 |
| Kirk (Pine) and Spock (Quinto) question the prisoner (Cumberbatch). |
Directed by J.J. Abrams
Produced by J.J. Abrams, Bryan Burk, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, and Roberto Orci
Written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof (script); Gene Roddenberry (TV series)
Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, Zoe Saldana, Alice Eve, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, and Peter Weller
***1/2
With his wildly entertaining, amped-up version of Star Trek, J.J. Abrams delivers another thrilling science fiction adventure film with the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise. This time around, Captain James T. Kirk (Pine) and company must stop a genetically engineered criminal (Cumberbatch), who is determined to destroy as many "inferior" lives as he can. Along the way, Kirk's relationship with Spock (Quinto) grows even stronger, as he tries to become a more mature leader and better officer. With the fate of Earth on the line, the entire crew will be tested, working together to bring about peace.
The previous film relied on great storytelling, well-cast characters, and first-rate production values. Needless to say, it's all back in this film. Pine and Quinto continue to prove they are ideally cast as the cocksure Kirk and logic-driven Spock. The rest of the returning crew played by Saldana, Urban, Pegg, Cho, and Yelchin remain perfect in their roles, and Trek newcomer Alice Eve performs well in her small part. Of course, Cumberbatch is yet another brilliant casting choice, turning in a wonderful villainous performance. The film runs a little long, but the story remains interesting throughout the entire adventure. With less lens flares than its predecessor, it features terrific technical work, and it makes for a solid blockbuster. It's not as fun as the previous Trek, but it's a thrilling journey with these legendary space explorers, nonetheless.
Oscar Potential: Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing, Best Visual Effects
Hi Josh! I thought you're gonna give this one a 4/5 (that's what you said on my post). I do agree with you the technical work is amazing, but thankfully there's also an engaging story and great characters. Glad you like Cumberbatch too, yes he's definitely inspired choice. I heard that's because Abrams was introduced to Sherlock before he cast him! :D
ReplyDeleteSorry for the confusion Ruth. My reviews on the blog are out of 4 stars. (3.5/4 = 4/5) I have it posted on the Rating Scale box at the top of the right sidebar. ;)
DeleteI hope they do another film with this cast, but they'd have to come up with a good reason to bring Cumberbatch back.
UGH, I need to see this now!!!
ReplyDeleteReally? That's great! For some reason, I didn't think you liked the first one.
DeleteI love this cast so much. They really are all perfect.
ReplyDeleteIndeed. I'm hoping for another one with them.
DeleteI'm probably going to catch it on DVD, I'm not a big fan of the franchise but the last movie was very entertaining even though Winona Ryder was shockingly underused in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a big Star Trek fan either, but I do love Abrams' Trek films. Yeah, Ryder was very underused. I actually forgot she was in it until I rewatched it recently.
Delete