Star Trek: Into Darkness

“Star Trek Into Darkness” is a fitting sequel to the reboot. If you're looking for some awesome space battles, a bit of nostalgia and more of the characters you loved in the first film, this one’s for you. I found it very entertaining. I’ve just got a few, tiny complaints that stop it from being perfect.

Set a year after the previous film, the story sees Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine), his First Officer Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the Enterprise on a mission of revenge. The enigmatic John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) is wanted for heinous acts of terrorism against Starfleet and they’re tasked with bringing him in. What the crew doesn’t realize is that there’s far more to this menace than what appears on the surface.

The biggest problems I have with this sequel are also applicable to the 2009 film. There isn't really a sense of wonder and/or discovery when it comes to the space travel and exploration present. Although the film does address this, I feel like it focuses much more on the action that the actual moral ramifications of alien races and politics. “Into Darkness” also suffers from some characters’ actions being timed a little bit too well (which the first film did too) Basically, if you had problems with J. J. Abram's first "Star Trek", if you didn’t like that one, you won’t like this one either, but then again, why would you even be considering seeing this picture?

While some of the problems with the film are legitimate, you can see past them when you examine what this follow-up has to offer: a solid cast with great chemistry, excellent special effects, rousing space battles, stirring man-to-man combat, more of the "Star Trek" universe, good drama, laugh-out-loud comedy, more lens flares and some worthy villains for our heroes. If you're watching the movie in 3-D you'll also get plenty of moments that use the technology very well. Not only is this the kind of movie you want to see in the theater, it's the movie you want to see in 3-D. There's nothing quite like seeing ships firing Phasers and Photon Torpedoes at each other, seeing debris and shrapnel flying through space when the ships are as close to scale as they’re going to get without traveling to space and the explosions are coming right at you.

There's an overwhelming sense of fun here. The drama between the characters is good, you’re interested in the quiet moments whether they're getting into disagreements or building up their friendships. You get a real sense of camaraderie between everyone, meaning you care when they’re in peril. The chemistry between the actors leaps off the screen. It adds weight to the futuristic battles. There's also plenty of humor. It helps ease up the tension at key points, allowing you to have those ups and downs you need for a real roller coaster ride. I was particularly impressed with the different action sequences. Not only are they all original, they serve the plot, not the other way around. There are several callbacks to the older series of films (some subtle, some not so much) so if you're a hardcore fan you'll be happy to catch all the little nods and winks throughout. And if you’re new to the franchise? Well, those movies are great anyway, so if you feel left out, maybe that’s the motivation you need to see the originals.

In an action-packed movie like this, you have to admire the constant escalation. It never lets up. Without giving away too much, a lot of suspicious-seeming elements are actually a lot more dangerous than they appear and things frequently go from bad to worse for our heroes. I liked the villain of this film quite a bit and considering the spectacular climax and destruction, I think it’s just the kind of film you’re asking for when you go to the theater. I was happy that even with some familiarity with the original series, I wasn’t able to predict who or what was going to happen."Into Darkness" is an installment that's more than worthy of the fresh new take the 2009 film brought to the franchise. As a summer action flick, it delivers and the story is a lot of fun to follow. (3-D Theatrical version on the big screen, June 11, 2013)