Star Trek: Into Darkness - Thoughts

The 2009 reboot of Star Trek was incredibly well received, by both sci-fi fans, and general audiences. So the news of the sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness, was music to the ears of many an avid moviegoer. The trailer was action packed, and unlike the origins theme of its predecessor, added a veil of mystery and made things look intense. In Into Darkness, the Enterprise crew, after a big shake up in the Starfleet ranks, set off to pursue a rogue officer, in unsafe Klingon space.

After a pretty long runtime by English movie standards, I’d say that if you sat through it, watched it, and enjoyed it, you’re probably a Star Trek junkie or a sci-fi aficionado. While the first movie was aimed at general audiences, and favored pop culture and entertainment, the second is clearly for the strongly sci-fi inclined. If you don’t believe me, the folks fast asleep in the theater when the credits rolled, with their 3D glassed still on, will need to serve as proof. Star Trek Into Darkness has a strong story, and requires for you to follow it fairly seriously. The plot has its share of twists, and knowledge of the 1982 Star Trek movie, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan adds to the overall story-line. Personally I have not seen it, so I don’t believe it’s mandatory. There’s a good deal of action, and the grey super starship that audiences are exposed to is pretty cool. Character development from the first movie is evident, and seems gradual and realistic. At over 2 hours, the movie is engaging as the plot unfolds, coupled with the action, but only if sci-fi is your thing.  As someone who enjoys Star Trek, I did, and I’m sure most others like me will; but if you don’t follow Star Trek and aren't into sci-fi, I fear that you will find Star Trek Into Darkness a tad boring. Overall story evolution is excellent though, with the movie ending on a note that sets the stage for the original Star Trek TV serial.

Pretty much the entire cast from the 2009 movie is back. They have all grown into their roles well, seeming like fitting modern day representations of their counterparts from a generation before. Chekov played by Anton Yelchin is one such example, and interestingly a not so key role, that was yet convincingly portrayed; the situational humor surrounding his character coming out well. All the actors, including Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, and Zoe Saldana, have grown into the more developed characters well, coming across a lot more sure footed in their ways. It’s hard though to watch Zachary Quinto and not be reminded of the TV show Heroes. While he might make an okay Spock, much of the Star Trek audiences are partial to the legendary Leonard Nimoy. A notable addition to the cast is Peter Weller who stars as Marcus. Famous for his performance as RoboCop, it was interesting to see him in a senior and very human role.

Since I was keen to check this one out, I decided to hit the theater.  I was lucky to get a nice 3D and Dolby Atmos combo. Video was good, looking clear and stylized; in the sense that blueish whites were noticeably stronger, reminding us all that this was the future aboard a Starship. This was my second Atmos experience, and was very immersive. The sound truly felt like it was all around, and I didn't get the feeling that the sound was originating from any specific source; rather I felt enveloped in it. From 2 experiences so far, I personally feel that Dolby Atmos is not going to wow you, but it will give you an extremely immersive experience.

My Recommendation: Watch It (A fair progression to the Star Trek reboot)