“Star Trek Into Darkness” goes beyond the final frontier

Star Trek Into Darkness Goes Beyond the Final Frontier

Plenty of enjoyment for Star Trek neophyte and hard-core Trekkie

By Pokiimakamai Ahmad

The highly-anticipated sequel to the 2009 reboot of the “Star Trek” series, “Star Trek Into Darkness” leaves moviegoers at the edge of their seats from the moment the film begins to the very last second of the final scene.

While the movie takes place centuries into the future, humanity is still as flawed as it is today with conflicting egos and emotionally-deranged mad men. Director J.J. Abrams and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise take audiences along for an action-packed, thrill ride on a manhunt to capture a stone-cold killer on a mission to make everyone’s life hell, or so it would appear.

The success of “Star Trek” (2009) left many to question whether or not “Into Darkness” could live up to its predecessor’s legacy. Without a doubt, it certainly has. Fans of the original “Star Trek” series and films may enjoy the many references carefully woven into the plot that made the original TV series great in its time, though some changes may cause diehards to split hairs. What makes this movie a treat is that moviegoers who have never seen the 2009 reboot of “Star Trek” or any series within the franchise can still enjoy this film, as the story line is unique enough that the movie may stand alone as the sci-fi thriller of the summer, and perhaps even of the year.

With just as many plot twists as there are cross-references to the Star Trek franchise, the story at times overwhelms with unexpected surprises at every turn. Like the complex angle shots of each action scene, the direction of the film constantly changes until the very end of the movie. While at times the jumping from one idea to the next may disorient the viewer, the non-stop action makes for an extremely entertaining cinema experience. The director grants a few moments of reprieve between spectacular action sequences with witty banter, however, those moments are fleeting and the crew is almost immediately thrown into yet another extraordinary circumstance.

Rounding out a captivating storyline is an all-star cast. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto embody
the iconic characters of James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock. Their love-hate relationship is what really shines in this film as moviegoers are able to bear witness to an ever-evolving friendship that fans of the franchise know and love. Pine brings just the right amount of cockiness to the beloved character, Kirk, and Quinto’s Spock, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Leonard Nimoy’s Spock, appears to have become more profound this second time around. Together, they bring that original Star Trek series spirit back to life on the big screen. While Kirk is the main focus in this film, Spock is next in line for the spotlight as he is quite possibly the most fascinating character to ever walk the halls of Starship Enterprise.

The remaining senior officers – Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) also have their moments, taking on challenging new roles, which allows the audience to explore the crew dynamics reminiscent of the original series. Uhura gets to show off some of her communications skills when speaking in a foreign alien language, Sulu tries his hand at the captain’s chair, Chekov puts his brilliant young mind to the test, McCoy is just as grouchy as ever and Scotty’s sarcastic bedside manner sheds some much needed light on this epic journey into darkness.

Newcomer Benedict Cumberbatch, who portrays the seemingly indestructible villain John Harrison, a disgruntled Starfleet agent with a mission to bring down the Federation with as much violence as he can muster, manages to maintain an extremely strong presence throughout the film. His performance is eerily on-point with his menacing demeanor and equally ominous voice. Despite the lack of a compelling back story to work with, Cumberbatch completely owns his character, Harrison, and proves to be a worthy adversary to Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise.

What of the romance between Spock and Uhura, which was introduced in the first film? Well, let’s just say that it becomes a topic of discussion at one point, but ultimately stays hidden in a corner for the majority of the film. The bromance between Spock and Kirk, however, steals the show.

What’s even more compelling is the family dynamic at the root of this film. The lengths to which each character goes to protect those they care about is awe inspiring. In the official trailer for the film, bad guy Harrison asks the most important question of the film, “Is there anything you would not do for your family?” It is this idea of family which motivates both the crew and the villain. All the while, there is a poignant struggle between logic and emotion amongst the characters, especially for Spock. The half-Vulcan, half-human hybrid is faced with a number of situations in which he is forced to evaluate which part of his heritage to embrace. As part of his character development, Spock discovers the hard way that while logic will get you from A to Z, in the face of certain death it is our emotions that ultimately dictate our actions.

“Into Darkness” features some of the best special effects and production designs in a live action film in quite some time. Its 3D feature transports the audience into the film with out-of-this-world sets and riveting musical score by Michael Giacchino. We are introduced to some fascinating-looking species, both old and new, and the costumes are completely state-of-the-art. The movie is amplified by the genuinely breathtaking big screen visuals of the TITAN XC theater at Ward Stadium accompanied by the newly-unveiled Dolby Atmos sound system, the first in Hawai’i, This next generation sound system enhances the brilliant action sequences, while adding shape to the twists and turns of the Enterprise bridge and hallways.

While space may be the final frontier, “Into Darkness” certainly is not. Rather, it further ignites the excitement surrounding the franchise and pays homage to the original TV series, respectively.