Star Trek Into Darkness Cinema Review

Well I honestly don't know where this has all come from.:mad:

I took the family and we all really enjoyed it. There was more Trek in it than the first movie. There were more things being delt with than the first movie and it was a fantastic ride.

Not only that I thought it looked and sounded stunning. Easy the best looking sci fi in a long long time.

I really still don't like Chekov, and Simon pegg as Scotty as the comedy is just not fitting right but apart from that its great Trek.

What are people expecting? Look at the original trek. It was bombastic and sometimes silly, with kirk in fighting and flirting etc.
The JJ Trek is closer to the original trek imo. TNG and the others to follow were serious Trek that ultimately went so far from the original it alienated many people, and became bogged down.

The film does have layers but the great thing IMO is its masked with eye candy so everyone can find something.

Look at Mark Kermodes review for the proper angle. This AVF review has it wrong IMO.

Come again?

How's it wrong? I gave it - and I quote "a strong 7 out of 10" - and spoke at length about how much I enjoyed and recommended it.

I have my issues with the film, all duly noted. And as a confirmed long-time fan I am totally entitled to them. Just because it offers a great thrill-ride and is most certainly a visually spectacular feast doesn't mean that I have to ignore such things and just drool all over it with the OTT hype that many others have.

You'll find that even with films that I totally adore and go all fanboy over - and there's a helluva lot of them, believe me - I still point out elements that I don't like, or don't believe work too well.

Into Darkness is great fun indeed. I've actually seen it for a second time now. My concerns over certain elements still stand - in fact they have been reinforced and compounded - but I wouldn't hesitate in urging folks to go and see it for an instant. Popcorn entertainment. No more. No less.

What exactly do you expect from me? To ape another's "angle" so that it suits you a bit better?

Anyway, glad you enjoyed it. I did, too. Remember?

Cheers

Chris McEneany :devil:
 
Just got back and i thought this movie was excellent! reminded me of the old star trek movies when my dad took me to see star trek 2! entertaining throughout, there were a few things that bugged me but overall one of the most entertaining films ive seen in a long time and it worked very well in 3d. I am a big starwars fan and loved the first 2 older star trek movies.
The chap who plays kirk is very good in this and cumberbatch is also excellent.
Effects are stunning and some of the best to date seen in a sci fi, try and catch it at the best theatre you can as this film really deserves it.
Made me feel like a kid again and you cant ask for more than that!
apologies for my bullet points but its late, must got to sleep!


After this im confident he can make a good star wars movie.

8 out of 10 for me.
 
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Great review, thanks. I agree with all the second half of your spoiler section, I found that element a real let down. The film looked great but for me it really lacked the genuine emotional core that the original films / series had.
 
On one of the bluray forums they talked about the fleet jumping to warp as one of the test discs for bass.

Whenever it happened in this, considering i watched it at my local IMAX, I couldn't help but feeling disappointed at my home setup and wishing I could turn it up that high. Maybe if my neighbours go on holiday and I notice them gone I could :cool:

Seriously can't wait for this on disc, its hopefully going to be a referrence quality DTS-HD MA track.

I also wish they did IMAX 2d, because I still hate wearing the glasses, even though I wear glasses some of the time when I can't be bothered with contact lens.
 
Saw, this, Great movie, excellent effects, but i agree with review. however would give it 7.5/10 :)
 
Ha! I knew I spied Naevia in there, as seen in Spartacus Vengeance and War of the Damned. I knew I wasn't going mad.
 
Hi Chris, that's a great review... I've been pretty good with myself and stayed away from threads/spoilers before seeing the film.

Your review really captures my own personal thoughts - Once you got to the 'spoiler' bits, I totally agreed with everything you wrote :smashin:

It's a hugely enjoyable romp of space action, with a few 'huh?' moments - but overall a good watch. I somewhat suspect Gene Roddenberry is looking down from the ether thinking "...what have they done!"

If nothing else, this is putting me in the mood for Star Wars VII - I think JJ is going to deliver a good 'un.
 
Watched the film last night, really enjoyed it, but agree with this great review, many of my own thoughts were exactly the same.

Fun film full of action and some laughter, glad I didn't watch the endless trailers thrown at me before hand. I hate the long trailers, they ruin films for me, they often show so much I feel I've seen the entire film, all be it over a period of time.:thumbsdow
 
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I agree certain points in the film seemed too soon in the reboot, but:

Not so much Kirks death, but Spocks emotions, I'm not sure how Kirk and Spock can have the illogical versus emotional conflicts in subsequent movies now.
 
Yeah. Each film has a big emotional moment for Spock, they seem to enjoy putting him through the wringer.
 
^^^ dude!! Seriously :(

Sorry mate was a very small part of the film and hasn't given anything major away, after thinking about it though I shouldn't have posted it still.:rolleyes::facepalm:
 
Loved it. Was worried for a second that it would be too dark/overbearing but it really balanced everything perfectly. So many excellent set-pieces and tons of witty quips, and definitely a big step-up from the first film. Really felt for the characters - emotionally the film is more mature. I knew there was a reason I kept re-watching the previous film - wasn't a huge fan of later Trek but remember seeing Shatner/Nimoy series as a child, and feel this blends with my later Star Wars obsession perfectly, and natural evolution for a franchise that could have dwindled if not for these films. For me the film delivered, and surprised me - funny, brutal, and quite often breathtaking. I urge those who haven't seen it yet to seek out IMAX 3D, because this is the best 3D film since Tron: Legacy that I've seen (and that film is nothing on this). I'm largely anti-3D, but don't mind the odd one as long as it's in IMAX, and was surprised to find this one blew me away.

Verdict: 8-8.5/10

As for blockbuster sci-fi, this has been the first great one of the year so far, and for me I do hope that Elysium and Pacific Rim can top this - I have high expectations for both. On the other hand, I also hope Gravity and The Europa Report deliver something new - both seem pretty mysterious right now as to whether they'll either be more 2001/Solaris/Moon/Silent Running, or more akin to...Apollo 13?
 
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My main concern with the film is that it felt too startrek, which might alienate the mainstream. I couldn't help feeling like we were back in the startrek world we knew.

I watched all the startreks, so it doesn't put me off, but will be interesting to see if this has a negative impact on the viewing figures.
 
I really enjoyed the film but had reservations with some of the decisions made, so nice to see I'm not alone and pretty much agree 100% with the reviewer.

Fantastic effects and action sequences, so looks like Star Wars is in very safe hands.
 
Saw this yesterday afternoon, along with about a dozen others in the cinema.

(Hopefully more at an evening performance!)

Good for action and effects, but I thought the characters could have been better used, especially Bones and Sulu.

But thank goodness Scotty's stupid sidekick was minimised!
 
Huge disappointment after the great 1st film....sure it's a well made big budget Hollywood blockbuster... that I forgot about instantly the minute I stepped outside the theater.
 
Seeing this Thursday. I'm not a fan of 3D, so I take it a 2D showing is worthwhile seeing as it's only a post conversion and IMAX3D is not an option in Bristol?

You're exactly right. I've avoided seeing 3D films when I go up to Bristol to see friends as I've decided 3D is only really worth it if there's a big enough screen (i.e. IMAX). IMAX 2D > 2D ≥ IMAX 3D > 3D

If you can get to see it in IMAX 3D though, this has so far been my favourite for 3D - works better than any film I've seen so far. I usually hate/avoid 3D.
 
I disagree with pretty much all your criticisms in the spoiler section. I enjoyed all the things that annoyed you, but that's just personal preference. I did want to raise one point of order:

Ricardo Montalbán's parents were both Spanish, which makes him just as Caucasian as Cumberbatch but with a deeper tan...
 
Having seen the movie, written my own amateur review and gone back to your spoiler section, I am pretty much in total agreement. I also think its a 7/10 film and to be honest even that feels slightly grudging. Whole sections of the plot feel lazy, contrived and (most frustratingly) unnecessary. I can almost see the Honest Trailer and boy they are going to have a field day with it.

All that aside, I've been too heavily focusing on the negatives that I've overlooked the many positives. I did enjoy it and rewatching various movie clips have made me want to see it all over again. Some of my personal highlights include:

-The opening sequence- yeah its silly, but its cool, irreverent and exciting and captures the essence of the original series but with modern-blockbuster trimmings. Thats how the whole movie should have been.
-The warp effects and space scenes are incredible: the detail is extraordinary.
-The Klingon chase and subsequent firefight- now if that ain't star wars I dont know what is.
-Scotty sticking to his principles- good man!
-Sulu playing the badass (nice nod to his future command of Excelsior).
-Mid-warp space attack. Holy ****!
-Enterprise stabilising in the atmosphere and then, out of nowhere, the Vengeance swoops past- shuuuzzm!
-The crash scene in San Francisco is great too, but this is the second time the Federation headquarters gets almost trashed on a whim. Get some bloody defences!
 
I disagree with pretty much all your criticisms in the spoiler section. I enjoyed all the things that annoyed you, but that's just personal preference. I did want to raise one point of order:

Ricardo Montalbán's parents were both Spanish, which makes him just as Caucasian as Cumberbatch but with a deeper tan...
For all of the issues that I have with the film,
Khan getting all whitey-d up is not one of them. People tend to forget that Montalban didn't exactly come from the streets of Kolkatta, and he had a fair bit of makeup on in the TOS episode. He wasn't blacked up but he wasn't far off, which makes the accusations of JJ 'whitewashing' the character laughably misguided.

As for the character himself, TOS Khan was exotic and flamboyant, exactly what he needed to be at that time, and folks have gots to bear in mind that JJ's Khan is a put-upon downtrodden version of the insane megalomaniac that we know and love. And being that he's a secret agent, any overt differences in speech or appearance can be put down to him getting some work done. Not that that stuff really matters, considering how cavalier JJ has been regarding the Klingons' updated visage.

Oh, and let me say that I like Pegg's portrayal of Scotty and I think he's really starting to grow into the role. His accent sounded a wee bit forced before, but now it's a bit softer and more naturalistic. He got some fairly meaty scenes in this one too, shunting Sulu and Chekov down the pecking order - though Sulu's time in the chair was a lovely little moment.
 
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Thanks for the excellent review Chris. I saw the film over the weekend with friends who hadn't really grown up with Star Trek like I had. They all fully enjoyed the film, yet I felt conflicted - my friends couldn't understand this. Then, I read your review today and found that you had put into words exactly how I'd felt about the film, so thanks for that. :smashin:
 
an alternate look at ID by Felicia Day

You are officially spoiled if you read below, NO COMPLAINTS!

Up front I will say I enjoyed this latest Star Trek movie a lot. It was super noisy, but enjoyable, beautifully executed, and I particularly like some of the secondary characters, Spock was excellent, etc etc. I just want to share an observation that stuck with me:

Where are the women? The strong women? The women we’d like to see in 200 years? Where are they in this world? They certainly aren’t around the roundtable when the Starfleet are learning about Khan (there might have been one in that scene, if so that extra was not cut to in any significant manner to be notable.) In the scene where Kirk gets his ship back and the admiral is having a meeting with “important” people around a table later, I failed to see ONE WOMAN AROUND THAT TABLE, ALL MOSTLY WHITE MEN IMPLIED TO BE MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS TOGETHER. Yes, these are just scenes with extras, but seriously, in the future not one woman over 40 is in charge in this world?! How can that happen?

For main characters, Uhura had a FEW nice scenes (as a vehicle to humanize Spock mostly), but that other woman character was the WORST damsel in distress ever. I kept waiting for her turn, waiting for her to not be the victim, to be a bit cleverer, to add to the equation in a “yeah you go girl” way but no, she was there to be sufficiently sexy that Kirk would acknowledge her existence, to be pretty, to serve the plot. I loved her bob. That’s it. What if she had been a less attractive woman, older, overweight? A tomboy? Wouldn’t have that been a tad more interesting choice? Or at least give her a moment where she’s not a princess waiting to be saved. From a director who is so amazing, who created wonderful female characters in Alias and Felicity, I was super bummed by this. A woman character CAN exist without having to be sexually desired by the guy. Oh, and she doesn’t have to be a lesbian either, OMG WHAT A SURPRISING IDEA!

I don’t know if I’m extra sensitive about this issue or what, but I don’t think so, it’s a trend in media today. When I walk into the theater, I see men on posters. Mostly white men, the same men we see over and over in movies. Seth Rogen, Owen Wilson, Brad Pitt etc. Where did the women go? We are telling people that only men are worth centering storytelling around, and that’s just ********. And the problem is we unconsciously define the world and our culture through media. These things are subliminal, we absorb them, they formulate the “given” that influences people’s life choices. It might be a little thing on the surface, but this stuff is what prevents women from being as interested in math, or business people or tech etc. Where are the examples of women in media to strive for, to make that stuff seem possible? I don’t see many. And that makes me sad.

People ask me why I don’t like Disney cartoons (edit: Except for Brave :p), I say, “Think of a princess. Tell me three adjectives that come to mind. Now do that with a prince. Now do that with the phrase, “leading character”. We will all probably align around a lot of common ideas, Princess: taken care of, rescued, pretty dresses. Prince: adventurer, proving himself, manhood, Leading Character: chiseled white guy in his thirties, rockin’ body, girlfriend in peril.

Ugh.

I dunno about you, but it’s kind of boring to see the same thing over and over again. So I guess, rambling away from the Star Trek thing, if you’re creating something, think of the first three adjectives that come to mind, then: Do something different. It’s time to invent new cliches. For all of us, please.
 
Below and hidden, dear readers, is the spoiler section deemed to, well, spoilery for Star Ship Command and thus is reproduced here for anyone who dare enter - massive spoilerage, obviously, but it also contains insight into the film and how it affects the overall experience:

And now … let’s boldly go where no reviewers have gone … so far.

Captain, there are MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD.

So take evasive action and steer well clear until you have seen the film.

No more warnings.

You can understand why Abrams and Paramount chose to ape Wrath of Khan. It has been, and always shall be the best Star Trek film. It perfectly captures the thrill ride ethics and moral stance of the TV show. There are wacky SF concepts at work and some poignant observations on humanity and friendship, but the emphasis is upon set-piece action, character-based humour and the ever-clever and memorable script brilliantly bounces back and forth between love and loyalty, revelation and rage, and honour and heroism with relentless wit and cunning. Plus it had one of the genre’s greatest villains, and a heartbreaking sacrifice at its crux. You can sense that the rebooted Trek felt that it couldn’t proceed any further until it had dealt with and exorcised the shadow of Khan Noonian Singh. I don’t think they needed to, at all, personally. But, hey, more savagery from the vengeance-fuelled superhuman was never going to go amiss in my Starfleet Manual. But if you are going to take such a character onboard, then you damn well have to make sure that you’ve got a bloody good story for him to go through. And this really isn’t good enough, I’m afraid.

Into Darkness just doesn’t do the spectre of Khan any justice, although Cumberbatch is superb in the role. I’m not sure why a Caucasian now portrays the exotic Khan of Indian descent, brought to life and immortalized by Ricardo Montalban in the TV show and the film. This doesn’t seem to make sense … and, let’s face the facts here – we now have yet another British actor playing the Big Brainy Baddie. Mind you, the setting of future London for his first attack does add a touch of veracity to this characterization. Yes, he is devious. Yes, he is a couple of steps ahead of Kirk and Co. Yes, he is super-strong. But where is the penchant for intellectual taunting and the capacity for intricate Se7en-style cat-and-mousing? The tactical game-playing is what is missing here. Then again, Montalban may have hefted Star Fleeters around and tossed aside crippling chunks of space masonry with ease, but he never really went mano-et-mano with anyone. At least BC’s interpretation gets to kick some ass. But the more I think about it, this should really have been a new villain, altogether.

Oh, and Jesus Christ – what is the point of Nimoy’s lame-ass cameo? We have the reveal of just who John Harrison really is – gasp! (like we hadn’t already guessed) – and then, right afterwards, Old Spock pops up on the view-screen of the Enterprise to explain how deadly an adversary he is and to imply that a terrible price must be paid in order to thwart him from his evil ways. That was a horrible, horrible moment of needless exposition that only serves to throw up yet more narrative missteps. So, are we now supposed to believe in COSMIC COINCIDENCE? I’m afraid I just cannot buy that the exact same thing happens in this timeline that happened in Spock Prime’s, albeit mirrored so that it is Kirk who makes the ultimate sacrifice for the needs of the many because obviously it would be rather awkward, not to mention downright rude to kill Spock off all over again. I’m all for the theme of heroic self-sacrifice and the necessity for referential homage, but this meticulous aping of what has gone before is just slapdash and redundant. We’ve already seen this stuff … and it was done infinitely better back then. Same dialogue, same gestures. (Spock’s enraged roar of “Khaaaaannn!” doesn’t work for me, I’m afraid.) Why bother remixing it for the fresh faces? No. This is just plain lazy, and there is simply no excuse for it. Plus, it is WAY too early in this crew’s evolution for them to have to “face death” in such an operatic manner. The original Kirk and Spock had a vast number of shared experiences to bolster their emotions, as well as ours, of course. These guys have barely been around the block. This is the sort of thing that should happen – if it actually must – three or four movies in and, preferably, as the result of a different scenario entirely. It is a bloody big moment, and Abrams only succeeds in having it trivialized or, indeed, Tribble-ised in the blink of an eye with a miracle cure courtesy of Khan’s super-duper DNA. I cannot understand how audiences familiar with Khan are being so damn forgiving about it all. It is not a deal-breaker. God, I still love the film. But such unnecessary box-ticking for the fans just annoys me. This is supposed to be a reboot, not a remake.

Well, they’d best either forget about this Noonian cure pretty damn quickly, or really use this theme in later installments. The fact that Khan’s blood can bring things back to life is so incredibly rife with potential that it almost beggars belief. Like McCoy and Spock’s bizarre bond after the rebirth of the Vulcan in Treks III and IV, can we now expect some form of Khanian influence upon Kirk? Maybe he won’t get so repeatedly battered and bruised from now on. But, more importantly and game-changingly, unless I’ve read it wrong, does Death now mean nothing in this universe?

And will we have a Super-Tribble come back to wreak havoc at some point?

Cap’n, we canna take any more spoilerage!

OKAY, SCOTTY. MR. SULU … TAKE US OUT OF THE SPOILER-FIELD!
 

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