Star Trek Into Darkness is the second film in the rebooted Star Trek franchise directed by J.J. Abrams and produced by Bad Robot. Viewers may remember that this was the same team that directed the first rebooted film in the franchise and were also responsible for the highly regarded LOST television series. At an event hosted by Paramount, us here at Capsule Computers were able to get a sneak peak at the first 28 minutes of the film, as well as a couple of extra segments from later on in the story.
Writing this impressions article has been a difficult task as I really want to go into detail on a lot of points in regards to the films story. However, I have taken extra caution so as to not spoil anything within the film that is of major importance. Instead, I’ll be trying my best to convey what it was like to be watching the film.
Star Trek Into Darkness starts off with an extremely gripping action sequence that had all of the elements that a good action/chase sequence should have. It had explosive elements, some kinds of conflicts and also served as a great way to learn about each of the characters, their way of thinking and how each character see’s a different solution to the same problem. This scene was great to watch as it set up the tone and feel of the movie from the get-go, and I must say that the film definitely lives up to this feel set by the opening scene.
The next (roughly) twenty minutes deal with a plot line that sees a major character losing something close to them, as well as the set up for the major villain and their capabilities. I have to admit that when I saw Benedict Cumberbatch in the villain role, I was a little overjoyed. He did a great job in the Sherlock TV series, and as a villain, he adds an amazing aesthetic to the character.
The film, from what I can tell from what we’ve seen so far, is amazingly well paced and easy to understand. The team behind the film have gone to great lengths to ensure that the film is not only accessible, but it is also gripping and entertaining for the entire duration of the film. I don’t say this because we were briefed on this being the case for the film; I say this because as I watched the film and our viewing session suddenly ended, I actually said: “What? It’s been 40 minutes already?”.
I swear, it only felt like I was in the cinema for a fraction of the time. This is how you know that you’ve made a quality film. Nothing bores the mind and the viewer is kept engaged the entire time. To ensure that I hadn’t been influenced into finding this more enjoyable than it should have been, I only drank a juice before entering the cinema.
Overall, as a film, it looks like Star Trek Into Darkness is going to be the best film for this year by far. I will probably be camping out the night before this film is released just to be the first in. I haven’t ever done this before. That is how satisfying this film will be.
