Summer 2013 Preview - Star Trek Into Darkness

A number of weeks back I previewed a couple of Summer releases in Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel. I said they would battle it out for supremacy at the box office but there is another film released this Summer that can be added to that battle. The film is Star Trek Into Darkness. 

Star Trek Into Darkness

Director: J.J. Abrams

Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Simon Pegg, Bruce Greenwood, Alice Eve, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Budget: $185 million 

Release date: May 9

Plot: Captain James T. Kirk and the crew of the USS Enterprise are forced on a deadly manhunt to find the terrorist threat responsible for a number of attacks on Earth. It soon becomes clear that the threat has come from within their own organisation, making this fight personal for all of the crew.

Before the reboot of Star Trek was released back in 2009, it is fair to say that I had never really watched any of the films or television series that had made up the franchise since it first hit our screens in 1966. 

However, it is hard to ignore how iconic a franchise Star Trek actually is. Over the forty-seven years since it started, Star Trek has generated a devoted set of fans that go by the name of 'Trekkies'. These fans were one of the reasons why the idea of a reboot for the franchise was a massive gamble back in 2009.

It was a franchise that needed to be given a new lease of life and they could not have chosen a better crew to do exactly that. 

J.J. Abrams was brought in to direct the reboot. This was a man whose only previous turn as a director in film was Mission: Impossible III. Not such different situations then as the Mission: Impossible franchise was also one that needed saving after the horrible Mission: Impossible II.

So with a man at the helm who had only directed one feature film and the news that the reboot would feature all of the much-loved characters from the original TV series, Trekkies were worried that characters such as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock played by William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy respectively, would be ruined. 

Abrams also had to be mindful of audience members, like myself, who were new to the Star Trek franchise. He said himself that he was never a massive fan of Star Trek and that to get those new to Star Trek to like it, he was going to have to make it 'cool'. 

He assembled a young cast that did not disappoint, even with the Trekkies. With the worry that these characters would be ruined, the young cast made the characters their own, Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto in particular standing out as Captain James T. Kirk and Spock.

Another clever thing that was done with the storyline was that instead of following the same path as their characters in the TV shows and films that had come before, writers Roberto Orci  and Alex Kurtzman included an alternate universe storyline that meant the iconic characters could follow new paths and with any sequels they would not have to redo story lines from before.

I was very impressed with the finished article and found myself actually liking something to do with Star Trek as well as becoming a fan of Abrams.

Now, in 2013, I find myself much more impressed with J.J. Abrams after Super 8 in 2011 and eagerly awaiting Star Trek Into Darkness. As with most sequels to big blockbuster films these days I am expecting bigger and better things. 

It seems as if I will not be disappointed if the trailers are anything to go by. The first trailer I saw for Star Trek Into Darkness was back in December. You normally start seeing the trailers for the big releases in the Summer at the cinema around November/December time as it starts to get audiences excited for the big blockbusters to come.

I remember seeing the first trailer at the cinema and thinking to myself "Woah! That's a lot of action!" 

Check out the trailer below and see what I mean for yourself.

As a teaser trailer this did the job. It genuinely left me wanting the film to be released sooner than the Summer.

We only had to wait until March to get the full trailer. This was the trailer that showed more of the characters as well as fitting in some of the epic action that will be coming our way on May 9th. It also gave the distinct impression that we will see a much more darker film this time round.

We are reintroduced to the arrogant and gung-ho Captain James T. Kirk and also the friendship he shares with Spock. They have that odd couple feel about them and it seems as if they will once again clash in Star Trek Into Darkness.

One of the main things that I am most looking forward to in this film is the villain played by Benedict Cumberbatch. His role has been shrouded with secrecy ever since he was announced as a member of the cast but for the moment he is down as John Harrison and from the sounds of it he has a score to settle with Starfleet. From movie history we know that villains can be particularly dangerous when carrying out a personal vendetta.

A memorable villain would not go amiss in this film after the not so memorable Nero played by Eric Bana in Star Trek. He too had a personal vendetta but it just was not done as well as it could have been. Here's hoping that Benedict Cumberbatch pulls out all the stops to give us one hell of a villain. From the voiceover given in both trailers, I think we will get just that.

Check out the full trailer below.



I have got the feeling that this will be bigger and better than its predecessor and if that is the case, Paramount are going to have to find some way to sign J.J. Abrams up for another sequel as soon as possible. Not as easy as it first sounds, you know, with all that business he will soon have going on in a galaxy far far away.