Director: J.J. Abrams

Writer: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof

Based On: Television series (Star Trek) by Gene Roddenberry

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch

Tomatometer: 86/78/89 (all critics, top critics, audience)

Spoiler-free Summary: Captain Kirk saves Mr. Spock’s life, breaking Starfleet protocol in the process.  Kirk gets demoted and loses his ship, the U.S.S. Enterprise.  Meanwhile, a mysterious Starfleet officer seems pretty excited about killing his colleagues.  Naturally, the only man who can save the universe is William Shatner.

Two Cents: …to boldly go where so many have gone before.

Star Trek Into Darkness is a very solid summer blockbuster – it’s got action, adventure, plot twists, and a subtitle.  What it lacks is originality.  Sure, this sequel is entertaining, but, after striking gold with his first Star Trek movie, it seems as though J.J. Abrams is running out of tricks.  One of the great things about science fiction is that it’s completely fabricated.  There’s no limit to the possibilities when it comes to characters, plot lines, locations, vehicles, gadgets, etc.  Literally (used correctly, not the way it would be used by someone who was raised by wolves), the possibilities are limitless.  So, why can’t J.J. Abrams, the crowned prince of science fiction (and Felicity, oddly enough), come up with anything new?

I understand the requisite nods to the old Star Trek series and films, but Abrams does more than nod, he practically headbutts them right in the groin, making certain elements (especially the dialogue) seem awkward and forced.  Not only that, he nods to the nods!  At one point, the forced similarity between Karl Urban’s Bones and the original character becomes so annoying that Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk points out just how annoying it is.  J.J., my dear friend, if you think it’s annoying, don’t tell everyone you think it’s annoying, just take it out.  Oh, and a punch sounds nothing like a car crash – even in space – so, cool it on the sound effects.

Benedict Cumberbatch is becoming a seriously big deal.  If you don’t recognize him, you haven’t been spending enough time in a seated position.  He was in War Horse, Atonement, and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, among others, and, personally, I was first introduced to him (along with his Star Trek costar Alice Eve) in a great film called Starter for 10.  He is, by galaxies, the best actor in Star Trek Into Darkness, and he was a fantastic choice for his character, Space Hitler.  He’ll actually be playing a similar character in the Hobbit franchise, as well.

Chris Pine, one of my favorite young stars (and my personal choice to play the lead in a screenplay I’m writing), definitely holds his own, as well.  Not only does Pine attempt to save the universe, he (along with Cumberbatch) saves this movie from being somewhat laughable.  His Kirk is the most deeply defined character, and his screen presence is undeniable.  I happen to like a lot of the other cast members in this movie, but there’s so much cheese and nostalgia (to put it nicely) that it’s difficult to figure out who’s really acting (probably no one) and who’s just doing impressions.

J.J. Abrams is definitely at the top of the sci-fi mountain in Hollywood, but I refuse to believe that he’s at the top of his game.  Considering Abrams’s history with writers Orci, Kurtzman, and Lindelof (co-creator of Lost), I expected something groundbreaking.  Hopefully, Abrams is saving his tricks for the new Star Wars movie (Abrams is actually a fan of that franchise), because there hasn’t been a good one of those in 30 years.

Should I/Shouldn’t I: It’s summer!  You should absolutely go see one of the biggest blockbusters of the year.  Star Trek Into Darkness is fun and action-packed, and you will enjoy it.  As long as you don’t expect to be beamed into a dimension where cinematic geniuses break the summer movie mold and alter the sci-fi genre as we know it, you’ll be happy you went to the theater.  However, there will be a new space movie coming out every other week this summer, so, if funds are tight, feel free to save your money for a different one.

Sundae Rating: Two scoops