Star Trek Into Darkness slows its engines to impulse power and refuses to steer too far off course from 50 years of cannon or even from its 2009 predecessor. Despite some original patches, it feels like its treading the same water. It faces the same issue I had with the first two Harry Potters in which I’ll forever struggle to recall which scene belongs to which movie. (Harry fights a snake in the first one, right?)
For its first three quarters, the sequel appears to eclipse the original. The principal cast looks more secure in their respective roles. You can feel the invisible tender touch of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelly as they cradle their younger fore-bearers. But, unlike the 2009 film, which playfully reflected, mocked, paid homage and blatantly referenced the original, this sophomoric effort dips too close to the source material. The trifle references are fine and dandy until the third act, which bases itself too close around a crucial moment we Trekkies already know oh so well. For those lacking Star Trek knowledge, you will either consider yourself thankfully ignorant or terribly confused. Despite your history with Gene Roddenberry’s universe, Star Trek Into Darkness feels like a regurgitation rather than a reinvention.
The sequel begins splendidly with a pre-title action sequence that not only shatters our senses gleefully but reintroduces us to Enterprise crew and even sprinkles in touches of their respective relationships, despite the chaos. After Captain James T. Kirk (played once again with beautifully cockiness by Chris Pine) disobeys Starfleet protocol, he is demoted by Admiral Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood, who once again carries the heart of the film). When the Starfleet command is assassinated by a mysterious super-being (Benedict Cumberbatch), Kirk must re-assume command and give chase that leads the Enterprise to the Federation’s arch-enemy, the Klingons and their home world of Kronos.
Once again directed by future Star Wars mastermind, J.J. Abrams, Star Trek Into Darkness manages to push at a lightning pace while sidestepping for some fun character idiosyncrasies. The problem is most of the human follies are repeats of the first, such as Kirk’s cockiness, Spock’s logical tunnel-vision, Uhura’s relationship woes with Spock, and ‘Bones’ McCoy’s unnerving cantankerousness. Engineer Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg) is given the biggest boost in this round. Pegg seems to feel better with his Scottish accent and carries a few tender moments (and some of the best laughs), whereas Sulu and Checkov remain suitably restricted to manning the helm just as their poor acting forefathers.
The film remains Star Trek. There’s the warping (which now leaves behind trails of some bizarre dusty substance) and the numerous space battles. However, none of the suspense sequences contain the same level of gravity as the first. Also, the final revelation behind Cumberbatch’s diabolical scheme lacks real weight. If you’re unfamiliar with earlier Star Trek cannon, you may not care at all. There’s no planetary destruction — or even the threat of it — in this round.
The unengaged plot is saved by Cumberbatch (star of the brilliant BBC show Sherlock) who oozes with menace and is able to instill an added dimension, which is missing from most of the protagonists. His deep, baritone voice exudes venom with every syllable, even at the crucial moment when he finally reveals his true identity. Cumberbatch milks the reveal with every last ounce, even if the internet-hungry nerds have already spoiled the suprise. However, the buildup to his final wrath is negated. His final moments feel cheap and unfulfilled.
The humor is less balanced in this round. The quips from Bones, for the most part, fall flat. Despite the comfort of seeing Spock and Kirk work on friendly terms, there’s less juicy rapport for them to bounce off each other. There’s a moment when you expect Scotty to repeat some of his fun Laurel and Hardy routine with his weird green companion (now a Starfleet crew member), but it never does. One also wishes the film would delve further into the relationships and find the humor in their disparate personas. I specifically would like to see the Spock/Uhura romance carry into the bedroom so we finally learn how the logical Vulcans handle coitus.
The constant dogfights, gunfights and fistfights serve as a reminder of where J.J. Abrams has envisioned Star Trek. Although the 2009 film was filled with the same hyperbolic action, there were moments — however slight — that hearkened back the meditative principals of Star Trek. Unlike Star Wars, Star Trek was about exploration and intrigue, whether it was philosophical, political, scientific, or religious. Part of the joy of Star Trek was seeing Kirk, McCoy and Spock mull over their situation and debate over high levels of emotion (McKoy), logic (Spock) and a happy center (Kirk). Also missing is the original’s emotional gel, such as Kirk’s father’s tragic end in the film’s opening or destruction of the planet Vulcan.
This installment’s big emotional turn is also the film’s breaking point. Before this moment, 90% of the film worked. But the parts that follow simply don’t, but seem to undermine the film maker’s sincerity and the emotional crescendo. Without spoiling anything (although the moment is briefly revealed in the trailer) it doesn’t take a Trekkie to guess the ironic spin Abrams is cooking. The prelude to the final conflict contains a two-punch whammy. The first mistake was slightly forgivable; the other was not. (Hint and possible spoiler: It involves a scream) The film’s self-aware nature breaks the fourth wall and took me completely out of the film — to which I never fully recovered. Also, the final confrontation that follows feels slight in comparison to the rest of the film and certainly fails to live up to the final wallop of the earlier installment.
Abrams has taken 50 years of Star Trek and reinvigorated it — and afforded himself liberties to take the Enterprise on whatever journey he wishes. To my surprise, he turned his second voyage into a large set-up all the way towards an unfunny punchline. At this time, Abrams has proven his worth and should refrain from dipping into the well. Star Trek Into Darkness suggests that Abrams’ permanent move from Trek to Wars is, perhaps, a smart one. The latter is clearly more suitable to his sensibilities. Let’s hope he can bring balance to the Force and that his Trek replacement will — FINALLY — take the third installment and boldly go where no one has gone before.
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