...the best and most synergenic thing about a great movie's cast ensemble, in unique cases when such a cast is called upon to respectfully emulate and reinterpret past beloved characters...now considered having legendary status...and once performed by actors equally legendary and seasoned, is when fresh newcomer performers genuinely take these classic characters, make them their own, and at the same time...through great chemistry and interaction...further exhue character qualities, which we the audience, can identify with. Indeed, most of us viewers can easily and most readily identify with most, if not all of the original 'Star Trek' characters, and see qualities in each singular character, or any combination of said characters, which deep down, we all naturally possess, have incorporated into ourselves, or even aspired to. Kirk's keenly instinctive, albeit reckless & unconventional ability to unflinchingly take on challenges, exhuing a measure of authoritative disregard, and yet, still relatively & courageously saving the day, nearly each and every time. Spock's staunch insistence upon a logical approach to matters, despite interference of his internal conflict of heritage, between his emotion-laden human side, and his mentally disciplined Vulcan half. Scotty's unbounding sense of resourcefulness, and his unswerving ability to get the job done, no matter what he needs to do. Uhura's indomitable passions for her position...crystal clear upon what she knows she is capable of doing, and knowing an unquestionable equality, in working with her shipmates. McCoy's own sense of determined self-righteousness and empathy for his fellow man, as well as his shipmates, despite a constant measure of situational doubt and ability, when the odds on such situations, in his eyes, seem too great. Chekov's unseasoned, albeit determined sense of trying to measuring up...clearly having the skills he needs, to get in there and get it done...but possessing a sense of non-dissuading self-doubt, being one of the junior members of the crew...self-doubt, which would later understandably dissipate, given further opportunity to prove himself. Sulu's disciplined passion for the combat...being very assured of himself, and of his abilities...even on the occasions, which he is given the leadership role. We see these qualities in each and every one of us...can relate to them, in one way or another...and it is primarily the result of this very observation, as reflect herein...the inception & embraceably further development of these now-classic characters, and the new challenge they face...where the newly released "Star Trek Into Darkness" works best, and most assuredly proves that the re-envisioned, well-written and well-received 2009 attempt at the franchise, was no fluke...
...barely a year after being awarded command of the USS Enterprise, a young James T. Kirk has the captain's chair taken away from him...a heated disciplinary measure, inflicted as the result of his blatant disregard of the Federation's Prime Directive, in an attempt to save a member of his crew. After a staunch investigation and debriefing, with some of the crew dissipated and directed to other commands, Kirk wallows in self-reflection of what has occurred, only to find out that not only has the Enterprise reverted back to the command of Admiral William Pike...the one who originally recommended Kirk to the command of the ship, in the first place...but he himself has been relegated to First Officer of the Enterprise...a bittersweet consolation, to say the least...
...soon after, a vicious terrorist attack upon one of the Federation's secret archive sections, in London, gives cause to gather the heads and major ship captains of Starfleet Command (...including Pike and Kirk), together for an emergency meeting, to discuss the motives for the attack, as well as the suspected perpetrator...a former, quite knowledgeable and respected Starfleet official, named John Harrison. Kirk, in breaking associated protocol discussion amongst the the gathering, after scrutizing photos and surveillance footage of the terrorist attack aftermath, and spotting Harrision fleeing the scene, suggests to the Starfleet heads, that the attacked archive was purposefully, albeit underliningly intent towards ensuring the very Starfleet gathering, which they were at; however, before Kirk can further detail his suspicions, the meeting is abruptly and fatally interrupted by a shower of gunfire, wrought from a flight craft, just outside the window of the meeting room...effectively killing several of the meeting attendees, including Admiral Pike. With resourcefulness, Kirk disables the looming & deadly craft, and manages to spot Harrison in the pilot's seat, before he is transported to...wherever, and the craft crashes to the ground below...
...information arises, suggesting that Harrison has transported himself to an isolated region in the Klingon empire. Despite the possibility that hunting and extracting Harrison from his hiding place, might well further invoke an already war-threatening situation with the battle-driven Klingons, Kirk is reassigned command of the Enterprise, gathers his crew, with orders to proceed to the outpost, where Harrison is suspectedly located, and outright destroy the region...and Harrison along with it...with a cache of specially retrofitted photon torpedoes. However, Engineer Scott refuses to sign off on the weapons, upon discovering that there's a suspicious and uncomfortably veiled confidentiality to the construction & retrofitting of the torpedoes, and subsequently Scotty resigns his commission, when ordered to sign off on the weapons, by Kirk...
...on route to the isolated Klingon region, where Harrison is hiding, McCoy and Spock manage to convince Kirk that Harrision should be brought to justice for his crimes, rather than being outright killed; however, once the Enterprise reaches the intended region, just outside the Neutral Zone, and covertly sends an Away Team to the suspected area, they are besieged by several Klingon ships, with a crew not willing to abide by the suggested capture attempt. Without warning, Harrision reveals himself from the shadows...firing upon, and hand-to-hand grappling with the Klingon crew, with an outright superhuman ability; soon after demobilizing the attacking Klingon crew, Harrison inexplicably surrenders to Kirk and the Away Team, after finding out about the amassed photon torpedoes onboard the Enterprise...and the specific number of them. Why?? What is the mystery behind the torpedoes, which by now, clearly appear to be something more than what they are suggested to be?? And who exactly is Harrison, who himself is someone...something more that what he appears to be, and what does he have to do with the weapons?? Questions most assuredly posed, and thusly answered, in a cleverly wrought enigma of betrayal, vengeance & political corruption...and in the middle, manipulating the sinister proceedings, a new and alternative take on a well-familiar and merciless adversary in the Star Trek lexicon of villainy, culminating in the loss of a beloved Star Trek character (...in an ironically conceived and heart-wretchedly familiar switch-o change-o role reversal)...or IS it??
...visually, "Star Trek Into Darkness" is amassed in jaw-dropping, non-stop action, combat and science fiction intrigue, though not too far removed from it's 2009 predecessor; what stands out, first and foremost above all the technical special effects 'eye candy' herein, is the establishment, interaction and further growth of these classics characters, which we of the 'Star Trek' devotees have come to embrace. In viewing this film, it has become no longer necessary to render comparisons between the original performed rendition of these personas, and the re-imagined ones. A testament to their great performances, Chris Pine (...once again, as Kirk), Zachary Quinto (...as Spock), Karl Urban (...as McCoy), John Cho (...as Sulu), Anton Yelchin (...as Chekov), Simon Pegg (...as Scotty) and Zoe Saldana (...as Uhura) have successfully taken to the task, in making these characters their own, and yet still affording a most familiar, albeit fresh respectability to the inspiring, original roles...and who/what these people will eventually become, albeit based upon this alternately skewed timeline...
...all due credit to "Iron Man 3" being the first, official blockbuster movie of the 2013 summer (...in short, a different flavored movie than 'I' & 'II', though no less exciting and entertaining), it is "Star Trek Into Darkness", which clearly ushers in, the best so far...for a most dynamic and awesome summer movie opening...
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