Star Trek Into Darkness

Sheldon Would Approve: Star Trek Into Darkness Review

startrek.com

Spock and Kirk interrogate their prisoner, Khan. 

These days, most people can't think of Star Trek without making an association to Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory," who not only bears a remarkable similarity to the character of Mr. Spock, but idolizes the entire Trekkie fandom. Star Trek Into Darkness manages to convey a magnificent blend of action and exposition, leading me to believe that Sheldon would definitely approve of the new addition to this timeless franchise. And it gets my approval as well. 

A follow up to the 2009 hit, Star Trek Into Darkness takes place one year after the first film's events. Kirk still captains the U.S.S. Enterprise with a seemingly careless and reckless attitude, while the half-human, half-emotionless Vulcan Spock continues to balance logical reasoning with his emotions and feelings, much to the frustration of his girlfriend, Uhura (Zoë Saldana). 

After a member of their Enterprise committee is murdered, Kirk, Spock, and the entire Enterprise crew go on a manhunt for the man who did it, a superhuman fresh out of cryogenic sleep - Khan. Khan's motives and ultimate goals become apparent, leading to secrets that corrupt the integrity of The Federation being exposed. Khan is both a villain and a victim, but by the end of the movie, we really only care about him being one of those two. 

I'm not a Trekkie, and so the only other Star Trek movie I had seen prior to this was the 2009 reboot. However, I was familiar enough with the storyline to understand the massive undertaking that the creation of 2009's Star Trek was. This sequel lacks the marvelously ingenious ideas present in the first movie, but still succeeds nonetheless. The performances are among the best I've seen in a sci-fi movie, particularly those of Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Aside from a latter half that didn't quite meet the standards set by the first half, and occasionally unsatisfactory character development, Star Trek Into Darkness is a welcomed addition to the Star Trek universe, the recent list of high-quality sci-fi movies, and J.J. Abrams' filmography. Hopefully all summer blockbusters follow the example of quality filmmaking set by this film.

Rating: 4.5/5

Oscar chances: Nominations for Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing are all likely, with possible shots at Film Editing, Production Design, and Supporting Actor (for Quinto or Cumberbatch).