[IGH] at the Movies: Star Trek Into Darkness

This past Wednesday, five contributors to [IGH] set off on a mission, to boldly go and see the new movie, Star Trek Into Darkness.  Not surprisingly, we all had various opinions of this much-expected film.  So we have brought you a MEGA REVIEW filled with a variety of opinions!  If you have seen the film, share your thoughts in the comments too!

MisterJackal's Review
Much like the previous film, the performances in Star Trek Into Darkness were all great! The relationship between Kirk and Spock was absolutely perfect. Their constant back and forth brings a natural progression to the relationship you were introduced to in the first one. The rest of the crew did a great job sticking with their Captain. But my hat goes off to Benedict Cumberbatch. He did a phenomenal job! OMG, he was good. I was a little skeptical to see what he was going to do in this but he was absolutely spectacular as the villain. He brings a huge menacing presence that absolutely over shadows everyone that is in the scene with him.  Besides it being a full of great performances; it is beautifully shot. At no moment in this film do you feel that you are watching a regular movie that is filled with CGI. There are some scenes that you are engulfed into the environment and you feel like you are on a strange planet.  The story is really well put together and does a great job providing fan service. Even though this film is part of a franchise that has been around for years, people with no knowledge of the previous films can enjoy this. There is one moment in particular that had me in tears. Not only because of the fan service but because of the connection I had with the character.  I absolutely love this film and I can't wait to watch this a third time!


PoohBear's Review

The moment the movie begins, you are thrown into the action and it is non-stop. The storyline is pretty fluid throughout and easy enough to follow. John Harrison (Cumberbatch) blows up a library-like facility, and it’s a mystery as to why so he is aggressively pursued by the Enterprise crew. The actors are amazing -- most notably Benedict Cumberbatch. He just IS the character. He is rim-rod straight and focused throughout. Whomever wrote his part in this movie was just brilliant. Cumberbatch delivered all his lines perfectly with all the right emotions at the right time. Pinpoint accurate. I did have some issues with some of the original Star Trek lines getting thrown in for the heck of it. Not that they were out of place but I felt it was forced rather than natural. More of a “We need a laugh here so throw in one of McCoy’s classic lines! STAT!” The moral theme was kind of pounded into you too much. I’d say go see this but maybe pay matinee prices instead. Not a bad movie but it needed a little work in certain places. I would recommend seeing it in 3D. It did add many good visual effects to a lot of the scenes.

Reboot's Review
The final frontier looks oddly familiar.  J. J. Abrams and the gang boldly go back to what made the film enjoyable; mainly the chemistry with the crew and the strong characterisations provided by actors like Karl Urban and Simon Pegg.  Unfortunately, we also revisit the same mistakes from the first film.  The villains are two dimensional and almost completely lack any motivation beyond wanting to just kill people for doing what they're doing.  This is incredibly frustrating to watch as you witness just how developed the crew is. The film also tries too hard to be unpredictable, thus making it a bit too predictable as a result.  Overall, I'd say the negatives outweight the positives, but it was still a decent way to spend an evening.  Sidenote, I saw this in 3D and while the space scenes were great, you'll also have to endure giant faces crying at you.  A lot.  It really does happen a lot and it's awkward.

Wilderowens' Review

Star Trek Into Darkness is a film equivalent of Frankenstein.  That’s because the major plot point have been cherry picked from 2 different movies and various episodes from the Star Trek Universe.  However, unlike Frankenstein, this movie failed to become something new and alive.  The entire film felt predictable and tired for me, probably because I am such a huge Trek fan.  (Seriously, don’t get me started on what they did to the Klingons.  WTF was that?!)  The cinematography bothered me tremendously, as the foreground often had a blurry figure covering a significant portion of the screen.  Watching it in 3D probably made it worse but still, to have a dark, blurry head covering half the screen made me wonder if something was blocking the projector at first!  The one saving grace of this film, and what made me not hate it, was the wonderful crew of the Enterprise.   The banter between various members of the cast was fantastic.  I dare say that Pine and Quinto are better at the bromance than Shatner and Nimoy, although that is probably because they like each other better.  You may like this film better if you aren't a Trekkie/Trekker but I can say as a longtime fan that I’m disappointed.

Wysefyre's Review

I love the movie. I want to see it again. I can't remember the last time I got so excited over a movie, but that doesn't mean it's perfect. The plot is a little convoluted and at times, predictable. I knew certain things were going to happen long before they did. I like how writers tried to pay homage to the original ST universe, but at times, it feels like they're trying too hard, as if they want to please the fans so badly that, sometimes, they forget to just tell the story. The only reason I'm able to look past all of the plot problems is because cast is so strong. The movie focuses a lot on Kirk and Spock's relationship. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto have great chemistry, and Zachary, in particular, shines. Benedict Cumberbatch gives a great performance, but his character is underdeveloped, yet he manages to bring a certain gravitas to the role. However, it is Simon Pegg and Karl Urban who steal the movie. If someone would please make a Scotty and Bones movie or sitcom, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. The effects and the action are fantastic. JJ Abrams knows how to make you feel like you're on the Enterprise and flying through space, and thankfully, he keeps the lens flares to a minimum. But what I really love about the movie is the drinking game that is begging to happen. One drink for every time you see someone from a different fandom (only take one drink for the main characters). It's a fandom-palooza! There are actors from Doctor Who, Nightmare on Elm Street (the original), X-Men, Robocop, Family Guy, Dollhouse, and more. I don't normally notice this sort of thing but there are so many, it's hard not to. *Side note - PoohBear and I geeked out hard when we saw Noel Clarke was in the film. We started giggling and couldn't stop.* Overall, I think general audiences will love the movie but Trekkies might not.

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