Movie Review: Star Trek: Into Darkness

YES I WATCHED IT. And I've been putting this review off.

Title: Star Trek: Inro Darkness
Director: J. J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch

Synopsis: 

After a reckless and rule-breaking rescue, things are strained between Kirk and Spock after Kirk looses command of the Enterprise. But when a terrorist starts bombing large, top-secret facilities, Kirk embarks on an unauthorised mission to destroy a Klingon planet--but what's so important about this terrorist?

Review: 

Well. Let me tell you the story of my going to watch this. I was sitting with my friend Gabby, who's a Benedict Cumberbatch fan too. And so we were sitting in the cinema which was fairly empty, and a group of three girls from another school sat beside us. And the first time Benedict came onto the screen (and the next five times or so) Gabby and I both squealed and the girl sitting next to me squealed too. It's like one of those spontaneous friendships. Then after the movie, me and Gabby were in the toilet and were arguing over whether Benedict's hair looked better in the movie or in Sherlock and I said loudly, "He looked better in Sherlock!" And this random 20-ish girl with green highlights just looked overs and nodded and said "Yeah he looked better in Sherlock" and not knowing what to do, me and Gabby continued our conversation until she was out of earshot, then burst into hysterical laughter. Ehehehehehe this movie was like the communal of Benedict Cumberbatch fans... Good times. 

Anyway, the movie. 

Okay wait let me lose it for a second. Noel Clarke, Mickey Smith, was there in the beginning playing a loving father who blew up his top-secret office to save his daughter's life. Yup. There was me right there in the cinema, the only person freaking out the whole time he was on screen. Eheheheh. 

Okay. Objective. Objective. *bangs head*

The visuals were wonderful and very J. J. Abrams. He took an awful long time making this movie. Not that I'm complaining. It gave me plenty of time to pick up the fandom again. Despite all the promotions being all about Benedict Cumberbatch's character, the story was mostly about Kirk and Spock, as it should be. Chris Pine did a great job of showing Kirk's transition from reckless-captain to  the realization of how protective he felt of his crew and Zachary Quinto did an awesome subtle job of showing Spock's growth as a character and coming to terms with his human side. The internal struggle between the two's contrasting characters was wonderfully written, if slightly cheesy at times (but the cheesyness was totally worth it). 

Okay, I'm going to take a moment here and talk about Zachary Quinto's makeup. He cut his hair for Spock, and his eyebrows and all that, but for some reason, he can't sell me on the whole 'alien' thing. He literally just looks like a guy whose prosthetics have been caked on a little too obviously. 

The action was brilliant as ever. The visuals. Can I say it again? It was beautiful The whole space thing.  Leonard Nimoy made a cameo, though I doubt he was ever actually on set. But there were enough nods to the old series that I literally cried through some bits. 

Let's now examine the antagonist(s) of this movie. Despite the whole hoo-ha about Benedict Cumberbatch's role, he, as I tell people who haven't watched it, spent 80% of his screen time beating people up brutally and unnecessarily, 15% swearing revenge and evil shit, and 5% crying and trying (unsuccessfully) to make the audience sympathise with him. Really. That was his character. The true identity of his character was leaked before the movie even though it was supposed to be a big secret or something, so that was a fail. So he's Khan, and he's this genetically enhance superperson, so he's super strong and indestructible practically, and he's totally evil. I mean, that guy's justification of his being completely sadistic was because he was shunned for being different. And it was only mentioned once--they didn't really try to make a point of it or try to develop his character further. Benedict himself wasn't really outstanding in this role: he did the mandatory crying and punching and leaping, but he didn't bring any particular depth to the character or any character quirks that would make him relatable. I guess the script didn't give him much room to develop the character, but he could have done something. 

There's the other antagonist, but he was really completely unnecessary. I totally didn't understand the purpose of his character. Honestly. 

The whole Kirk and Spock role reversal thing was genius given how the story began. Whoever wrote this was definitely doing it right there. And the acting was just brilliant. I can't even- CHRIS PINE. There was this super emotional scene in which me and Gabby were just tearing and there were tears everywhere and gah. 

The ending, well basically it ended the same way the first one did. But not as nice because Leonard Nimoy didn't voice it. But in all the movie was brilliant and awesome. 

Grade: A- Great movie with great visuals and acting from the main characters, I didn't like the antagonists though.