Star Trek into Darkness 2013 8 out of 10
I didn't see this movie in the theaters, because I absolutely hated the Reboot. I thought it didn't need to be rebooted in the first place. They could have just done the movies starring Kirk and Spock's early days in Star fleet without having to come up with it being basically an alternate universe so they could make things different. I hated the thought of having to reintroduce the characters and felt the Reboot lacked creativity (basically just borrowing from other films) I ranted at length about my dislike for the Reboot or Alternate Trek as I like to call it). You can read about why I hate the reboot here.
And then I found out the big secret that Star Trek into Darkness was a retelling of Khan......Really?? The Wrath of Khan is definitely the best of all the Trek movies. It brought back a great character from the old TV show and gave us a battle between Kirk and Khan with a history behind it. Like a great boxing match. So the fact that they were just retreading this old concept again.....(See several of the other Trek films that have tried to recreate Khan with other characters in my list of Trek films). So I was worried I would hate this film as well.
Here is my list of the Star Trek movies in order of how I rank them.
I was put off by the concept of them once again trying to capture or recreate what happened in Wrath of Khan on the big screen. It seems like all the Star Trek movies do is either Time Travel or role out a new Khan. I knew I would eventually see the film....Especially sense Abrams now has the reigns to my favorite franchise (Star Wars). I had to sit down and try and watch this movie with an open mind. I had to try and not bring my prejudice against the first film in this alternate Trek universe into play and just be okay with the fact that nothing in this film has anything to do with the rest of the entire Star Trek universe. I mean the events of this movie may as well have happened in the universe where Kirk is Evil and has a beard. And so you ask what did I think of it???? Well.......I actually liked it and think it is probably the second best Trek movie. Shocked you are I can tell.
List of what I liked in the movie:
1. The visuals were excellent and the action scenes were exciting.
It was a thrilling movie.
2. The story which I was worried about, was actually really well written and this alternate version of Khan story was interesting and unique (something the Reboot lacked). Even though it threaded on familiar ground it was able to tell it in a new and interesting way.
3. The cast was excellent. They have really come into their own now. Bones and Scotty were dead on (just like in the Reboot--one of the few things I liked about it) and the rest of the crew was excellent. And Cumberbath was a great as was Robocop (Peter Weller)
4. This being a sequel I didn't have to sit through boring origin stories, a real weakness in the first film. You already know the characters and so the film is able to just jump write into the story. This is a huge benefit of sequels.
Things I didn't like:
1. The Klingons looked terrible. Like extras out of the movie Enemy Mine. You didn't change how Vulcans looked (Space elves with plastic ears) Why change the Klingon look?
2. As great as the story was I still wish they would have covered new and different territory. The take on Khan was original and the performance by Cumberbatch was excellent it was still already done so well with Shatner and Mr. Rourke. There were so many good and original Sci-fi stories told throughout the many Trek shows that I wish they had done something new. The secret behind the first Khan movie was that Kirk and Khan already had that history from the TV show. We already knew Khan's back story and were allowed to just enjoy their showdown.
3.I still don't like the idea of the Reboot (alternate universe)....but once putting that aside it was very entertaining---yet it still could have been done and done right within the context of the traditional Star Trek universe.
Still a solid 8 out of 10......Maybe now I can rest at ease that Star Wars (a much better franchise) will be in good hands. The secret of enjoying this was my being able to let go of my hate of this being an alternate universe Trek and just being able to except that (which I couldn't in the first film).
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