(There will be spoilers– be warned)
Plot:
What would a young and vengeful Captain Kirk look like? This movie asks that question and we find out the answer. After Kirk’s father figure, Admiral Pike, is killed by the rogue John Harrison, Captain Kirk sets out to revenge his mentor.
John Harrison turned on Star Fleet and blew up one of their secret lairs. He then attacked the main Star Fleet Headquarters killing Admiral Pike and many others. Harrison transports himself to a remote location on Qo’noS, the Klingon homeworld. Admiral Marcus gives Kirk new specialized weapons to attack Harrison without having to enter Klingon Space and only killing Harrison.
Kirk’s revenge falls apart. Scotty refuses to let the new photon torpedoes on board because Star Feet will not reveal what is in the new torpedoes. Kirk accepts Scotty’s resignation over this. Spock questions the logic of the orders and discusses how they should capture and not assassinate Harrison to bring him to justice.
The Enterprise falls out of Warp because of a Warp Core problem. What has caused the newly enhanced Enterprise to break down? This causes Captain Kirk to stop and think.
That is just the beginning of the story. There are a ton of twists and subplots.
What I liked: (More Spoilers)
Benedict Cumberbatch stole the show. He is a great actor. Benedict brought something very new to the character of Harrison/ Khan and it resonated with me. I didn’t think I would like Cumberbatch (not very Latin) playing the role that Ricardo Montalban (not very British) made famous but I loved it. Benedict had a powerful presentation on the screen.
I really enjoyed the friendship building between Kirk and Spock. It gave us a good look into the foundation of this relationship. I appreciate watching this relationship develop at the early stages.
The action and fight scenes were sensational. Each sequence was stunning and beautiful. The fight scenes in space, at Starfleet, and in San Francisco were marvelous. The action sequences moved the story along.
The special effects added to the story and was not the entire story. I really like the trail after the Enterprise went to warp. The new super starship was awesome.
This movie had some very funny moments. Bones had some of best lines in the film. The comedy came at the proper moment to give the movie to lighten up the movie.
What I not Like:
The movie was fairly predictable. I figured out the plot twists early in the movie. It is one thing to foreshadow but another to point the way with neon signs.
There was needless sexualization. We had a scene of Carol Marcus standing in her underwear just for the pure eye candy moment. At the beginning of the movie, Kirk is in bed with two aliens. Neither one of the scenes have nudity but still makes the movie less family friend. Because of these scenes, my wife and I didn’t feel comfortable with my twelve year old daughter.
Maybe it is my age getting to me but the 3D effects detracted from the movie at times. There were moments when Spock and Kirk were discussing an issue and the 3D image of the back of Kirk’s head bugged me. 3D effects should enhance a movie while not distracting.
There was not enough screen time for the rest of the crew. Yes bones got great lines but he was not a focal character. Uhura only screen time was as Spock’s love interest. Sulu had a great moment in the captain’s chair but not much more. Chekov ran around the ship like a chicken with his head cut off.
Review:
I am a Star Trek fan but honestly more of a Star Wars fan. I remember rushing home from school to watch the re-runs of Star Trek TOS. I have a special spot in my geek heart for Kirk, Spock, Bones, and the rest of the game.
I really liked this movie. I left the movie all psyched up for what I had just seen. It was a fun time.
It is interesting the new photons are similar to unmanned drone attacks. I am not sure if there was intent on this debate or not. But you can make the same arguments with Spock and Kirk debate.
My Grade: A-
Other Reviews
IMDB: 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes/Critics:86% Fresh
Rotten Tomatoes/Audience:89% Fresh
“the rouge John Harrison”? His cheeks may have been rosy, but I think you mean, “rogue”. 🙂 -Grammar Police
James,
I always need an editor so thank you. I appreciate it. I will correct it now.
I was a tiny bit disappointed with BC being Khan. I really had hoped for a new character. However, he stole the show. I felt he was more cold and sinister than the original version. A+ for performance.
I did like Uhura more in this film than the last. The last film I kept thinking shut up already and quit touching Spock! Bones also stole the show as usual but I don’t feel like the trio was played out like it could have been. He was more comic relief than anything of substance. The other characters were underused as well. It was more of a “Kirk show”. This is why we need a new TV reboot series. 2 hours is not enough time for character development!
We did not see the movie in 3-D and I don’t feel like we missed out.