J.J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek endeavor is my favorite film of the franchise and his follow-up, the just released Star Trek Into Darkness, is probably my third favorite, with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan firmly positioned in second place. Abrams has once again constructed a fast paced and extremely entertaining film that pays proper homage to the Star Trek legacy, while allowing every one of the principal cast members to play an important role in the outcome of the exciting adventure. Yes, Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) receive more screen time than the others, but this is truly a team effort.
Star Trek Into Darkness begins with Kirk once again breaking the rules, but with the intention of saving his first officer, so that makes it OK. Right? Starfleet does not quite see it that way, so Kirk is relegated to first officer under the command of the newly reinstated Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) on the Enterprise, while Spock is assigned to another ship. However, after a secret installation is attacked, key members of Starfleet are gathered to determine how to proceed, since the person responsible for the heinous act is one of their own, John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), who also goes by the name of....well...just go see the movie. Harrison planned the explosion, in part, to gather many high ranking officers together so he could attack them, but is not entirely successful in his mission and is thwarted by Kirk, at least temporarily.
Following the attack, Kirk asks Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) for permission to reassume his position as captain of the Enterprise, and is soon back in the saddle with most of his crew intact. Their mission is to find Harrison, who used advanced technology to transport himself to Kronos, a deserted planet within the Klingon Empire. Kirk is ordered to travel to the edge of the Neutral Zone and then fire numerous photon torpedoes at Kronos, thus dispatching Harrison. However, Kirk just cannot bring himself to do as he is told, which results in the Enterprise breaching the Klingon Empire and, perhaps, starting a war that appears to be ready to erupt anyway. Kirk's personal mission is to find Harrison and bring him back to Earth to answer for his crimes, but things do not go smoothly. Kirk and his crew not only face significant danger from Harrison, but also from members of Starfleet, making their mission even more difficult.
In addition to the principal story, Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) are experiencing problems in their relationship, which results in much needed comic relief, while McCoy (Karl Urban) experiments on a Tribble and assists the newly arrived Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) with gathering information about the numerous torpedoes, which Scotty (Simon Pegg) refused to house on board the Enterprise and brought about his resignation. However, Scotty is not off screen for long, thanks to his curiosity following a call from Kirk. With the chief engineer away, Kirk assigns Chekov (Anton Yelchin) to that position, while Sulu (John Cho) is assigned the Conn for the first time while Kirk is away. Indeed, everyone has a important role to play in this space opera.
Abrams, along with writers Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lidelof, clearly understand the Star Trek legacy and incorporate many references from the original series, including Carol's mention of Christine Chapel/Nurse Chapel, as well as the aforementioned Tribbles, Klingons and the reintroduction of Carol Marcus, who was Kirk's love interest in early Star Trek films. Did I mention one of the original cast members makes an appearance, too? In addition, the interpersonal relationships among the crew members are familiar and appreciated, including the bickering between McCoy and Spock. Kirk's legendary libido is acknowledged on more than one occasion, too.
The performances are generally solid, as the actors are becoming more comfortable in their respective roles. Simon Pegg is especially good as Scotty, and Benedict Cumberbatch delivers a chilling performance as John Harrison/the villain. Peter Weller is also well cast as the complicated Admiral Marcus. The two plus hour run time flies by with Abrams' deft direction of the talented cast, who put their own spin on the legendary characters created by the late Gene Roddenberry. Overall, Star Trek Into Darkness is an outstanding effort. More, please!
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar