If you’re a sci-fi, fantasy kind of girl or guy, then this is your summer when it comes to movies. There are more than a few remakes and new-makes about to hit silver screens all over town. Whether it’s Iron Man 3, Man of Steel or the second installment of the new Star Trek adventure, 2013 has it all.
Star Trek Into Darkness is directed by J.J. Abrams, of Mission Impossible III, Lost and Alias fame (he’s also working on the new Star Wars), and in his second foray into the Star Trek franchise, originally created by Gene Roddenberry back in 1964. In Into Darkness the crew of the Enterprise return to Earth to find themselves and Starfleet in some serious trouble, which leads Captain Kirk to a hostile planet where everything he holds dear is at stake.
Abrams’ prequel, simply named Star Trek, was released in 2009 and is set in an alternate timeline, alternate to what exactly? Don’t ask. According to the Internet it pleased Trekkies and new fans alike, but I didn’t dig it. I felt that the cast, especially the lead, played by Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, with his just-past-puberty looks, were unconvincing. OK so they’re supposed to be younger, but I just wasn’t feeling it.
I wouldn’t say I’m a Trekkie as such, but I did grow up watching re-runs of the original series on British TV, back in the day when there were only three TV channels, and you had to actually wait a whole week to see the next episode. I’m talking about the series that featured the original Spock, as in Leonard Nimoy (who is now as ancient as ancient can be) and the original cast headed by the ever enigmatic (some would say otherwise) Captain James T. Kirk, embodied by William Shatner. The one where Spock ironically says, “It’s life, Jim, but not as we know it.” Sadly, he doesn’t actually say that, that line is from a parody song called Star Trekkin’– I tell you the Internet just ruined my life.
I didn’t really take to the series that came after that, Star Trek: The Next Generation, starring Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard, and never took an interest in the numerous feature-length spin offs that followed. But, when the hankering for entertainment coupled with mounds of popcorn hit me, and I saw that the new, new, new Star Trek Into Darkness movie was showing at the IMAX cinema in 6th of October, I decided it might be worth a look – much to my geeky husband’s content.
Let me start by saying, I wear glasses, so when I see a cinema attendant waving a pair of bulky 3D glasses at me, I don’t get excited. But seeing as this was the IMAX, and Star Trek, I had no choice but to wrestle with them until they fit on my nose; double glasses are not an attractive look. Maybe this is a business opportunity for prescription 3D glasses? Far fetched, but hey this is science fiction. One good thing though is that they take them back from you as you leave, and stick them in a recycle bin.
Released on May 16th, Into Darkness has so far grossed a whopping $84.1 million at the US box office, and has a much coveted (as far as I’m concerned) 86% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
That being said, I went in expecting to be less than impressed with the film, seeing as I have such an emotional tie to the original, original which began almost 50 years ago. I was wrong. I enjoyed it so much I hardly noticed the ugly 3D glasses which were digging so hard into my forehead that I came out looking like a Klingon.
Speaking of Klingons, no Star Trek anything would be complete without a Klingony appearance and that is one of the items on the checklist which were fulfilled by the film. Although they’ve been given a slight redesign, which Abrams has been quoted as saying he found “cool”. Tut, tut. Did I mention the checklist? When I watch a film it has to fulfill certain criteria – such as good directing, tight script, true to the original etc etc. until infinity, and beyond.
To be honest, I enjoyed the movie so much, with its fascinating attention to detail, fast paced events, and interesting set of characters (many an alien subspecies abound) that I didn’t pay much attention to said checklist – which only exists in my mind anyway and can therefore be disregarded at leisure.
Maybe it’s their age and experience, maybe they’re just more comfortable in their roles, but the cast were far more convincing this time around and I found myself liking them. Surprisingly, I found myself liking the super villain, John Harrison, more than anyone else. Benedict Cumberbatch (yes that’s his real name) delivers a magnetic performance which I won’t get into any detail about, because I don’t want to spoil it for you. But trust me, he’s good. My second favorite would have to be Scotty, with his bumbling yet charming ways.
If, like me, you’re looking to be entertained and escape from reality for 130 minutes you won’t be disappointed – and if you’re a true Trekkie then I think you’ll be delighted.
