a nerdy girl’s introduction to: star trek into darkness
A few days ago I had the pleasure of going to the cinema with a friend who knew nothing about the film we were about to watch. The title in question was Star Trek: Into Darkness and I was looking forward to it a lot more than she was.
I could not blame her for not knowing the television series that dates back as far as the sixties. The reboot that this sequel is a part of has been very successful, the first film grossing more from box-office sales than any previous Star Trek film. J. J. Abrams has been able to please Trekkies as well as drawing new fans to the franchise. This success is most likely due to the people behind the films.
What’s it all about?
The story takes place after the first film in the reboot ended. Captain James T. Kirk and Commander Spock have formed the dream crew that was seen for many years in the original series. After some trouble with a mission the spaceship Enterprise goes back to Earth. The headquarters of Starfleet is attacked and Kirk’s old friend and father figure, Christopher Pike, is killed by the rogue commander John Harrison. This leads Kirk on a manhunt to where human laws end, the Klingon home world Kronos, risking war between the brutal and easily provoked Klingon and humans. The mission does however turn out to be far more dangerous than expected.
Why you should watch it
Many of the creative minds that have created the reboot are fans of the original series. They have made sure to incorporate several satisfying references into something that was mostly directed towards non-fans. Into Darkness may well have made some of the old fans applaud spontaneously by giving them exactly what they have been longing to see. By using the first film to introduce Spock, Kirk, Uhura, and the Starfleet the creators could focus on the really good stuff in the future productions. What I mean by good stuff is none other than Khan, the most notorious Star Trek villain and a name that can give any Trekkie goosebumps. Originally played by Ricardo Montalban this character is one of the most famous in the Star Trek universe.
What else should you watch?
If you should watch any of the old Star Trek films Wrath of Khan is an obvious choice. By far it is the most famous of them all and it has clearly had a huge influence on Into Darkness. Seeing it before going to the cinema will not spoil anything but rather heighten the experience. Comparing the old and the new eras of Star Trek is any more exciting than simply seeing it as a detached action blockbuster.
What our Nerdy Girl thought:
This film does stand on its own and works very well even without any experience with the old series. The special effects are excellent and the story works well. The villain Khan is introduced as an overly brilliant enemy from within the organization, not unlike the most recent James Bond film; Skyfall. Unfortunately the similarities to other stories as well as previous Star Trek productions makes the plot predictable. The struggle to know the friends from the enemies cause conflicts between the rule-breaking Kirk and the loyal Spock. Like in the first film, Abrams plays with this conflict, and Spock’s lack of emotion in particular, throughout the story. He uses this to make the story more uplifting and it makes up for some of the more lacking parts of the plot. De does this so successfully that it generated several spontaneous laughs in my cinema. However, what I was truly anticipating was how Benedict Cumberbatch, known for his performance as the detective Sherlock Holmes, would take on the role of Khan. He did not disappoint. He is made even more powerful than his sixties counterpart and he plays his role as super-villain very well. He, together with starships being torn apart makes this film a powerful experience. On the whole it is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours, without perhaps providing as much depth as could be wished for.
