Star Trek: Into Darkness - 4 smiles

To appreciate fully “Star Trek: Into Darkness,” it helps if you saw J.J. Abrams’ 2009 Star Trek reboot and are a fan of the original Gene Roddenberry TV series. You can certainly enjoy “Into Darkness” as a stand-alone sci-fi action flick, but the deeper pleasure comes from a history with the franchise. As the central characters, Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg and Karl Urban have an easy camaraderie and are so good that we never feel like we’re watching imposers. Pine’s Kirk has the swagger, looks and heroism to match Shatner’s while Quinto finds the balance between logic and emotion that Nimoy used in the role of Spock. Pegg’s often put-upon Scotty is humorously right on and Ubran’s McCoy offers a near-pitch perfect echo of Kelley’s sardonic wit. As the villain, Benedict Cumberbatch brings depth to the typically one-dimensional bad guy. The special effects are first rate although seeing the movie in 3D isn’t necessary.

The film starts a short time after the conclusion of the 2009 entry. Kirk (Pine) and his crew are trying to save a primitive society from an erupting volcano. In the process, Spock (Quinto) becomes trapped and Kirk must violate The Federation’s ‘Prime Directive’ to save him. This results in the Enterprise being given back to Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) and Kirk being demoted to First Officer. However, as this is happening, a rogue Starfleet officer, Commander John Harrison (Cumberbatch), has declared war on his employers. He detonates a bomb in London then stages a sneak attack on Starfleet Headquarters. Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), Pike’s superior, gives Kirk back his ship with new orders: track down Harrison, who is hiding on a Klingon planet, and bring him to justice. Director Abrams takes an opportunity to do what the old Star Trek often did: use a futuristic scenario to comment on contemporary issues. In this case, it’s terrorism and the policy of manufacturing a war to eliminate a perceived threat. “Star Trek: Into Darkness” is a gratifying continuation of characters we’ve come to care about. 5/15/2013