Since first appearing on television in 1966, the Star Trek franchise has proudly espoused its mantra of boldly going where no man has gone before – and for much of its lifespan it has achieved that mission. On-screen, the show’s beloved characters traversed strange new worlds in weekly adventures. Off-screen, the modest creation of Gene Roddenberry became a cult phenomenon, spawning five spin-off programs and 12 films.
When director JJ Abrams (Super 8) took the franchise’s reins with 2009’s feature reboot, the focus on the origins of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine, This Means War) and Spock (Zachary Quinto, Margin Call) enabled the mining of fresh material, while retaining strong ties to the beloved series. A sequel became inevitable given the movie’s critical and box office success; after more than four decades telling similar tales, an air of familiarity and formula also became inescapable.
Accordingly, Star Trek Into Darkness assembles the usual elements for another re-imagined stint on the USS Enterprise: an ‘opposites attract’ camaraderie between the brash Kirk and restrained Spock, the trusty support of Bones (Karl Urban, Dredd), Scotty (Simon Pegg, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), Sulu (John Cho, Identity Thief), Chekov (Anton Yelchin, Fright Night) and Uhura (Zoe Saldana, The Words), and the incursion of a formidable adversary – in this instance, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch, TV’s Sherlock). The fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance as politics and power come into play, forcing the ship’s crew into a deadly game of cat and mouse with their terrorist enemy.
A rollicking romp of an opening sequence may signal Star Trek Into Darkness’ fondness for what has come before, aping a classic Spielberg scene as much as its own history; however the repetitive tendencies of writing team of Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof (Cowboys & Aliens) don’t end there. Rehashing the themes and structure of the film’s immediate predecessor – albeit more as an action offering than a space soap opera – the latest effort firmly dwells in the tried and tested despite its alternate timeline.
Adhering to blockbuster clichés, the movie remains entertaining – with the rapport between Pine and Quinto perfecting their protagonists’ odd couple pairing, and the casting of the always commanding Cumberbatch as the villain adding much needed weight and wit in all-too-measured doses. Abrams again impresses with large-scale set-pieces, as heightened by immaculately-crafted, lens flare-saturated aesthetics, while the film’s light-hearted tone retains a sense of fun and amusement amidst a thoughtful contemplation of selflessness and heroism.
Yet, an air of the expected lingers in an effort engineered to hit as many marks as possible, tempering any endeavour to match the scope of its visuals with narrative or character depth. The result is palatable but perfunctory and predictable, with Star Trek Into Darkness a preordained but unsurprising continuation of the franchise.
Rating: 3 stars out of 5
Star Trek Into Darkness
Director: J.J. Abrams
US, 2013, 132 mins
Release date: May 9
Distributor: Paramount
Rated: M
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