Star Trek: Into Darkness

Director- J.J Abrams

Running time- 132 minutes

Rating- PG

A very enjoyable albeit formulaic Sci-Fi action film

The reboot of the Star Trek franchise into a new film series back in 2009 was ambitious, and to many people a very welcome surprise. It was perfectly cast (all of whom once again return) and had a great blend of storytelling as well as action that is so hard to pull off in science fiction genre.

This sequel does not quite live up to either, and it's disappointing because the trailer was one of the best that I have seen for a very long time. The basis of the plot revolves around a terrorist attack in London, which then leads the Enterprise in pursuit of the perpetrator, an ex starfleet agent, menacingly and brilliantly played by Benedict Cumberbatch, although there is one slight twist in his eventual plans, the narrative of the film doesn't change much, and neither is it any different to anything else that we have already seen.

There's nothing wrong with this, most films are formulaic in some sense, but what they can't be, is being very predictable. Moments of tension and real emotional character interaction fall flat when everything turns out as you expected, each scene is predictably telegraphed into the next. The action scenes are well choreographed and exciting to watch and very large in scale, one particular gunfight with the Klingons in the early part of the film is very good although a little short.

Visually it is one of the best film's I have ever seen, unlike most sci-fi films it has a great collage of scenes that vary in colour, in an often dark and frantic atmosphere that dominates much of its running time. The Enterprise is wonderfully modeled, and showcases what CGI is capable of doing. The cast is again perfect, although understandably the primary characters are Spock and James Kirk, although their personalities clash, the partnership is as intriguing and holds the film together well. Apart from the villain the rest of the characters are nothing more than supporting roles in terms of screen time.

The film ends much like the last film, and most of the episodes of the original series. A final encounter with the main villain followed by the Enterprise going into warp to embark on another expedition, and then for the credits to roll.

If you put aside the fact that it's unoriginal and formulaic, Into Darkness is an enjoyable film, and one which your time will not be wasted on. There is more than enough here to keep you entertained, and to keep you excited for another sequel.

3.5/5