Star Trek Into Darkness Review

Cherry picking some of the best concepts 
and scenes in the Star Trek films. Is it out
of tribute or lack of creativity? 

We've waited about four years to see what J.J. Abrams was ready to deliver with his Star Trek sequel. Rumours have abounded, hype has exploded and the marketing has been juicy. The end result? A monumental sci-fi action adventure that will leave you clinging to the edge of your seat. 

Set not long after the end of the previous film (you know, the one that literally reset the entire Star Trek universe?) Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) is in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise and her crew but remains the same rule breaking know-it-all that he was since last we saw him. First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto) in particular is one to argue how he should handle his responsibilities and his voice may just be spoken at the right time. Former Starfleet agent John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bears a personal grudge against the Federation and through his acts of terrorism has already killed dozens of innocent people. Kirk in retaliation rounds up his crew, among them Uhura (Zoe Saldana) Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) and Chevok (Anton Yelchin) on a manhunt mission to stop Harrison. But what Kirk does not realize is that Harrison is much more dangerous than he believes and to underestimate him could be a fatal error...
The excitement that flows through this movie is just as high as the previous film if not topped. What will be the deciding factor is how quick some of the fans pick up on this well-explored mythology and how many are simply hanging on for the ride. What can make the movie tricky for everyone is that exposition flies by at bullet-speed and you're lucky if most of it comes up again in passing. In this fast-paced story where action can pop up out of nowhere, that ends up being a double-edged Klingon bat'leth (that's a sword to non-Trekkies).
Without spilling the juicy surprises in store, the movie does borrow heavily from one Star Trek movie in particular. If you pick up on which one that is while watching it you'll either see it as the writers paying homage or stealing from one of the original films. It's entirely up to debate and I myself was playing both sides of the field coming out of this movie. That being said, these twists and tributes do come with purpose given the foundations this new film series is based on. And remind yourself that this was bound to happen sooner or later given the new continuity...
Just about everyone in the Enterprise crew gets developed in their own character arcs in this story and the actors pull some of their best performances for the final cut. Maybe with the exception of Chevok, who you may remember more as the disappearing Russian. Just about all of the characters get a chance to stare down new bad guy Cumberbatch who is an intense, coldblooded killer with a brilliant mind. Every one of the man's scenes is worth watching over again just to see how he pulls off owning this role. 
Hardcore Trekkies will likely have a thing or two to say about the second half of the movie but the writers do squeeze in reasons of why events have turned this way. You just have to pay close attention to see why that is. Given all that Star Trek Into Darkness delivers so fast and strongly it is undoubtedly a picture worth enjoying at least one more time.