Midnight Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

I wasn’t going to write this review, because honestly, I’m so backed up with real world projects – and four kids who want dinner Every. Single. Night. – that my blog has had to take a back seat for quite a while.

But I just want to say that I loved that new Star Trek Into Darkness movie.  You know the one: with the cocky captain and guy with the pointy ears.

Director JJ Abrams had a tough row to hoe: on one hand you’ve got Trekkies who are such fans they can speak Klingon (“qaStaH nuq?”), on the other hand you’ve got people who are like: Khan?… hmm, is that spelled Caan or Con? Oh… Khan. 

Then you have peeps like me: reasonably familiar, not a huge fan, but loves a good movie.

I feel like JJ Abrams (who directed the first Star Trek reboot in 2009, Mission: Impossible III, as well as created a couple of my favorite shows: Alias and Lost) somehow provided a movie that will please all three. A nearly impossible task.

Cumberbatch - Odd name, stellar actor

Don’t get me wrong, the movie is loud and brash. But yet you can feel the love for the Star Trek franchise fairly oozing from everyone involved in the film. And Benedict Cumberbatch?  Well, if you don’t adore him yet, you will soon. Crazy name and all.

I won’t give away any of the plot, although there aren’t any real twists to give away. Part of the time I did find myself thinking I’m pretty sure this has happened before somewhere. Well, it’s Star Trek. There’s been a dozen movies and 30 years worth of television in the franchise. So yeah, it’s all happened before. But that's part of the charm.

My poster

I have to admit I saw the movie the way all movies like this should be seen: a sold-out sneak preview, full of fans who took this seriously (they broke out into applause multiple times), and on IMAX 3D. Honestly, I could’ve done without the 3D, but the rest was pure awesome sauce. Plus they gave me a cool glow-in-the-dark poster.

I’m taking hubby to see it next week, for our anniversary. So that should tell you how I feel about it.

Abrams, with Trek cast - can he do as fine of work with Star Wars?

But most importantly seeing Star Trek Into Darkness gives me confidence in JJ Abrams helming the new Star Wars movie next year, something much more important and dear to me.  Abram's vision and adroitness with Trek has given me a new hope, you might say, for Episode VII (see what I did there?).  He knows how to cast, he knows what people want, he knows how to tell a good story. Please, dear movie gods, let it be so.

Help us, JJ Abrams, you're our only hope.