon Lindelof) here take that idea and run with it, invoking prior “Trek” lore when it suits them, freely branching off into new directions when it doesn’t. (Hell, there’s even some trouble with a tribble.) It’s a tricky business, balancing reverence with reinvention, but like the young Kirk, Abrams seems altogether more comfortable in the captain’s chair this time — not just in the large-scale action scenes, but particularly in the quieter ones, where you can sense his real investment in these characters and his confident touch with actors.

SEE ALSO: ‘Star Trek’ Premieres in London (Photos)

The film builds particularly well on the burgeoning Kirk-Spock friendship, with Pine showing reserves of vulnerability and doubt beneath his cocksure exterior, while Quinto adds gravitas to Spock’s eternal inner conflict — and his deepening romance with Lt. Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ). But make no mistake: The action, when it comes, is superbly executed, whether it’s giant vessels making mincemeat of one another, or the simpler excitements of old-fashioned hand-to-hand combat and foot chases through crowded promenades.

The best, even-numbered films in the original “Trek” film franchise were shaped by the guiding intelligence of writer-director Nicholas Meyer , who laced the Starfleet jargon with high-toned literary references and a gently self-mocking sense of humor. Abrams, too, manages to keep the mood buoyant even when the fate of the universe is hanging in the balance, more than earning his tears when he finally decides to milk them. But if Meyer’s primary references were Shakespeare, Dickens and Conan Doyle, Abrams’ are Spielberg, John Hughes and Cameron Crowe. In defiance of the self-congratulatory snark that has become de rigueur in Hollywood franchise fare, he brings a shimmering pop romanticism to “Trek’s” stalwart ideals of friendship, heroism and self-sacrifice. There’s something bold about that, indeed.

“Into Darkness” is a beautifully modulated and sustained piece of work across the board, with visual effects that seamlessly meld live-action and computer-animated elements, given further texture by old-fashioned celluloid lensing (with 65mm Imax used for key action scenes). Post-production 3D conversion by Stereo D ranks among the best of its kind. The Enterprise has rarely looked sleeker than it does on production designer Scott Chambliss ‘ sets. Adding the cherry to the top of this cinematic sundae, composer Michael Giacchino ‘s soaring score once again revives Alexander Courage’s immortal Trek theme for the closing credits.

Movie Stills:

Benedict Cumberbatch in "Star Trek Into Darkness."

Paramount Pictures

Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

Production: A Paramount release presented with Skydance Productions of a Bad Robot production. Produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci. Executive producers, Jeffrey Chernov, David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Paul Schwake. Co-producers, Tommy Gormley, Tommy Harper, Ben Rosenblatt, Michelle Rejwan.
Crew: Directed by J.J. Abrams. Screenplay, Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, based on “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry. Camera (Deluxe color, Panavision widescreen/35mm/Imax, 3D), Dan Mindel; editors, Maryann Brandon, Mary Jo Markey; music, Michael Giacchino; production designer, Scott Chambliss; supervising art director, Ramsey Avery; art directors, Kasra Farahani, Michael E. Goldman, Andrew E.W. Murdock, Harry E. Otto, Lauren Polizzi; set decorator, Karen Manthey; costume designer, Michael Kaplan; sound (Dolby Atmos/Datasat), Peter J. Devlin; sound designer, Ben Burtt; supervising sound editors, Burtt, Matthew Wood; re-recording mixers, Will Files, James Bolt; visual effects supervisor, Roger Guyett; ILM visual effects co-supervisor, Patrick Tubach; ILM visual effects producer, Luke O’Byrne; visual effects, Industrial Light & Magic, Pixomondo, Kelvin Optical, Atomic Fiction; stunt coordinator, John Stoneham Jr.; assistant director, Tommy Gormley; second unit director, Guyett; second unit camera, Bruce McCleery; casting, April Webster, Alyssa Weisberg.
With: John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Simon Pegg, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, Anton Yelchin, Leonard Nimoy.

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Movie Review

‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ review: boldly going back to the future

J.j. abrams' latest keeps looking back when it could be forging ahead.

By Bryan Bishop on May 14, 2013 06:58 pm 114 Comments

star trek into the darkness rotten tomatoes

In 2009 J.J. Abrams reimagined Star Trek , turning Gene Roddenberry’s near-utopian vision into a high-octane summer action ride. Rather than simply creating a prequel, however, Abrams opted to fork the Trek universe with a bit of time travel trickery and some heavy lifting from Leonard Nimoy. The result was a massive hit that set the stage for a new series of adventures unencumbered by more than 45 years of canon.

Now comes Star Trek Into Darkness — but instead of taking advantage of that fresh start, the movie goes in the opposite direction. Leaning on its predecessors to an even greater degree than the 2009 reboot, it’s a film that that can be taken in wildly different ways depending on what the viewer brings to the table. If you loved the 2009 film, you’ll see more of the same wall-to-wall enjoyable summer action. If you have a strong attachment to earlier Trek films, however, you may walk out of the theater very angry.

Darkness opens exactly as you’d hope — with the crew of the Enterprise in the midst of a massive action sequence trying to save a doomed planet. They manage to save the day, of course, because that’s what happens in Trek — but Chris Pine’s headstrong James T. Kirk finds himself quickly reprimanded for violating Starfleet protocol and is stripped of his command. A devastating terrorist bombing on a research facility quickly changes the calculus, however, and after a follow-up assault Kirk is back in command. His mission? Hunt down the fugitive responsible: Benedict Cumberbatch’s John Harrison.

There’s been an intentional veil of mystery around Cumberbatch’s character since the actor was first cast, the popular theory being that he’s actually Khan Noonien Singh, an original series villain who also headlined Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Harrison’s twists and turns aren’t something I’m going to address here either way — that’s what our spoiler discussion thread is for — but the actor delivers a quietly menacing performance that is perfectly modulated for Darkness . Fans of Sherlock know how watchable Cumberbatch can be, and his cold detachment works better here than the bombast of Eric Bana’s Nero did the first time around. We’re never quite sure if we can take him at his word, even later in the film, and it makes watching him toy with Kirk and Spock (Zachary Quinto) that much more entertaining.

Visually the film is glorious, with director of photography Dan Mindel and production designer Scott Chambliss returning for a second round. The Apple Store look of the Enterprise’s bridge contrasts with the primary colors of the costumes, and Harrison’s all-black ensemble frames him as the classic Western villain. Futuristic San Francisco is a particular standout: part familiar terrain, part utopian dream. The film was partially shot in IMAX — certain scenes go full-screen, a stylistic choice that Christopher Nolan used in The Dark Knight — and was post-converted to 3D. Together the combination makes for a fully immersive ride, drawing the viewer in rather than pushing them away. (And yes, the lens flares pop as their own 3D elements.)

The same high-production sheen transfers to the action sequences. For the most part, this is a tight summer movie spectacle executed efficiently and effortlessly. From some particularly brutal fist fights to the ship-to-ship battles, the film hits every note just right. It’s clear that Abrams is growing into an even more confident action director, and Into Darkness offers some of the best examples of visual dynamism that we’ve seen this year.

Despite all the flourish in its execution, a distinct lack of stakes undercuts the adrenaline rush of Into Darkness . The film briefly touches on terrorism and how it changes people, but it uses those themes as broad framing devices rather than as an opportunity to add real heft. Several sequences fall victim to videogame syndrome; one was so shameless I kept waiting for a power-up notification to appear on Kirk’s heads-up display.

The result is a movie where nobody ever truly feels in jeopardy — and as a consequence Into Darkness never earns the payoffs it’s reaching for. When Kirk is deprived of his command early on, it feels like a perfunctory first-act speed bump, not a true obstacle to overcome. Unlike the 2009 film, which took care to give each crew member their own story and moment to shine, Into Darkness glosses over characters in the midst of battles and explosions. It begins to feel like the film is counting on the goodwill and familiarity audiences have with Bones, Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu to fill in the gaps.

Which brings us to The Scene. Again, I’m not going to go into spoilers, but there is a pivotal sequence in Star Trek Into Darkness that had the potential to be a gutsy, powerful moment that could have truly surprised audiences. Instead, the filmmakers opted for a carbon copy of a seminal moment of Star Trek lore. And I’m not exaggerating when I say carbon copy; there are specific lines of dialogue, beats, and visual moments recreated verbatim.

Taken simply as a tongue-in-cheek nod — quite common in Abrams’ Trek universe — it’s great. But because it’s also one of the film’s most important moments, it’s hard to escape the feeling that Abrams is using the callback to lend Into Darkness a gravitas it simply doesn’t create on its own. If you know the original scene they’re aping, it feels like a sneering cheat. If you don’t, it’s just another event that happens — one the audience knows will have zero repercussions.

While it’s just one moment amongst many, The Scene exemplifies the larger problem with Into Darkness . Rather than striving for surprising reversals and story beats, it’s far too focused on being clever — and while the occasional nudge-nudge wink-wink is fun, that only goes so far. Rebooting the series gave audiences the opportunity to care about old characters in a new way, but the film fails to advance that project. It wouldn’t be so frustrating if the creative team behind the movie wasn’t capable of such incredible work. Abrams’ early television work trafficked almost entirely on character and emotional dynamics; it’s that same touch that gave Super 8 such sparkle and oomph. The fact that it’s missing here is just a wasted opportunity.

In terms of sheer spectacle, there’s no denying that Star Trek Into Darkness delivers. For all the build-up, hype, and hope leading up to the film, it’s just a shame there isn’t a whole lot more.

Star Trek Into Darkness is currently playing internationally. It opens in the US in IMAX theaters the night of May 15th. To discuss the film, spoilers and all, join our discussion in the forums !

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Less a classic " Star Trek " adventure than a " Star Trek "-flavored action flick, shot in the frenzied, handheld, cut-cut-cut style that’s become Hollywood’s norm, director J.J. Abrams’ latest could have been titled "The Bourne Federation."

The plot pits the Enterprise crew against an intergalactic terrorist named John Harrison ( Benedict Cumberbatch , giving his honeyed baritone a workout), who’s waging war on the Federation for mysterious personal reasons. There’s a joke, an argument, a chase, a spaceship battle, or a brutal close-quarters firefight every five minutes, but all the action is intimately tied to character. The major players, particularly Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto ’s Mr. Spock, are as finely shaded as the incarnations played by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy . This new voyage of the starship Enterprise is brash, confident, and often brutally violent, and features the most lived-in production design I’ve seen in a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster since " Minority Report ."

Why, then, is the film ultimately disappointing? I suspect it’s the pop culture echo chamber effect: Abrams and his screenwriters ( Robert Orci , Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof ) are so obsessed with acknowledging and then futzing around with what we already know about Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Uhura, Scotty and company that the movie doesn’t breathe. "Star Trek Into Darkness" is peppered with nods to past films and episodes: Kirk’s impetuous decision-making and horndog sexual proclivities; Spock’s denial of his half-humanness; Dr. McCoy’s cranky witticisms; Scotty’s protestations of what he and the ship “canna” do; references to tribbles and neutral zones and the Harry Mudd incident. The central plotline refers to one of Trek’s most celebrated storylines — a callback that alternately seems to honor the original, then turn it on its head, then honor it again. The final act includes an homage to one of the most famous scenes in the entire Trek canon — but this, too, is an inversion, or appears to be, until the script springs another whiplash reversal.

The story starts with a " Raiders of the Lost Ark "-like action sequence: Kirk, Spock and the gang are embroiled in a secret mission on a red jungle planet filled with superstitious tribespeople whose lives are threatened by a volcanic eruption. The correct thing to do is leave Mr. Spock behind, because going back to rescue him would violate the Federation’s Prime Directive against messing with the natural development of primitive cultures. It’s in this opening sequence, for better or worse, that the movie establishes a vexing narrative pattern: The characters have urgently necessary arguments about the morally, ethically, and procedurally correct thing to do in a crisis, then one character (usually Kirk) makes a unilateral, straight-from-the-gut decision that worsens everything; and yet somehow at the end he’s rewarded, or at least not seriously punished.

We’re given to understand that it’s always a good thing to prize personal friendship and loyalty above the concerns of one’s crew, ship, federation or species. Sometimes the reward is quite deliberate — as in the end scene, which finds Kirk being celebrated as a hero after making what looked to me like a series of catastrophic rookie mistakes that ended dozens of lives. Other times it’s as if the cosmos itself is rewarding or at least protecting Kirk, as when he loses command of the Enterprise for his behavior on the primitive planet, then gets it back thanks to another sudden plot twist. A good alternate title for this movie would be the name of one of Steven Soderbergh ’s great books about filmmaking: "Getting Away With It: Or, the Further Adventures of the Luckiest Bastard You Ever Saw." The Federation itself seems to have plenty in common with Kirk: Both the opening mission and a subsequent intergalactic act of aggression are presented as having grave consequences if they fail, then the film just sort of writes them off with a shrug, as if to say, “Well, that’s all in the past, and as long as it doesn’t happen again, no harm, no foul.” (Has anyone in the Federation actually honored the Prime Directive?)

Yes, the film’s stumblebum plotting comes from a desire to give the audience what it wants: Kirk in command, flying by the seat of his tight pants; Spock learning it’s OK to acknowledge and act on his emotions, and that there’s more to life than following rules; etc. But surely there were more elegant ways to get us there! Abrams makes the 23rd century look like a place of actions and consequences, in which humans and other creatures might actually live, think and feel, in a world in which a fall of more than ten feet could break a leg, lava can melt flesh, and people who are dead stay dead. But he also tells stories in which various practices, rules and laws, including Starfleet tactical procedures, the Prime Directive, and gravity, have no narrative weight. Too much of "Star Trek Into Darkness" has what I call a “playground storytelling” sensibility: “Lie down, you’re dead. Never mind, you’re alive again — now fight!” This narrative flailing-about isn’t merely amateurish, it’s at odds with the gritty production design and pseudo-documentary camerawork and references to 9/11 and the War on Terror. It takes a great artist to be both serious and silly. Abrams, for all his enthusiasm, ain’t it.

For all its sloppiness and blind spots and fanboy pirouettes, though, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is still an involving film with more heart than most summer blockbusters. Abrams’ roots in TV ( Felicity , Alias , Lost ) seem to have made him attentive to the dynamics of groups, and to the repeated phrases and gestures that bond viewers to characters. Pine’s beefy frat-boy Kirk is appealing, especially when he’s being called on the carpet; Pine has several strong scenes opposite Cumberbatch’s Harrison and Bruce Greenwood ’s mentor-father figure, Capt. Pike, in which Pine is overmatched as both character and actor but uses the imbalance to enhance the scene. Sometimes you see terror in Kirk’s eyes as he blusters; his vulnerability makes you root for him even though his “I gotta be me!” philosophy destroys careers and ends lives.

Quinto’s Spock is equal to, but different than, Leonard Nimoy’s incarnation, and it’s a relief to see that Abrams has made the destruction of Vulcan in the first film a key component of the character’s psychology. As Spock explains to communications officer Uhura ( Zoe Saldana ), his main squeeze, it’s not that he can’t feel any emotion, it’s that he’s decided he’s better off not feeling it: this Spock is a Holocaust survivor who has adopted numbness as a survival strategy. Uhura, Simon Pegg ’s Scotty, John Cho ’s Sulu, Anton Yelchin ’s Chekov, and Karl Urban ’s “Bones” McCoy have their moments, too; they behave like plausibly real people even when the script is asking them to do and say things that common sense tells us is horse manure, and their presences lend the film a dignity it doesn’t earn.

* Edited 6/22/18 to remove a reference to a "forthcoming" detailed blog post on the film that the reviewer ended up not writing.

Matt Zoller Seitz

Matt Zoller Seitz is the Editor at Large of RogerEbert.com, TV critic for New York Magazine and Vulture.com, and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in criticism.

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Film credits.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Rated PG-13

129 minutes

Chris Pine as James T. Kirk

Benedict Cumberbatch as John Harrison

Zachary Quinto as Spock

Simon Pegg as Scotty

Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura

J.J. Abrams
Alex Kurtzman
Damon Lindelof
Roberto Orci

Original Music Composer

Michael Giacchino

Cinematography

Daniel Mindel
April Webster

Production Design

Scott Chambliss
Gene Roddenberry

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Screen Rant

'star trek into darkness' review, the result is another bold voyage for the starship enterprise - one that will likely wow most moviegoers (even if it irks a few die-hard trekkies)..

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness continues the voyage of the Starship Enterprise and her crew - following the director's 2009 origin story/alternate reality reboot of the classic sci-fi series. The sequel catches up with Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) several months after the events of the original film - as they, along with their iconic Enterprise crew, begin going ("boldly") where no-one has gone before. In Kirk's case, that means ignoring a prime directive, endangering the lives of his shipmates, and defying Starfleet regulations (not without consequence).

However, when a massive terrorist attack rocks London, Starfleet scrambles to maintain order and bring the perpetrator to justice. Ignoring Spock's pleas for restraint, Kirk refuses to back down from the fight, putting him at odds with members of his crew, as he commands the Enterprise in deadly pursuit of the mysterious attacker - known only as John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch).

In Star Trek Into Darkness, returning writing team Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman (as well as Damon Lindelof) seek to expand on their alternate Star Trek timeline and dig deeper into this version of the Enterprise crew members (along with the larger movie universe). Casual filmgoers flocked to the 2009 "reboot," reigniting interest in the beloved sci-fi property, but in spite of the positive response, certain die-hard Trekkies were less smitten with the resulting variations of fan-favorite characters. Does Star Trek Into Darkness build upon the success of its predecessor and present a fun adventure that also pays homage to the classic series with smart additions to the expanded Star Trek canon?

Overall, Star Trek Into Darkness benefits from a much more focused storyline than its predecessor - since the franchise is no longer saddled with bringing the crew together, establishing each person's respective duties, while also juggling an inter-connected time-traveling arc. Surprisingly, the film actually evolves key themes and character dynamics, via a journey that includes engaging riffs on the classic source material. As a result, Star Trek Into Darkness will easily please the same moviegoers who enjoyed the 2009 effort - but there are definitely going to be a few controversial choices that will irk longtime fans of the series who are not already onboard with Abrams' rebooted take on the franchise.

Chris Pine once again delivers as a young Captain Kirk, continuing to find a good balance between the traits and disposition that made the William Shatner character so memorable, without relying on imitation or caricature. Kirk's story arc once again serves as a motor for the narrative, drawing heavily on his reckless "impulsiveness." Thankfully, Pine is also given plenty of room to develop and grow the Captain throughout the course of the film, allowing for the kind of sincere insight and thoughtful evolution that makes this Star Trek reboot more than just a standard Hollywood cash-grab. Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) is equally enjoyable this round - especially when the filmmakers probe the ongoing conflict between his Vulcan and human emotions.

One of the sequel's biggest strengths is its management of the large ensemble cast. Every core Enterprise member - Dr. "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), Lieutenant Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), Lieutenant Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Ensign Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (Simon Pegg) - along with side characters like Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) - all have their own individual arcs (as does the ship itself). Not only does each one result in fun or exciting payoff, they're expertly interwoven into the larger Star Trek Into Darkness plot, resulting in a smartly-paced storyline. The unrelenting velocity of the film does undercut one or two key moments that deserved (and needed) a bit more time to unfold, but overall the film juggles a lot of different elements without becoming bogged down in minutia (especially considering the 132 minute runtime).

Newcomers Alice Eve and Benedict Cumberbatch (Dr. Carol Marcus and John Harrison, respectively) provide memorable performances in roles that had been dissected and analyzed for months leading up to release. For that reason, the characters will likely be a point of contention for moviegoers - especially anyone clinging to pre-conceived notions about Harrison and Marcus ahead of time. The pair would have benefitted from a bit more development, and some casual moviegoers will be lost on some of the film's subtle nods - but onscreen they serve the story at hand, driving plot beats as well as juxtaposing key traits in the mainline Enterprise crew members. Harrison and Marcus might not quite live up to the pre-release hype, but moment-to-moment they're both quality additions brought to life with nuanced performances.

Much like its 2009 predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness prioritizes character and sci-fi world-building over large-scale action beats. There are plenty of eye-popping effects and tense set-pieces, but compared to similar blockbusters, certain sequences are a bit more restrained. That said this is a Star Trek film, so even when action is depicted through ship-versus-ship destruction and crumbling CGI environments (instead of in-your-face hand-to-hand brawls or large-scale battle sequences), the film still offers an engaging blend of big-budget spectacle, humor, and heartfelt character moments.

Star Trek Into Darkness is playing as premium 3D and IMAX experiences - and it's easy to recommend either version to interested moviegoers. Abrams relied on subtle depth-of-field for his 3D approach - which definitely enhances the scale in larger action beats, while adding shape to the twists and turns of the Enterprise bridge and hallways. Viewers who are typically underwhelmed by less-noticeable 3D will not find pop-out effects (or other gimmicks) - but to those willing to invest in the added cost: the 3D post-conversion from StereoD is clean and crisp. Similarly, roughly 30 minutes of the film was shot using IMAX cameras, resulting in some genuinely breathtaking big screen visuals accompanied by an amplified soundtrack featuring booming Star Trek sound effects and Michael Giacchino's rousing score.

J.J. Abrams has delivered a true follow-up in nearly every way imaginable - successfully exploring the iconic characters and expanded universe of his alternate timeline. The film is bigger and more personal than its predecessor, presenting another fun Trek adventure with captivating character drama that draws from the foundation established in the 2009 reboot (not to mention larger Star Trek mythos). The result is another bold voyage for the Starship Enterprise - one that will likely wow most moviegoers (even if it irks a few die-hard Trekkies).

If you’re still on the fence about Star Trek Into Darkness , check out the trailer below:

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Star Trek Into Darkness runs 132 minutes and is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence. Now playing 2D, 3D, and 3D IMAX theaters.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comment section below. If you’ve seen the movie and want to discuss details about the film without worrying about spoiling it for those who haven’t seen it, please head over to our Star Trek Into Darkness spoilers discussion .

For an in-depth discussion of the film by the Screen Rant editors check out our Star Trek Into Darkness episode of the SR Underground podcast (featuring an interview with the film's writer Roberto Orci).

Follow me on Twitter @ benkendrick for future reviews, as well as movie, TV, and gaming news.

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Star Trek Into Darkness – review

The initial bromance excitement of the great Kirk-Spock adventure now being over, the second episode brings us to the anticlimactic man-marriage of their rebooted career aboard the USS Enterprise. It's the latest in what promises to be a long series of films: a big, glitzy, high-energy drink of a movie with a glossy tech sheen, long on lens flare, shorter on other kinds of flair, and only showing real excellence in the continuing subtle, seriocomic performance of Zachary Quinto as Spock. The new Star Trek franchise is watchable, but already showing signs of getting tangled up in all the growing strands of self-created mythology and perhaps more worryingly still, it looks as if director JJ Abrams and screenwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof have not quite grasped what was so great about the first movie in 2009: the all-important dynamic between the captain and first officer.

Right off the bat, Star Trek Into Darkness zaps us with the darkest fear of all: the death of Spock, that potent Trek subject that I can't help associating with the episode of Seinfeld in which George reveals he is actually more moved by Spock's demise than by the death of his own fiancee. The crew are all assembled: Chris Pine is Kirk and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) is still in a relationship with Spock, though the affair is naturally subordinate to his male bond with the captain; Sulu (John Cho) is there; Simon Pegg plays Scotty with a terrible Scottish accent that is still weirdly better than Chekhov's Russian accent, despite the fact that Anton Yelchin, playing him, was actually born in Russia. Karl Urban plays grumpy medic Bones, who cordially dislikes Spock. (In times of old, we wondered about a deliberate obscenity in "Are you out of your Vulcan mind?" In this movie, Bones tells Spock: "Boy, you really are a comfort .") And Kirk gets some love interest with a new scientific officer, Dr Carol Marcus (Alice Eve), who just so happens to appear fleetingly in her underwear.

They begin on an observation mission, investigating a primitive tribe on a jungly planet, but a desperate situation develops from which Spock cannot be rescued without infringing those Starfleet rules for which he is such a stickler. Spock is apparently ready to die. The incident creates tension between him and the captain that colours their entire working relationship as they tackle a new terrifying enemy, the mysterious John Harrison, played by classy British actor Benedict Cumberbatch . This sinister figure causes a massive explosion in London, and then escapes to enemy territory, apparently intent on causing a catastrophic war. But who is John Harrison, and is he working alone?

As the supervillain, in closeup, Cumberbatch really does give it the full Blue Steel. It's more like Indigo Steel, or Topaz Steel. As he faces off with Kirk, he does a lot of impassive and charismatic gazing, indicative of infinitesimally amused unconcern. With that expression of his, he is in danger of becoming the Joseph Fiennes of his generation.

But I like my Brit baddies to have droll dialogue (like Loki in The Avengers), and John Harrison has none; he does all this supercool gazing, even when he is getting punched repeatedly in the face, but he is the tiniest bit dull. And anyway, Kirk already has a hugely evolved, scarily cerebral sparring partner – Spock! We are heavily invested in Spock and his fascinatingly tense, prickly, and sometimes antagonistic relationship with Kirk. There are now three people in this emotional guy-namic. John Harrison is a bit of a third wheel.

Well, as the story unfolds, it is revealed to have a connection with the pre-existing Star Trek mythology – that first history that was altered when JJ Abrams magicked the new version into being. It is, arguably, part of a nerd-myth tendency in the film; I found it intricate and ingenious, though this is how the series may get bogged down.

The dilithium crystals powering the entertainment warp drive are still pretty much undamaged. The movie has power and engine poke, although I am a little disappointed by the way people are getting transported these days: with lots of little swirly white lines surrounding them as they disappear and reappear: I prefer the dense, sparkly, particulate shimmering as the bodies faded. A bouquet has to be thrown to Simon Pegg , whose comic timing and energy – and self-evident love for what he's doing – is turning Scotty into a powerhouse character. But above all, Quinto is enduringly great: his Spock is vulnerable, sensitive, emotionally constricted, but idealistic and heroic as well. The franchise will always have life with him on board.

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Early Review Roundup: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ a Relentlessly Entertaining Thrill Ride (TRAILER)

Ryan lattanzio, deputy editor, film.

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J.J. Abrams’ newest “Star Trek” film, which opens stateside May 17 and just premiered in the UK, has already generated critical praise. The film is currently 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto reprise their roles as James T. Kirk and Spock, respectively, with regulars Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg and Anton Yelchin also returning and gravelly-voiced new villain Benedict Cumberbatch rounding out the cast.

Our interview with producer Bryan Burk is here .

As with Abrams’ first “Star Trek” film, “Into Darkness” is not without its detractors, particularly Todd McCarthy of THR. Read some review highlights below.

“Into Darkness” is a beautifully modulated and sustained piece of work across the board, with visual effects that seamlessly meld live-action and computer-animated elements, given further texture by old-fashioned celluloid lensing (with 65mm Imax used for key action scenes). Post-production 3D conversion by Stereo D ranks among the best of its kind. The Enterprise has rarely looked sleeker than it does on production designer Scott Chambliss’ sets.

ScreenDaily :

Related Stories Watch: 74-Minute Tribeca Talk With J.J. Abrams And Chris Rock Simon Pegg Reacts To The First ‘Star Trek Beyond’ Trailer: “I Didn’t Love It”

Where the film works at its very best – and this is set alongside the simple fact that it is spectacular entertainment – is with the character development. Yes, Kirk and Spock are the characters around which the film spirals, and their developing friendship is the core of the story, with both actors excellent and at ease in their roles, but at the same time all of the support characters have moments to shine and great moments of dialogue that help refine and define their parts.

The Hollywood Reporter :

“Star Trek Into Darkness, ” J.J. Abrams’s second entry in his reboot of the eternal franchise, has been engineered rather than directed, calibrated to deliver sensation on cue and stocked with just enough new character twists to keep fans rapt. At its core an intergalactic manhunt tale about a traitor to the cause, the production gives the impression of a massive machine cranked up for two hours of full output; it efficiently delivers what it’s built to do, but without style or personality.

Time Out London :

The most striking scenes come without doubt at the start as Kirk (Chris Pine) struggles to rescue Spock (Zachary Quinto) from a volcano on a distant planet. We witness a primitive race – carefully colour-coded all white, yellow and red – as they first lay eyes on a spaceship. It’s a powerful moment, and nothing later matches up to it, even if two episodes of city-bashing (first London, then San Francisco) offer their fair share of wide-eyed 3D viewing.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” begins with Kirk chafing at the role that he’s expected to play, and Chris Pine once again owns the character of Kirk completely from the opening scene to the finish. It is downright miraculous that he ended up with the role, because what he does with it is not something I can imagine any of the other likely candidates for the part even trying to do. Pine is an original, and he plays this combination of arrogance and anger and comedy in such a way that it’s all sort of jumbled up together.

There’s consequently a palpable air of world-weariness about this Star Trek; it’s as if Abrams and his writers concluded they couldn’t replicate the cockiness and bounce of the first film, and opted instead to allow their characters to grow up a little… Everyone is a little more battered, a little less dewy-eyed. People are unlikely to charge out of the cinema with quite the same level of glee as they did in 2009; but this is certainly an astute, exhilarating concoction.

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Star trek into darkness: film review.

J.J. Abrams returns to direct the crew of the Enterprise as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana face off against Benedict Cumberbatch.

By Todd McCarthy

Todd McCarthy

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Star Trek Into Darkness Still - H 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness , J.J. Abrams ‘s second entry in his reboot of the eternal franchise, has been engineered rather than directed, calibrated to deliver sensation on cue and stocked with just enough new character twists to keep fans rapt. At its core an intergalactic manhunt tale about a traitor to the cause, the production gives the impression of a massive machine cranked up for two hours of full output; it efficiently delivers what it’s built to do, but without style or personality. The widely admired 2009 series relaunch pulled in $385 million in worldwide box office (an unusual two-thirds of that in the American market), and this one should follow very closely in that trajectory.

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STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Blu-ray Review

Star Trek Into Darkness Blu-ray review. A review of the Blu-ray for Star Trek Into Darkness starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana.

When Star Trek Into Darkness came out it got a 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and was generally well received on the road to making over two hundred million dollars domestically, and nearly half a billion worldwide. At a recent Star Trek convention, it was ranked the worst Trek movie, which means some fans think it’s worse than Star Trek: Nemesis or Star Trek V: The Final Frontier . Now that it’s on home video, perhaps there’s a more rational approach to the film, which stars Chris Pine , Zachary Quinto , Simon Pegg and Benedict Cumberbatch . My review of Star Trek Into Darkness follows after the jump.

Here’s the thing about the film: If you’re not a fan of Star Trek , of its ideals and the semi-science that was incorporated into the shows and movies (movies less so), STID is simply another big budget Hollywood summer action movie, which means it has a lot of thrilling set pieces, and it wobbles (as most do most blockbusters these days) in the final stretch, but other than an exposition dump halfway through the movie, it delivers a lot of exciting set pieces, and is no more dumb than Iron Man or Man of Steel or any of the other high profile CGI-laden action movies of late.

But for fans of the original show, trouble is apparent from the first sequence where the Enterprise is shown under water while investigating an M-class planet that has never seen or experienced extra-terrestrials before. Why would you hide a space vessel under water, especially when it seems to work against the mission? Though it’s possible there was an explanation at some point, that their atmosphere is such that any orbital would be visible during the daylight, or some such thing, it seems the real answer is that it would look cool for the Enterprise to emerge from water. And it’s a striking shot, but it speaks to how this is the “Cool” version of Star Trek . And it is cool, but it’s also the dumbed down version of Trek .

The film begins with the crew investigating a planet where a volcano is about to erupt. Spock (Quinto) is trying to plant a cold fusion device (again, the science of this film is lacking as that’s not what a cold fusion device would do) in an active volcano, and so James Kirk (Pine) breaks the prime directive to rescue his friend, which Spock constantly cites but seems to be breaking in his actions. Spock, naturally, reports the incident which costs Kirk his captain’s chair. So this leads to Admiral Pike ( Bruce Greenwood ) basically repeating the scene from the first film where he says he believes in Kirk and makes Kirk his first officer. But there’s a terrorist loose named John Harrison (Cumberbatch) who destroys a Star Fleet building, which brings together the heads of the organization. Kirk realizes as the meeting is happening that the location of their pow-wow might be known to Harrison, but it’s too late to stop Harrison from shooting up a number of high command officers. This incident reinstates Kirk to the captain’s seat, and he’s sent on a mission to a Klingon planet to kill Star Fleet enemy number one.

The mission is clandestine, and the Klingons are on the brink of war with Star Fleet, so Kirk is supposed to tread carefully, but the mission seems odd, especially when the Enterprise is outfitted with 72 new torpedoes. Scotty (Pegg) objects so he resigns his command in protest, and Chekov ( Anton Yelchin ) is put in charge of engineering. Once they arrive near Kronos, the planet on which Harrison is hiding, the warp core goes out. Kirk decides to follow Spock’s advice and take Harrison alive, but that leads to their shuttle being spotted by the Klingons. Harrison rescues Kirk and company from the Klingons and allows himself to be captured, but – if you’ve seen some recent movies – you can tell that he’s down with being caught. It turns out there’s something much worse happening than just Harrison.

Okay, that’s the bones of the plot, and to go further will involve spoilers . Get ready to enter spoiler territory : Harrison is Khan, and Admiral Marcus ( Peter Weller ) is trying to start a war with the Klingons because he feels that it’s inevitable.

Fans are going to be annoyed with the decision to incorporate Khan into the film, especially since the film borrows heavily from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . The biggest problem with this is that when Cumberbatch reveals himself as Khan it means nothing to Kirk or Spock because this comes before the episode that introduced Khan to the universe (“Space Seed”). It’s for the audience who may or may not know his history. But because the crew don’t know who he is it’s like the scene was “My real name is Adolph Hitler…. What you don’t know about me is that I was born in Germany…” The reveal ultimately leads to a gigantic info dump on screen, and there’s nothing anyone can do to make it all that interesting. But then the film kicks back into gear as the film does something interesting in teaming Kirk and Khan. And the moments where the film comes most alive is when it messes with canon.

Director J.J. Abrams and writers Damon Lindeloff , Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman know they’ve got fans who are going to complain about whatever they do, so in some ways Khan was their Kobayashi Maru. It makes sense to get Khan out of the way, but there was no way they could have the weight of STII in that it was about old opponents meeting each other years later and the anger that Khan had for Kirk. The original episode is a solid entry in the Trek canon, but it’s not a top five episode. Where Wrath of Khan is inarguably the best Trek movie because it uses the fact that the characters are older, and facing death in a way that could only come from those actors inhabiting these roles for over fifteen years. You can’t fake that weight.

Another big decision is that they’ve given the bulk of the Leonard ”Bones” McCoy role (played here by Karl Urban ) to Scotty. He’s the heart of the ship, and if Spock represents pure intellect/super ego and Kirk the balance, Scotty has become the id. It works well because Pegg is so much fun in the role, but it also leaves Bones with less to do in this film than the first film. But that may be why his best scene is another moment where they mess with canon when McCoy seems to hit it off with Carol Marcus ( Alice Eve ).

It would be easy to list off the things that have been complained about (how Alice Eve is shown in her underwear, how transporters do and do not work, etc.), which are mostly valid and it’s hard to ignore the film’s use of the events of September 11 -- and the resulting Iraq war -- as a sticking point with the movie, but using terrorist attacks to provoke a stupid response from a government and 9/11 itself has also become a cliché in big budget movies, ranging in this year alone from G.I. Joe Retaliation to Man of Steel . And where the first film was fun and light and airy and all that worked for the film, because of the darker subject matter here, it’s not the same fun ride (the filmmakers seem to know this so they pay lip service to Kirk the playboy, and give nods to canon elements like Nurse Chapel and Harry Mudd). If the first film was getting tipsy and flirting and going home with a phone number, the second film is getting tipsy and stuck at a table with a drunk and going home with a hangover.

If there’s a big problem with the movie it’s that it’s too packed. It’s like the film has just to jam so much in to the story that it sort of flat-lines after a while, because nothing has much weight. There’s a moment where Kirk and Spock meet Scotty and they run up to him. This is the movie in a nutshell. Why are they running? Because it’s more exciting than walking. But then… why? Kirk loses his command, and that seems like a big deal, but less than twenty minutes later he’s reinstated.

And, big spoiler , Kirk dies, but less than twenty minutes later, he’s alive again. Which ties into one of the film’s biggest problems for fans: recreating the final section of Khan (even with the roles reversed) was a no win decision. There is an idea there that shows Kirk and Spock have learned from each other, but the biggest problems is that at that point in the movie, Kirk is the main protagonist, and turning Spock into the lead for the final action set piece ultimately works against the film because even though the film sets up that Spock needs to embrace his human side a little more, there’s a reason he doesn’t. The weight of the narrative is on Kirk, he needs to grow up and accept sacrifice (which seems a little too much like the narrative of the first film), so when you get another ten minutes of action after he’s shown he’s a true leader, it not only robs his moment of its power (especially with Quinto yelling “Khaaaaaan!”), you’re thrust back into another big action set piece. There is only the time of the death to care about it in screen time.

And this confusion of who should be the lead happens with the villains. Marcus and Khan are both the bad guys, but Marcus reveals himself to be -- in the words of the writers -- “the big bad,” but then he’s taken care of, and Khan takes over, but then Khan is defeated, but that’s not enough so there’s got to be another big action sequence that revolves around a footchase and a pursuit that reminds of the speeder chase in Attack of the Clones . The end is determined by punching, which is the least Star Trek idea ever. But for those who don’t care, watching Spock and Khan get into fist fights (note: every member of the Trek crew has the most amazing upper body strength as they’re often able to hoist hundreds of pounds with one arm, though that’s an acceptable action movie cliché) might be just the sort of personal fight they need, rather than see Spock use his intellect to defeat his enemy. For fans of the original, had Spock won by fooling Khan, the film might be easier to stomach. It would also avoid having Khan send his airplane into the World Trade Center, err… his space ship into Star Fleet headquarters.

There is fun to be had in this film, and lord knows it’s more watchable than every Next Generation film, which never knew how to deal with having so many lead characters (that’s a problem here too as Urban, Zoe Saldana ’s Uhura, Yelchin and John Cho ’s Sulu only get a big scene or two, but that’s often what the original series films did as well). But those Next Gen films can work for fans because they like the characters and the performers, here they may have a connection to the characters, but the new iterations aren’t exactly the same, so it’s not there’s . The fanbase was mostly on board with the reboot, but if the third film (which is being worked on right now) doesn’t right itself, it seems more than likely that fans will just pretend this Abrams version of Star Trek isn’t canon. Perhaps they should write it off entirely and leave this new Trek for the fans who could never get into the original in the first place. Regardless, they’re going to watch and possibly own these films anyway. In terms of the big summer movies, Star Trek Into Darkness is one of better tentpole releases, but that may say more about tentpole releases than Into Darkness .

Paramount’s Blu-ray also comes with a DVD and digital copy. The film is presented in widescreen (2.35:1) and in 7.1 Dolby TrueHD. This is definitely a demo disc as the picture and sound quality are reference quality. It’s a clean and beautiful disc with plenty of surround action and good atmosphere. The standard Blu-ray comes with seven featurettes. “Creating the Red Planet” (8 min.), “Attack on Starfleet” (5 min.) “The Klingon Home World” (8 min.), “The Enemy of My Enemy” (7 min.) “Ship to Ship” (6 min.) “Brawl by the Bay” (6 min.) and “Continuing the Mission” (2 min.). These walk through the major set pieces of the film, and spend time talking about Cumberbatch’s character in informative bit-sized chunks. There’s also a trailer for “The Mission Continues” which is for work done by army vets to make America a better place. If the extras seem weak, it’s because Paramount decided to divvy up some of the extras so there’s in store exclusive versions and the audio commentary is available at the iTunes store. Perhaps when the third film comes out all the supplements will be packaged together, but for die hard, it’s hard not to feel a bit ripped off by this release.

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Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Dan Gunderman
Movie Reviews
25 responses
--> May 18, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) by The Critical Movie Critics

The Enterprise has seen better days.

As the acting Captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise, Hikaru Sulu (John Cho, “ A Very Harold & Kumar 3D Christmas ”) barked orders at an incorrigible outlaw of the Federation, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch, “ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy ”), chills ran down my spine, and I sat in awe of the radiant visual effects. But that was no isolated incident; the entirety of Star Trek Into Darkness carries a lustrous aura with palpable, innovative cinematography. The Starfleet lay helpless as a belligerent new adversary made his presence known, but I too sat helpless as J.J. Abrams put forth the summer’s second renowned blockbuster (“ Iron Man 3 ” getting first billing).

Star Trek Into Darkness , being Abrams’ sophomore effort (he successfully rebooted the franchise in 2009 with “ Star Trek ”), opens with the crew traveling to Nibiru, a planet with a primitive civilization and a volcano that is poised to wipe it off the map. Hiding beneath the sea, the Enterprise crew watches intently as Spock (Zachary Quinto, “ Margin Call ”) risks his life to extinguish the volcano’s spewing lava. When things go off plan, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine, “ This Means War ”), always one for not following the rules, breaks protocol to save his friend and First Officer. Although successful, for his brashness, Starfleet Command strips Kirk of his Captain rank and orders him to serve as First Officer to Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood, “ Flight ”).

This arrangement doesn’t last long as Starfleet Command headquarters is attacked by John Harrison (whose name is later revealed to be Khan), a genetically-superior man who’d been woken up after 300 years of cryogenic sleep to create weapons for the Federation. Khan it seems is very vengeful towards those who had roused his slumber because 72 of his crewmen still lay asleep and remain vulnerable to the actions of a stern, militaristic Starfleet Admiral, Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller, “ RoboCop ”).

Marcus, fully aware of what Khan is capable of, orders Kirk into pursuit. The crew — Spock, Bones (Karl Urban, “ Dredd ”), Sulu, Uhura (Zoe Saldana, “ Colombiana ”), Chekov (Anton Yelchin, “ Fright Night ”), Scotty (Simon Pegg, “ Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol ”), among others — encounters debris fields, technical malfunctions, betrayal and bona fide drama as they pursue their crafty adversary, but who will be double-crossed and fooled as tensions build? Will Starfleet once again save the day and allow the United Federation of Planets to continue living in harmony? Or will the lives of fan favorites crumble before viewers eyes as an even bigger foe is employed by Abrams?

These are sincere questions, because the acting by this ensemble sets a new benchmark for science fiction performances — one simply cannot not care these characters. Pine is daring, bold and accurately adventurous as Captain Kirk, and Zachary Quinto once again is brilliant as the robot-like, stiff yet genius Vulcan, Mr. Spock. In this sequel, Spock is also scripted as adamantly more emotional, a welcomed change for the Spock legacy. Another worthy performance, and perhaps not so expected, is the one put forth by Simon Pegg, who plays Lieutenant Commander Montgomery Scott. He is genuinely humorous (which we already knew) but he deftly handles the profoundly emotional drama, managing to single-handedly separate Star Trek Into Darkness from other recent charismatic Sci-Fi thrillers.

Who is the prisoner?

Ignoring the visual effects of this blockbuster would also be a violation of the Prime Directive, because they are so good, you sometimes forget you’re not actually in the control center of the universe’s most formidable watchdog vessel. The cinematography too — from the expanses of space to the tight quarters of a starship — is just breathtaking (especially when the Enterprise is shown in the foreground of the Earth’s atmosphere). Keeping the optical feast from devolving into an amalgam of explosions and lasers (for the most part successful) is the noble script written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, and the sumptuous direction of J.J. Abrams.

And even though the film runs longer than two hours, it soars by like the Enterprise’s shift into warp drive. And thanks in part to the illustrative, magical blue tendrils left behind as the vessel soars at the faster-than-light-speed, viewers likely won’t be put off from the messages of embracing diversity or the war mongering parallels of today’s world as they’re being told. Nope, viewers will simply be engrossed by the spectacle of what is happening before them. Star Trek Into Darkness is better than its predecessor; Trekkies and non-Trekkies alike will be most proud.

Tagged: Enterprise , sequel , space

Dan is an author, film critic and media professional. He is a former staff writer for the N.Y. Daily News, where he served as a film/TV reviewer with a "Top Critic" designation on Rotten Tomatoes. His debut historical fiction novel, "Synod," was published by an independent press in Jan. 2018, receiving praise among indie book reviewers. His research interests include English, military and political history.

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'Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)' have 25 comments

May 18, 2013 @ 4:37 pm prompt

Worthy sequel. I still prefer the first though.

May 18, 2013 @ 4:40 pm Joey Remix

Great movie. The Spock-Kirk bromance was really well thought out. Benedict Cumberbatch made for a much better Khan than Ricardo Montalbán too.

May 18, 2013 @ 5:05 pm Ash

IMAX here I come!

May 18, 2013 @ 5:17 pm SoWired

A bit too much with the Scotty humor but overall a strong film.

May 18, 2013 @ 5:34 pm DJ Harmon

It’s a good science fiction movie, and I was able to enjoy this as a non-Trekkie.

May 18, 2013 @ 5:58 pm Narcko

Good review Dan.

May 18, 2013 @ 6:22 pm Betamax

My only gripe is the Cumberbatch villain is underused. They certainly made him ruthless enough but fans shouldn’t have to wait until some further sequel to see him at his full potential.

May 19, 2013 @ 8:48 pm Cronol

He’s underused because 1) audiences aren”t supposed to know he is Khan until the “big reveal” that isn’t much of a reveal and 2) villain duties are shared with the rogue admiral

May 18, 2013 @ 6:41 pm Piranhaconda

Gotta love the attention the Alice Eve in bra & panties scene is getting in adverts. The scene has no bearing on the film but offers absolute proof that sex sells.

May 18, 2013 @ 7:09 pm Matt Genson

Into Darkness puts a lot of emphasis on the relationship between Kirk and Spock that took years to develop in the original series. It’s crazy to say this but Pine and Quinto are better than Shatner and Nimoy in their respective roles. That’s an impressive feat after only two outings…

May 18, 2013 @ 11:30 pm localguy

Realize Pine and Quinto have mountains of prior art to draw inspiration from. They’re good, not better.

May 18, 2013 @ 7:36 pm Reasonable Commander Haw

I’ll just say I can’t wait to see what JJ Abrams does with Star Wars now. If he can do one tenth of what he’s done with the Star Trek universe we’re in for a treat!

May 18, 2013 @ 8:23 pm remmett

It marks a good beginning to the big summer popcorn flicks.

May 19, 2013 @ 3:31 am Quonk

that honor belongs to the billion dollar movie Iron Man 3..

May 18, 2013 @ 8:55 pm simon chet

Awesome movie! Good to see Peter Weller getting dirty again too!

May 18, 2013 @ 10:04 pm timloftin

It is missing the WOW factor the 2009 Trek hit me in the face with.

May 18, 2013 @ 10:11 pm GhostLane

J.J. Abrams has delivered.

May 19, 2013 @ 5:06 pm twinpeaks

He delivered a stinker.

May 19, 2013 @ 11:57 am Gene

Loved it. Getting set for a second watch.

May 19, 2013 @ 2:20 pm ManualManuel

Good rental movie, nothing to get upset over if you miss its run in the theaters.

May 19, 2013 @ 4:20 pm Engergizer

Somewhere along the line the ideals that Star Trek embodied – that humans will overcome today’s problems, the future is hopeful, etc. – were lost in these remakes, especially Into Darkenss. Abrams, much to my disappointment, delivers just another future terrorist/seperatist movie that lacks any foward thinking or real heart.

May 19, 2013 @ 9:21 pm eBjork

I get it’s sci-fi but ID breaks every law of science, even laws established in the last movie!

May 20, 2013 @ 4:12 pm i

lazy writing…….

May 24, 2013 @ 5:12 pm Halo

This lack of detail really hurt the movie for me. A starship under water??

June 1, 2013 @ 5:15 am Niejan

Good review. I am really excited to watch this one.

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Action-packed Star Trek sequel has good story, characters.

Average 7.4
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Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review — A solid but underwhelming follow up

It doesn’t live up to the first movie in the franchise, but star trek into dark ness holds its own as an action thriller.

With Star Trek Beyond hitting theaters this week I thought it’d be the perfect time to go back and review its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness (the title gets a negative review).

I need to explain my history with the Star Trek franchise before diving into this review. Three words: I. Have. None. Yes, my first experience with Star Trek was J.J. Abrams’ 2009 reboot and Patrick Stewart’s facepalm meme. That being said, it was nice going into this film with no prior conceived notions of even the tone of what came before. I didn’t know if it was going to be a crowd pleaser like Star Wars or a gritty action thriller like Alien. I quickly found that it essentially toed the line down the middle, though straying more a bit to the crowd-pleasing side.

I loved the first movie. I thought it was an incredibly sleek and well-shot action thriller that had a surprising amount of depth in its characters. It was the chemistry among the cast and Abrams’ surprising grasp of the film’s mood that made it so successful. It’s surprising that it took me this long to finally get to the sequel. It’s simply one of those movies that just slipped through the cracks. But when I finally did I thought it was a mixed bag.

Starting off with the cast. I think that the supporting cast was severely underutilized. Zoe Saldana ‘s strong, take-what-I-want Uhura was relegated to a pissed off girlfriend role while Anton Yelchin ‘s (RIP) endearing Chekov simply ran around saying what was going wrong. John Cho ‘s Sulu, even though at one point becoming the acting captain of the Enterprise, didn’t get much more than some strong lines then fades into the background.

“Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite.” – Spock

Instead, a lot of time was devoted to the relationship between Chris Pine ‘s Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto ‘s Spock. I didn’t mind that per se, but much of that storyline didn’t need nearly as much time as it received. Another storyline that had a little too much time was Benedict Cumberbatch ‘s villainous turn as Kahn. While I appreciated the attempt to create a multi-layered antagonist with motives that could be perceived as admirable, they gave him too much time to monologue and not enough to be a really cruel bad guy.

We get a moment briefly when his cruelty is truly explored when Kirk, Spock, Scotty, and Dr. Carol Marcus ( Alice Eve ) are trapped on an enemy ship, but that moment is short lived. That’s the issue I think Abrams had this time around. He was too concerned with creating these epic set pieces like Kirk and Kahn space diving to another ship or a battle with a Klingon patrol and forgot that there was a story to tell.

That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed these set pieces and the chemistry between the two lead actors. Plus, there were some moments that weren’t as epic but still showed great vision from Abrams, like an attack on a Star Fleet archive early in the movie. He showed some great restraint and focused more on this incredibly minor character’s motivations to the point that it very well might have been the most affecting part of the movie.

If you enjoyed the first Star Trek , then you will probably enjoy Star Trek into Darkness for what it is: a summer blockbuster. It doesn’t have the charm or the heart of the first, but it gives enough fuel to the franchise to warrant its existence.

Get Star Trek into Darkness on DVD, Blu-Ray, or digital on Amazon!

Karl Delossantos

Hey, I'm Karl, founder and film critic at Smash Cut. I started Smash Cut in 2014 to share my love of movies and give a perspective I haven't yet seen represented. I'm also an editor at The New York Times, a Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic, and a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 12 Years A Slave Movie Review — A Beautiful, Unflinching Film
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Nominations: Snubs and Surprises
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Picture (Updated 2/16)
Karl Delossantos https://smashcutreviews.com/author/karldelogmail-com/ 2014 Oscar Predictions: Best Director (Is Alfonso Cuarón a Lock to Win?)

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Published May 17, 2013

Star Trek Into Darkness Box Office Update

Star Trek Into Darkness got off to a blistering start at the box office, grossing $13.5 million through Thursday at 3,762 screens, including 336 IMAX 3D screens, according to Paramount Pictures. Beyond the box office numbers, the film boasts an “A” from CinemaScore and has been Certified Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% approval rating.

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Star Trek Beyond: 10 Reasons It's Better Than Into Darkness

Beyond is classic Trek in the best way.

Though the common expectation from Star Trek Beyond's fairly lackluster marketing campaign and change in director was that it would fall short of the previous movies, what a pleasant surprise it is that Beyond is another exciting, fun and thrilling entry into the beloved franchise.

Review-wise, it's hovering around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes , leaving it pretty much on par with Star Trek Into Darkness, which was itself a critically-acclaimed film that nevertheless ended up meeting a violent backlash from Trek fans for a variety of reasons.

Thankfully J.J. Abrams has, with the help of director Justin Lin and co-writer Simon Pegg, listened to the fans and delivered a largely entertaining threequel with a lot more to offer the hardcore crowd while still appealing to the newer, younger fanbase. Roll on Star Trek 4.

Here are 10 reasons Star Trek Beyond is better than Into Darkness...

10. The Tone Is Closer To The Original Series

It's fair to say that a lot of hardline Trekkie fans don't care for the new rebooted franchise because it doesn't feel like the Trek they grew up loving. For all the good J.J. Abrams did on the first two movies, he freely admits he isn't a big Trek fan and as such ended up crafting his own distinct take.

With Simon Pegg co-writing the script, however, Beyond feels much more like classic 1960s Star Trek, and in fact, this is basically a self-contained, two-hour Star Trek episode, complete with the planet-hopping, outlandish alien characters and superb character banter you would hope for.

Sure, it may lack the grit and complexity of Into Darkness in particular, but the tone also feels a good deal more faithful to the source material, and it's focused more on being fun than taking itself too seriously.

Stay at home dad who spends as much time teaching his kids the merits of Martin Scorsese as possible (against the missus' wishes). General video game, TV and film nut. Occasional sports fan. Full time loon.

Star Trek’s J.J. Abrams Advised Chris Pine to Be ‘Less Shatner’ While Portraying James T. Kirk

Chris Pine reflects on playing James T. Kirk in the latest Star Trek movies, and the actor acknowledges those wonderful "Shatnerisms."

J.J. Abrams advised Chris Pine to embody "less Shatner" when portraying James T. Kirk in the big-screen reboot of Star Trek.
Pine starred as Captain Kirk in all three reboot films; he says the franchise feels "cursed."
A new Star Trek movie is part of Paramount's "intent," according to Roddenberry Entertainment's C.O.O.

“Less Shatner.” Those two little words encompassed the advice filmmaker J.J. Abrams had for Chris Pine when the two collaborated on the big-screen reboot of the Star Trek franchise, which began in 2009. Pine was tasked with picking up the enormous mantle of the iconic character, James T. Kirk, who was portrayed brilliantly by William Shatner from 1966 until 1994. Pine said in an interview during his appearance on the Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me podcast:

“I think the biggest correction that J.J. [Abrams] ever had for me was ‘less Shatner.’ Because it’s so deliciously fun. I mean, anything from how he sits in the chair to how he does a double take. There are many… the Shatnerisms are long and deep, and they’re beautiful. They’re beautifully crafted.”

*Availability in US

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Pine starred as James T. Kirk in all three of the reboot films, which began with Star Trek (2009) and was followed up by the sequels Star Trek Into Darkness and Star Trek Beyond . Abrams directed the first two movies, but he turned the director’s chair over to Justin Lin for the third installment. And nearly eight years have passed since Star Trek Beyond , and Star Trek 4 has still yet to warp speed into movie theaters.

Chris Pine Believes the Star Trek Franchise Is 'Cursed'

While J.J Abrams’ 2009 reboot certainly isn’t the best of the Star Trek films, both critics and audiences alike enjoyed the U.S.S. Enterprise’s encounter with the rogue Romulan Nero (Eric Bana), which featured the return of Leonard Nimoy as the original Mr. Spock. Abrams’ new vision of the sci-fi phenomenon also made $385.7 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo ). So, a sequel was inevitable. And in the summer of 2013, Kirk and crew faced off against Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness .

Star Trek Into Darkness made even more money ($467.4 million) than Star Trek (2009) did globally, but 2016’s Star Trek Beyond didn’t fare as well as its predecessors ($343.5 million), and the reboot series has been in limbo ever since. Co-star Zoe Saldaña (Lt. Uhura) still has hope that Star Trek 4 will come to fruition. But when it comes to the Star Trek franchise, Pine “feels like it’s cursed,” according to an interview he did with Esquire in 2023.

Star Trek 4: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

In March of this year, the C.O.O./President of Development for Roddenberry Entertainment, Trevor Roth, said “there is a plan” for a new Star Trek movie. Roth elaborated on the possibility in the same interview conducted at the SXSW film festival:

“I am not able to say much, but I can say that it is Paramount's intent to figure out the Star Trek side of movies and what's going on there. There's every intent of a new movie coming out in the very near future. There's a lot of secrecy around what's going to happen there. But there is a plan getting into place. And we're very excited to see it return to the big screen.”

Most recently, Pine wrote and directed his first feature film, Poolman. Pine also stars alongside Danny DeVito in the comedic mystery, which opens exclusively in theaters on May 10. And fans can watch the Poolman trailer right now.

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Epic third trailer and new poster for JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Into

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star trek into darkness 2013 MOVIE RUNDOWN REVIEW
What's Wrong With STAR TREK: INTO DARKNESS
Star Trek Into Darkness Intro Warp
Star Trek Into the Darkness (2013)
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Star Trek Into Darkness reviewed by Mark kermode

COMMENTS

Star Trek Into Darkness
Rated: 3/4 • Sep 6, 2022. The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents, leaving Earth ...
Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Star Trek Into Darkness: Directed by J.J. Abrams. With Leonard Nimoy, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana. After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable ...
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. ... On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 84% based on 297 reviews, with an average rating of 7.4/10.
Star Trek Into Darkness: Review
Film Review: 'Star Trek Into Darkness'. Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN. Not to take anything away form the "Great Bird of The ...
'Star Trek Into Darkness' review: boldly going back to the future
In 2009 J.J. Abrams reimagined Star Trek, turning Gene Roddenberry's near-utopian vision into a high-octane summer action ride. Rather than simply creating a prequel, however, Abrams opted to ...
Star Trek Into Darkness movie review (2013)
Less a classic "Star Trek" adventure than a "Star Trek"-flavored action flick, shot in the frenzied, handheld, cut-cut-cut style that's become Hollywood's norm, director J.J. Abrams' latest could have been titled "The Bourne Federation."The plot pits the Enterprise crew against an intergalactic terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch, giving his honeyed baritone a workout ...
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness is the most successful attempt to date, to restore Paramount's franchise to Gene Roddenberry's positive vision of a mature humanity bettering itself through peaceful exploration and personal introspection. Since Roddenberry's death, Star Trek has grown darker with each iteration, relying more and more on gunboat ...
'Star Trek Into Darkness' Review
Star Trek Into Darkness runs 132 minutes and is Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence. Now playing 2D, 3D, and 3D IMAX theaters. ... Wikipedia, Huffington Post, Rotten Tomatoes, IMDB, Yahoo, and Business Insider, among others. A graduate of the New School's Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing program, Ben has ...
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness - review. JJ Abrams' new Trek instalment is as glitzy as his first, but it's the arrival of Benedict Cumberbatch as a mysterious new foe that fuels this outing for the ...
Early Review Roundup: 'Star Trek Into Darkness' a Relentlessly
J.J. Abrams' newest "Star Trek" film, which opens stateside May 17 and just premiered in the UK, has already generated critical praise. The film is currently 88% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes ...
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Star Trek Into Darkness: Film Review. J.J. Abrams returns to direct the crew of the Enterprise as Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldana face off against Benedict Cumberbatch. Star Trek Into ...
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Blu-ray Review
A review of the Blu-ray for Star Trek Into Darkness starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana. When Star Trek Into Darkness came out it got a 87% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and ...
STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Is Better Than You Remember
Into Darkness has an 84% fresh approval on Rotten Tomatoes. It did pretty well at the box office , too, grossing $467.4 million against a $190 million budget. But disdain for the film has grown ...
2013 In Review: Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness came, saw and conquered. However, despite earning a galaxy of rave reviews from fans and critics alike, and even though it beamed up a whopping $467 million at the worldwide box office, the latest big-screen Trek adventure polarized the fan base. Many fans loved the film.
Movie Review: Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)
Star Trek Into Darkness, being Abrams' sophomore effort ... where he served as a film/TV reviewer with a "Top Critic" designation on Rotten Tomatoes. His debut historical fiction novel, "Synod," was published by an independent press in Jan. 2018, receiving praise among indie book reviewers. His research interests include English, military and ...
Star Trek Into Darkness Box Office Update
Star Trek Into Darkness got off to a blistering start at the box office, grossing $13.5 million through Thursday at 3,762 screens, including 336 IMAX 3D screens, according to Paramount Pictures. Beyond the box office numbers, the film boasts an "A" from CinemaScore and has been Certified Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% approval rating.
Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness. The crew of the Starship Enterprise returns home after an act of terrorism within its own organization destroys most of Starfleet and what it represents, leaving Earth in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Capt. James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his people (Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoë Saldana) on a ...
Star Trek Into Darkness: Official Clip
Star Trek Into Darkness: Official Clip - Crashing the Vengeance 2:02 Added: May 5, 2020. Star Trek Into Darkness: Official Clip - Because You Are My Friend 2:06 Added: May 5, 2020. Star Trek Into ...
Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review
With Star Trek Beyond hitting theaters this week I thought it'd be the perfect time to go back and review its predecessor, Star Trek Into Darkness (the title gets a negative review). I need to explain my history with the Star Trek franchise before diving into this review. Three words: I. Have. None.
Star Trek Into Darkness Box Office Update
Star Trek Into Darknessgot off to a blistering start at the box office, grossing $13.5 million through Thursday at 3,762 screens, including 336 IMAX 3D screens, according to Paramount Pictures.Beyond the box office numbers, the film boasts an "A" from CinemaScore and has been Certified Fresh at Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% approval rating.
Star Trek Beyond: 10 Reasons It's Better Than Into Darkness
Review-wise, it's hovering around 90% on Rotten Tomatoes, leaving it pretty much on par with Star Trek Into Darkness, which was itself a critically-acclaimed film that nevertheless ended up ...
Star Trek's J.J. Abrams Advised Chris Pine to Be 'Less ...
Star Trek Into Darkness made even more money ($467.4 million) than Star Trek (2009) did globally, but 2016's Star Trek Beyond didn't fare as well as its predecessors ($343.5 million), and the ...

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Reviewed at AMC Loews 34th Street, May 2, 2013. MPAA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 132 MIN.

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Star Trek Into Darkness Movie Review — A solid but underwhelming follow up

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Star Trek Beyond: 10 Reasons It's Better Than Into Darkness

10. The Tone Is Closer To The Original Series

Star Trek’s J.J. Abrams Advised Chris Pine to Be ‘Less Shatner’ While Portraying James T. Kirk

Chris Pine Believes the Star Trek Franchise Is 'Cursed'

Star Trek 4: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know

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