I haven’t been a Star Trek fan as long as I would like. I knew about it since quite some time but I really got into it with the first Star Trek movie reboot. I immediately picked up on all the ten movies and then started with Star Trek: The Original Series. Wrong order – completely, I know. But that is how it started for me.
So now, you can say that I was more than prepared for Star Trek Into Darkness. I followed all the rumours and waited excitedly for the release. I had heard that this would be an epic movie, but I never understood. Epic was never James T. Kirk’s style. He makes everything look so simple and cool.
And once I watched the movie, I found out I was right. I thoroughly enjoyed it, even though there was a small part of me that wanted to see the epicness. The action and pacing was great. 3D was well done, except in beginning where it was sort of exaggerated. Kirk and Spock were excellently portrayed, as expected. But the movie was still somewhat of a mess. It didn’t feel like a Star Trek movie, at least not one with Kirk and Spock.
TL;DR – It is still a great movie, overall. Must watch! Star Trek fans or not, you would enjoy it. Now, if you don’t want spoilers, you better stop reading now.
Spoilers Ahead!
Lets see the series. Star Trek – The Motion Picture, the very first Star Trek movie dealt with James T. Kirk taking command of the Enterprise as an admiral and “deal” with a force too great. He dealt with the Voyager employing his cunning and wit.
In the new Star Trek movie, James T. Kirk takes command of the Enterprise but from the position of a first officer. This reboot deals with a force too great to defeat but this time there is a heavy display of action, not just diplomacy, which almost always sufficed in the original series.
Star Trek Into Darkness
And so, we come to the Star Trek Into Darkness – the second movie in the reboot series. Many predicted that this would be about Khan, and they were right. It mirrors most of the story of The Wrath of Khan, but in kind of an opposite way. For most part, Kirk and Spock have swapped roles. For instance, we have Kirk sacrificing his life in the end and then being resurrected, instead of Spock.
Khan’s background is mostly the same – genetically modified, leaders of Earth in 1990’s – found with his crew aboard a shuttle in deep sleep. In the original series, they are woken up by the Enterprise. Here, it is someone else.
Khaaan!
Khan is still the antagonist, although not the only one in this movie. There is another man competing for the post of most powerful ruler of the galaxy, and he somehow looked like Sith too. This makes the story work, but takes away some of its charm.
Space…
I think this movie just works and provides entertainment rather than being what Star Trek has always been to me – Voyages of the USS Enterprise. I am most happy about the fact that they won’t have another movie to get back Kirk. This means that the next movie should be a remake of The Voyage Home – my favourite movie in the whole series – old and new.
Leave a Reply