Trek @ 60: Star Trek: Into Darkness


This year Star Trek turns 60. For decades, it has enthralled and entertained audiences. Part of that legacy is 13 feature films. Over the next few weeks, I'll be looking back on each of the feature films in the franchise, including where I place them in my personal rankings!

Spock: You misunderstand. It is true I chose not to feel anything upon realizing my own life was ending. As Admiral Pike was dying, I joined with his consciousness and experienced what he felt at the moment of his passing. Anger. Confusion. Loneliness. Fear. I had experiences those feelings before, multiplied exponentially on the day my planet was destroyed. Such a feeling is something I choose never to experience again. Nyota, you mistake my choice not to feel as a reflection of my not caring. Well, I assure you, the truth is precisely the opposite.

Star Trek: Into Darkness (2013)
Franchise Ranking: 7
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, John Cho, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, and Benedict Cumberbatch
Director: J.J. Abrams
About: This might be my most controversial take, I don't hate this film. At No. 7, it's squarely in the middle. It's the lowest rated of the re-boot cast films, as I talked about my love for Beyond during the rewind earlier this year. This is the final installment in this look at Star Trek, and it feels fitting to end with this one. Abrams, in re-booting the world with a twist, opened the door to re-telling classic stories. But it was a bold stroke to try and re-do the story of Khan, which remains the greatest of Star Trek films, and the most emotional. This film doesn't rise to that level. It flips the script on Spock and Kirk, but largely follows the same plan. Cumberbatch is a good actor and a compelling enough villain, but it was a misstep in some ways to try and recapture this story. I think the film would be regarded much better if the villain wasn't named Khan. Still, it's a well-crafted and engaging film. I loved this re-boot cast and I wish they'd gotten to do more film.

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