A space time continuum

One of my most enjoyable movie watching experiences was with the 2009 reboot of the Star Trek franchise. Director J.J. Abrams had the unenviable task of trying to reboot an iconic franchise for a whole new generation. While it is always daunting to try and take on a role played so famously by someone else, it was the cast that made that movie work. They not only had great chemistry with each other, but they all seemed to find a way to balance paying homage with infusing something new into their characters.

Four years later, the Enterprise crew is back for a new set of adventures in Star Trek Into Darkness. Once again, Abrams directs this likeable cast of explorers as they battle an enigmatic villain named John Harrison. Played with scowling menace by Benedict Cumberbatch, Harrison wreaks havoc on Starfleet with attacks on several of their buildings. Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) and his crew are tasked with taking out the threat but they learn there's more to this character than just being your average terrorist. Of course, I can't say too much more about him without spoiling key pieces to the film's story

Without going into too great of detail to the movie's plot points, I can say that I don't feel the story holds up well under scrutiny. Whenever you're dealing with big budget action picture, there are likely going to be some plotholes. Those don't bother me as much as the familiarity factor. Too much of the overall story, as well as individual set pieces feel cribbed from other films. Take for instance the scene where the Enterprise crew has midway through the film captured Harrison and placed him in a "secure" cell so that they can interrogate him. This setup has been done way too much recently in films including Skyfall, The Avengers, and The Dark Knight. Anyone with half a brain can see exactly what will happen next.

The writers not only borrow material from other franchises, but from their own as well. Several of the film's key plot points were done in previous Trek films. If you recall in the 2009 reboot one of the twists was that the timeline had been altered thanks to Spock going through a wormhole. This was how the film could justify having both Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy both play Spock. I guess the writers felt this gave them justification for revisiting storylines from the original series and films and giving them slight changes. It's too cute of a concept and just comes off as being lazy rather than clever. The fact that it took this group four years to make a film that at times feels like a remake of Wrath of Khan is rather disappointing.

The issues of disappointment, however, really only come after you have left the theater. In the moment, Star Trek Into Darkness holds up as a thoroughly entertaining film. Once again, the interplay between the cast is what works the best. The actors have great comedic timing with each other during the film's lighter moments. And yet when things get more serious, you largely buy into the emotions (or in Spock's case lack of emotion) that they try to convey.

From a technical standpoint, the movie is also a winner. I know some get irritated with Abrams' use of lens flare, but it's only noticeable if you want it to be noticeable. The rest of the visual effects are impressive and give the film an added sense of drama. You appreciate the detail that goes into each location whether it is the intricacies of the construction inside the Enterprise or the unique, strange planets that the crew travels to. Watching it, I wasn't only impressed with what I was seeing, but also excited about the prospect of Abrams being able to bring that same creative vision to the Star Wars franchise in a few years.

Like the vast area that the Enterprise travels through, Star Trek Into Darkness is an empty thrill. It's a well made film that really does not offer viewers anything new. The excitement that the 2009 reboot offered has begun to wane. All of the parts are there to allow this to remain a successful franchise, but future films need to be smarter with the stories they tell. This sequel offers few surprises and telegraphs the few that it does have with unnecessarily heavy amount of scenes of exposition. With J.J. moving over to Jedi country, hopefully some new voices can come in and do something great with the solid foundation is in place. As for this film, while very entertaining as summer popcorn fare, its story boldly goes where too many men have gone before. Grade: B