It’s not often we see a sequel outshine it’s predecessor. In this case, I do believe that “Star Trek Into Darkness” is one of the few films that does. It really is better than the first film, “Star Trek” and let me tell you why.
I loathe reboots. In fact, I cringe at even the thought of them. I am a “purist”. I don’t like it when things I love get redone for a more commercial audience and in turn, ruins everything I loved about the original series/films. But with “Star Trek” & “Star Trek Into Darkness”, I don’t have to worry about that. J.J. Abrams knows how to maintain the spirit of the original series while appealing to a mass audience. I found myself laughing and recognising a lot of references to the original series. But even if you aren’t a big Trekkie, not knowing these references won’t impede on your viewing and enjoyment of the film either.
The storyline is actually really intriguing. We are introduced to a still very rebellious Captain Kirk that has problems with following the rules. As the movie progresses, we are made to understand it isn’t that Captain Kirk is purposely being difficult and causing trouble, but that Kirk is actually a man that reacts more on emotion, trust, insight and intuition. The story is also about family and friendship and resonates the same spirit that the previous film had.
“Star Trek Into Darkness” expands on the series with more action, moredrama, more humour, more amazing special effects, more referencesand more character than it’s predecessor. It’s exciting that we get to see our favourite characters again through the great acting of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin and John Cho. Although the cast performed well all round, I do believe that Benedict Cumberbatch almost steals the show with his outstanding performance and I daresay the movie wouldn’t be nearly as good without him.
The special effects are amazing and viewing this film in 3D is a definite MUST for Star Trek Into Darkness. I understand many of you are sceptical about 3D in general, but let me tell you now that seeing this film in 3D is worth it. Sequences of the film have actually been shot in IMAX, so I would definitely recommend that if you are going to see this film, see it in IMAX 3D. I saw this film in IMAX Digital 3D at IMAX Melbourne in a preview screening and was really impressed. I cannot wait to see this in IMAX Film 3D because then I will be able to compare the two and see a difference in quality, and how this effects the overall viewing of the film.
EDIT: After seeing this in IMAX Film 3D, I definitely recommend it above all other choices of viewing. I had thought that from viewing the film in IMAX Digital 3D, my experience couldn’t get any better. But I was wrong, and rightly so!
I loved Star Trek Into Darkness. As a big Star Trek fan having grown up watching most of the Star Trek series as a kid, I do believe that this new film series does do the original series justice. Not only do I boldly say this is THE SCI-FI MOVIE of THE YEAR, but I do believe that 2013 is the Year of the Sci-fi, and rightly so. I can’t wait for the next film in the series already, and I want more!