STAR TREK: INTO THE DARKNESS

“The length of a film should be directly related to the endurance of the human bladder.”
― Alfred Hitchcock

STAR TREK: INTO THE DARKNESS

Genre: Movie, Sci-Fi, Action

Directed by: J.J. Abrams

Since so many movies are based originally on books or the characters from books I’ve decided to include movie reviews with the book reviews on the rare occasion I go to the movie.

I admit when the original Star Trek series aired in the late 60’s to be followed by the various off shoots I followed each episode and movie closely.  I laughed at how hokey some of it was, laid bets on what “red shirt” would die first and knew all the characters by name. 

So when ds offered to take dh and I to see “Into the Darkness” we jumped at it.  I still have trouble wrapping my head around seeing someone, Chris Pine,  playing the young Captain Kirk instead of William Shatner , who has moved on to if hokier (is that a word? ) commercials.  But he is growing on me, and this movie did a lot to win me over.

For some reason I’ve had no adjusting to Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, I guess there is enough resemblance to Leonard Nimoy I can imagine him looking like Quinto when he was a young Vulcan.

I will admit I paid close attention to Anton Yelchin, who played Chekov, because he is also starring as Odd Thomas  in the movie that will HOPEFULLY be released here in the US later on this year.  If you haven’t read the Odd Thomas books by Dean R. Koontz I really recommend you do.   I’ve decided he will do quite well as Odd.

I highly recommend you get in your seat at this movie BEFORE it starts, because the action starts immediately and you really don’t want to miss any of it, because the theme plays through as the movie goes on.  I’d also vote you skip the jumbo coke so you don’t have to scoot out of the movie in the middle of it.

While it is your typical Star Trek sci-fi it is definitely a fast moving action movie, with small splashes of humor thrown in—listen for the term “red shirt” and watch for the look on the actors’ faces—it pops up more than once.

The special effects were good.  I love that they still use much of the same theme music in the movie.  What I didn’t care for was the theater I was in had the volume way too loud for the background music, which drowned out some of the softer dialog.  But I think that was the theater’s fault, not the producer’s fault.

I can’t tell you much about the plot without putting in major spoiler alerts and I HATE it when someone gives away the plot to a book, movie or tv show.  So I won’t chance it. 

I will say I was surprised to hear a few exclamations come from the crews’ lips that would have never made it to the television screen in the 60’s.  Nothing super bad that would be of concern to most parents, just surprised me.

I will save you the time of waiting through the credits to see if there is any after action.  There is none, so run for the restroom as soon as the credits start.  I told you not to drink that big coke!

Based on the action, special effects and yes even some of the acting I’d give this movie a B+.

Jan who is now looking forward to the new Star Wars movie in OK