'Star Trek: Into Darkness': The Wrath of Cumberbatch

I am probably the furthest thing from a Trekkie.  I have never seen the old Star Trek television show or any of the original 58 movies.  The only entry I have seen is J. J. Abrams 2009 reboot, and I had a ball watching that.  The dreaminess of Chris Pine and Zachary (I saw him first) Quinto only upped the ante.  Abrams returns to Star Fleet for Star Trek: Into Darkness, a blast of a movie.

Like most sophomore entries of successful series, Into Darkness dives right into the action from the get-go.  The movie opens with Captain Kirk (Pine) and the crew of the USS Enterprise observing a primitive civilization, but Kirk violates Star Fleet Command's protocol in order to save Spock (Quinto).  Kirk is stripped of control of the Enterprise and made first officer to Harrison Pike (Brice Greenwood), Kirk's mentor. 

After a bombing occurs in London, bigwig Star Fleet members gather to capture the man responsible for the deaths of over 40 people, and, suddenly another attack breaks out.  Who is responsible for such heinous acts against supremely hot men in space?  I am glad you asked!  John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch), a former Star Fleet officer, is responsible for both attacks, but I won't reveal his true identity.  Some Trekkies might tase me.  Let's just say that he has quite big plans including destroying the SS Enterprise.

Mr. Cumberbatch elevates what could have been a stock character, and relishes his villainy.  John Harrison, a genetically enhanced being, poses a huge threat to the crew of the Enterprise, and Cumberbatch does it with forceful dignity.  Harrison is both icy and fiery at the same time.  When he makes large threats, with the music swelling and stakes raising, you sort of don't want to him be defeated, because he's such a formidable baddie.  I could watch him and Kirk square off in every movie.  I can officially declare that I am also in love with Cumberbatch's voice.  He's a good-looking chap.  Good actor.  Has one of the best (if not THE best) names in the history of names.  Add that cool, silky voice on top of it.  Captain Kirk, eat your heart out!

Near the end of the film, Harrison gets into a fight with Spock and Uhura (Zoe Saldana, smoking hot as usual), and I was so captivated by all the good-looking men in this movie.  Yowza!  

Abrams keeps the pace going until the very end of this ebtry.  Into Darkness clocks in around two and a half hours, but when the final scenes were playing, I was surprised it was over.  It is almost wall-to-wall action.  There is a spectacular sequence when the Enterprise is hurtling towards Earth.  As everything spirals out of control, we see the crew trying to save themselves by running through the ship, and the set literally twists and turns around them.  

I've heard people already bitching and moaning about this entry into the series.  Some Trekkies hate Abrams' take on Star Trek, but I am personally a fan.  It's sleek, fun, and just a good, entertaining movie.  Beam me up, Benedict.