Star Trek

Just as I was bitching about being an action movies hater in my review of Olympus Has Fallen, Star Trek comes along, making me want to jump ship if more action movies were of this standard.

Though being a Trekkie could definitely elevate one's liking of Star Trek Into Darkness, the movie isn't limited to just those in that cult as anyone could enjoy this movie, thanks to the stellar and involving performances, stunning visuals, humor, and massive excitement. It's a treat for anyone.

Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is often not taken seriously by his fellow crew most notably Spock (Zachary Quinto) and others under his lead, but after the one-man machine Khan (Benedict Cumberbach) creates a reign of terrorism, death, and destruction, Kirk will get his opportunity to prove that he is one to be taken seriously.

There's much more to Star Trek's plot, but a big portion of the fun is watching the twists as they unreal, as no one can be trusted, no one's motives are as one-note as they seem, taking the viewer on a wild ride as all of the Enterprise's secrets are revealed.

Part of the magic watching Star Trek is seeing all of these actors morph into the roles they are given. Chris Pine gives a realistic and natural performance as the man that is the glue holding everything down. Zachary Quinto steals the show as Spock, with all of his odd quirks, lack of emotion, and unintentional sarcasm. And Benedict Cumberbach is as menacing as they come, you get a feeling of Darth Vader-ism (I know that's not a word) just by the mere looks he gives on screen, he's as chilling as they come.

Star Trek also manages to be quite funny. Watching Chris Pine's interactions with his fellow crew members such as Spock and also Scotty (Simon Pegg, who seems to be on quite the roll lately) really elevates the material considering this really wasn't a movie that needed to provide as much humor as it does.

If Star Trek doesn't get nominated for some of the more technical categories there is clearly something wrong with this year's nominations. The hair, makeup, cinematography and visual effects are out of this world (pun intended). You feel like you're watching a dream world unfold on screen. Even the opening prologue of the Enterprise attempting to rescue the foreign planet from volcanic destruction is worth a nomination.

Another way I felt that Star Trek really gets it right is the decision to involve the audience in what is going on. J.J. Abrams does this by giving his characters a pulse and heart, really adding suspense when things go terribly wrong. You're not just watching Star Trek, you're almost living Star Trek due to the brain the material uses from beginning to end. Star Trek is a cinematic dream come true.

4/4