Star Trek Into Darkness

Ratings: 9.5/10

Film Class: A

Genre: Action Sci-Fi

If you thought Sci-Fi movies couldn't get any better... welcome to the new frontier. Star Trek Into Darkness exceeds all my expectations, I braced myself for a disappointment when I read great reviews about it because I couldn't fathom how this seemingly "old-fashioned" sci-fi movie could hit the top #250 list on imdb. Quite frankly, I think it deserves better than a #164 ranking. This Star Trek sequel has warped my "old-fashioned stereotyping mentality" to a world where no sci-fi movie has taken me before.

And even though the entire movie takes place in a dull black, seemingly boring space backdrop, it didn't feel like a monotonous playback of scenes but instead transcends the audience into a whole new world, with an entirely refreshing feeling of actually being in space with the characters, doing what they did, feeling what they felt. 

There's such strong character buildup that there were a couple of emotional scenes which really got to me. I love almost every character, and it's one of those few films where even the villain will be well-liked by many. He's a kickass villain, and just when I thought my suspicion about his character was right, due to his "glorifying" trailer preview and a poster dedicated solely to him, I was pleasantly surprised that this super villain is more than meets the eye. 

Most of the credit for the success of the movie has to go to the 3 main leads, Chris Pine (Captain Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock) and of course the villain, Benedict Cumberbatch (Khan), for their engaging portrayal of their characters and the awkwardly mismatched chemistry they have. There's also many other well-known cast, such as Zoe Saldana (who starred in Avatar), Karl Urban (who starred in Dredd), funny man Simon Pegg (who's well known for his role in Shaun of the Dead) and veteran actor Bruce Greenwood, who has mostly acted in roles as a wise and respected figure. And that is what I love about this film. 

Director J.J. Abrams gave each of his cast just the right amount of screen time to showcase themselves, while keeping the main focus of the entire movie on the friendship between the 2 leads, Captain Kirk and Spock. Well-paced, well-scripted, well-executed.

It was just so awesome to feel for the impulsive yet right-minded Captain Kirk, to laugh and weep with the 1/2 human, 1/2 vulcan almost robotic-like by-the-book Spock, and to be awed by the intellect and fighting skills of the supervillain cool-faced Khan. During the credits, I even heard a couple of guys commenting on how they were stunned that the villain was actually Khan, as if he was some unbeatable nemesis of Kirk and Spock in the old Star Trek franchise. Pardon me for my ignorance for Star Trek fans out there but I thought for once, I'll just critique a franchised movie the layman-way that I see it - without any prior knowledge since I was never a Star Trek fan to begin with. 

However, I can say this stand-alone Star Trek movie has converted me into being a fan. The first movie of this new Star Trek franchise was forgettable, but thanks to breathtaking scenes (especially the opening scene) and high-tech sci-fi technology of space warping/travel, coupled with such strong character development and story, this sequel is sure to be at the tip of the tongue for most on their reccomendation list.

Set in futuristic world, the crew of a starship by the name of the Enterprise led by Captain Kirk must find and hunt down a terrorist who was once a part of their organisation. However he uncovers a greater conspiracy and he's put to the ultimate test when the lives of his crew are put on the line, the only family he has left.

There's no post-credits scene (aka stinger) for this sequel, surprisingly, even though I didn't sit through till the end because thanks to 4G these days, I googled it before leaving the cinema. So for those of you wondering, don't bother staying back. 

If I could sum it up, Star Trek Into Darkness has redefined Sci-Fi movies and has revived an age-old franchise suited for all ages, all genders and all nations. Yup, it's that epic.