THE INTERNET IS AWESOME: Captain Kirk Watches Miley Cyrus' VMA Performance

"What is... that?" Kirk asks about the strange high intensity reading intercepted by the USS Enterprise...

SOURCE: Aries Head Films

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Film Review - STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS ★ ★ ★☆☆

J.J. Abrams did what may thought was impossible, he made Star Trek cool, slick and damn fun. Rebooting and infusing new blood into the iconic original '60s TV series with a young cast, lavish special effects and a lot of lens flare proved to be the way to go for a franchise that was enjoying a well deserved hiatus following a run of five shows and ten big screen adventures.

2009's Star Trek was a hot box office hit that managed to gain scores of new fans and please conventions of old school Trekkers. Well, most of them anyways. As Spock would say: "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." And for my fellow fans that is what it really comes down to for Abrams' take, making Trek movies for the masses, not love letters to old school fans who will dissect the films to pieces regardless.

Bigger means bigger here. Bigger effects. Bigger ships. Bigger explosions. Bigger battles. Big thrills with massive twists and turns. Yes, buckle your seat belts for the said twists and turns you're in store for. Hell, after all this time, even the Enterprise is FINALLY outfitted with much needed seat belts. I'll refrain from stepping deep into any specific spoiler territory here, they already exist aplenty online and are easily within one or two quick clicks of this review. Needless to say, it's only fair to be vague on the story, and a entirely different discussion can be made once one is freed from tiptoeing around the meaty plot details.

That said, this epic well-paced second big screen adventure starts off as it should, right in the thick of the action. We already got the origin story, so thankfully absolutely no precious screen time is wasted on getting reacquainted with our iconic intrepid crew: Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho), Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Scotty (Simon Pegg).

What should have been a innocuous mission turns into a major breach of etiquette regarding Starfleet's Prime Directive, which protects primitive cultures from exposure to higher technology than they have developed on their own. Kirk being hotheaded Kirk pays no heed to such things from the rule book in order to save Spock's life on an alien world. Following the thrilling eye opening sequence, James T is stripped of his ship and command as a result of cheating death for his Vulcan friend. Echoes of plot points from the Shanter/Nimoy-era films will not fall on deaf ears to older fans.

Acts of brutal Earth-bound terrorism committed by Benedict Cumberbatch's former Starfleet officer John Harrison sees Kirk and crew sent off on a splinter cell mission to take him out while also leading them into a head to head battle with the Klingons. It's likely that the first half hour of Into Darkness contains more action and gunplay than we've ever seen in any version of Trek. Not only is that is a good thing, but now a staple regarding the more accessible direction the series has taken.

It's from this point on the highly appropriate Into Darkness title really kicks in as friendships are tested and lost, characters show their true colors, and the plot takes you on a rollar coaster ride free for all on what you think you know, and what you actually know. The first film which by including Leonard Nimoy as Spock, directly dealt with, explained and incorporated (but nonetheless rebooted) the original series' timeline. Into Darkness however plays with past ideas on a much more subtle level. It could have easily just moved forward freely on its own path, but fans (with varying degrees) will hear echoes from the rich history to recycle. How you feel about this here depends on your view of whether the series has earned the right to stand all on its own, or should adhere to taking various cues from the past.

Cumberbatch, best know for his acclaimed work on BBC's Sherlock, brings a menacing cold steel elegance to the film's rogue villain. While his role here has been the object of obsessive online speculation since he was cast, Cumberbatch truly tests the mettle of the crew and effortlessly makes his mark among the best of the Trek villains.

Alice Eve joins the cast as Carol Marcus, a familiar character re-booted for the new timeline. While a welcome addition, her necessary role in the plot tips the balance for the ensemble crew and takes away some screen time from Sulu and Chekov. Genre icon Peter Weller turns in a truly memorable performance as her father Admiral Marcus, who proves to be a crucial chess piece to the dynamics of the dense plot filled with heavy political and personal overtones.

For the most part, the film held me firmly on board. I marveled at the intricacies of the screenplay and Abrams' lens flare-adorned spectacle that I am an admitted apologist for. But then came one pivotal point in the third act and it all crashed on me, and the film firmly loses its identity. I have to admit certain subsequent script decisions dropped me hard, real hard. It's easily a debatable point, and I can't really expand on it this early in the film's theatrical run. But it's a firm loud announcement from behind the curtain of "Oh yes, we're really gonna do this" to the audience in the know.

The screenplay takes the rebooted characters their next level, and some of the interplay is exceptional. While perhaps not quite the middle chapter of a trilogy we may have expected, it certainly frees the series up from some necessary building block bullet points (despite how much I knew about the plot ahead of time, I still found myself constantly surprised as the story progressed). Expectations are big, and film makers like Abrams set their own bar sky high.

What works tremendously is the top notch visuals, as if that would be in doubt. If you can hold on for cameras with contant yet precise motion, you're in luck. There is a boatload of glorious CGI magic, it always feels tangible with substantial weight behind it all. The healthy portion of practical sets and effects mixed in should be applauded. The 3D conversion is also quite good, Abrams' directing and framing style thankfully lends itself to the extra layer.

Old fans and newbie fans will take away different things from the experience, and I feel those with less baggage from the past may be better off for it in this case. My reservations lie directly with the script choices made that tested me as an old school fan who sees the blank slate of the alternate timeline a greater freedom to move beyond Trek history, which is not always the case here. If your Trek filmography is comprised solely of the 2009 film, pay no heed to my cavets (which marred, but did not supersede my overall enjoyment of the film).

Is this an event movie well worth the price of admission? Absolutely. Star Trek Into Darkness is a worthy epic experience that delivers heart, relentless action, massive stunning visuals and even finds appropriate spots for humor and deep arcs between the core characters. If you enjoyed the last installment, this is a thinker's amped-up must-see sequel. It expands the new Trek universe and firmly sets the stage to re-explore a welcome familiar path for the crew of the USS Enterprise. Casual fans will walk away happy go lucky, though Trekkers may require discussion groups to vent some issues amongst friends.

Up next for Abrams (in 2015) is nothing less than Star Wars: Episode VII. While I don't want Star Wars to look exactly like this, I sure don't mind knowing it may look a lot like this. 

Star Trek Into Darkness opens in 2D, RealD 3D and IMAX 3D on May 16th.

REVIEW RATING: ★ ★ ★☆☆
Directed By: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Karl Urba, John Cho
Studio: Paramount
Rated: PG-13
Running Time: 132 minutes


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Jimmy Kimmel Hits Another Late Night 'Star Wars' Sketch Home Run With J.J. Abrams

Jimmy Kimmel Live! made a Star Wars splash with last month's sketch involving guest Harrison Ford taking audience questions regarding the upcoming Episode VII. It had some funny moments and even re-united the galaxy's best loved duo of scoundrels.

J.J. Abrams appeared last night to promote Star Trek Into Darkness, and talk obviously found its way towards the director's next big undertaking, the next film to take place in a galaxy far far away. The segment features fan suggestions, surprise appearances by sci-fi icons, and look closely for Fandango's movie guru Dave Karger who had a prime seat in the audience.

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The Two Spocks Face Off In A Funny And Fascinating Audi Commercial

This fantastic commercial for Audi called The Challenge stars old and young Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy and Zachary Quinto. Besides the Warp Ten geek factor of seeing them play opposite one another again, the ad is just damned witty and full of clever quips and nerd nods to both Trekkers and Hobbit fans.

SOURCE: Audi

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Get Your Geek Easter On With These Nerd Themed Eggs

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New 'Star Trek Into Darkness' International Trailer & Poster Promise Much Mayhem and Destruction

New poster and international trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness.

Enjoy.

Set to hit theaters in 3D on May 17th, the film stars Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Anton Yelchin (Checkov), Bruce Greenwood (Pike), and Alice Eve (Carol Marcus).

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New 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Teaser Trailer Hits The Web

Check out the new teaser trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, which can currently be seen with Oz The Great and Powerful.

Directed by J.J. Abrams, the crew of the USS Enterprise is reunited to take on the "one man weapon of mass destruction," a former Starfleet officer and terrorist in the form of Benedict Cumberbatch's John Harrison. 

Set to hit theaters in 3D on May 17th, the film stars Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Karl Urban (McCoy), Simon Pegg (Scotty), John Cho (Sulu), Zoe Saldana (Uhura), Anton Yelchin (Checkov), Bruce Greenwood (Pike), and Alice Eve (Carol Marcus).

Official synopsis:

"In Summer 2013, pioneering director J.J. Abrams will deliver an explosive action thriller that takes Star Trek Into Darkness. When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis.
With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew."

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TOY FAIR 2013: Klingons Invade Hasbro's 'Star Trek Into Darkness' Toy Line

The usual cloaking device J.J. Abrams has surrounding his projects is bar none and typically bulletproof. However sometimes even he can't escape inevitable leaks when logistics in marketing necessitate that let proverbial cats out of the bag before he would like to.

That said, with appearances at the 2013 Toy Fair at the Hasbro Showroom in the form of Kre-O figures, I think its safe to assume Scotty could say "Sir, there be Klingons here" when Star Trek Into Darkness opens. Absent for the 2009 big screen reboot of the series, but in the second adventure we will get to see what the iconic warriors look like in the rebooted Star Trek timeline.

On display in the Times Square Hasbro Showroom are several Klingon Kre-O figures as well as a Bird of Prey, Battle Cruiser and a fellow wrecking havoc with Scotty in a transporter playset (inspired from a scene from the film).

While we have been endlessly burning the midnight hour over whether Benedict Cumberbatch is playing Khan or not in the film (and hey, that might be an unnamed Cumberbatch-based figure pictured below dressed in a blue shirt as well), we have sadly forgotten about the other great villains in the Star Trek universe who are rightfully set to return.

Though it should be noted the Klingons were originally intended to appear in Star Trek, and a scene was filmed with Abrams' Alias alum Victor Garber under the heavy helmet torturing Nero (Eric Bana), but it was left on the cutting room floor.

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