Star Trek Into Darkness, Reviewed

SPOILERS!!!! Consider yourself warned.

Much like Pumbaa, I'm a sensitive soul, though I seem thick skinned.

The first time I cried at a movie was 1977, when Tigger was blackmailed to stop bouncing by Rabbit in The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. Mean Old Rabbit!

The first time I remember crying at a movie was 1982, Spock's death scene in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan. "I have been, and always shall be, your friend."

Today, I was brought to tears again; when Kirk and Spock found their roles reversed, and Kirk made the ultimate sacrifice.

"[You did w]hat you had to do, what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live."

Kirk goes through (hopefully) some character development and maturation. But, as with his experience in the Kobayashi Maru scenario, Kirk simply does not accept defeat. And his ship and crew are his family, for whom he would do anything. Spock is not the complete robot he attempted to be in the Original Series and early films. The destruction of Vulcan has affected him profoundly, making him more relatable, IMHO. Don't get me wrong, I love Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of Spock. But Zachary Quinto has made the role his own, as has Chris Pine in the case of Kirk.

Yes, there are big-splosions and lens flares. And I rolled my eyes at certain character beats, missed opportunities, and some basic physics errors. But Star Trek has never really been diamond hard sci-fi, despite what some people think. I'm pretty sure it was Gene Roddenberry himself who said when asked what powered the Enterprise, "Imagination." As for the exploration-vs.-action debate, this is thoroughly an action movie, but then I don't think J.J.Abrams is that far off from Nicholas Meyer or Jonathon Frakes in his Star Trek style.

I also think if people were to really look back at the Original Series, they would realize that there is a lot more potential than execution in that show, especially in the last season. If this reboot series is not the best of Trek, it is certainly better than a significant portion of the total Trek canon, including all the movies and spin-offs. If I sound a little defensive or petulant, it simply because I am tired of certain comments I see over and over again regarding this and the previous film.

I don't care whether Star Trek Into Darkness is good Trek, It's good Kirk, and it's good Spock. It moved me. I actually do think it's good Trek, because it's affective (yes, I spelled that correctly) storytelling. However, I do agree with Tor's Chris Lough:

There’s no denying that Star Trek has successfully gone back to its roots. Now it’s time to move ahead.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some STO to play.