Verdict:
Ugh…The dialogue sucks. It has a ton of needless exposition and introduction. It is sometimes out of sync with what is going on, badly timed, odd or inappropriate for the situation. Random example: there is a scene when the character Zulu is making a threat as part of a preconceived plan and his colleague Leonard says, “Remind me never to piss you off.” That sentence does not make sense here because Zulu is executing a plan that Leonard is aware of. That sort of odd thing keeps breaking the immersion. It is remarkable that the viewers did not have a problem with the wording in this movie.
The plot is rocky, with the screenplay plagued by plot holes and scenes that serve little purpose, but the situation improves as the movie picks up pace. The plot holes are still there, but the film starts moving fast enough over them that you do not think about them too much. Into Darkness is at its best when the action kicks in. The action is exciting, and the new generation of computer effects look great, even when real items are placed together with computer-generated ones, which in a lesser movie would make the CGI look fake by comparison.
Some of the more distracting scenes in the movie are the ones that involve fan pandering because of how blunt it is. A good reference to another work is dropped discreetly, perhaps as part of the background, but not whole phrases or scenes ripped from the old Star Trek movies. Though, if you haven’t seen the old Star Trek movies, this probably won’t bother you.
Chris Pine is a generically aggressive Captain Kirk. Yes, he expresses emotions, but doesn’t have a distinct personality, not even the one that the exposition keeps insisting he has. Simon Pegg makes for an excellent Scotty though. I’m glad he gets a lot of screen time. Also, Benedict Cumberbatch does an superb Hannibal Lector impression. If only his dialogue was a little smarter. To compensate for the less than stellar dialogue, he kicks ass physically. In fact, his cool factor and relatable motivations make him a pretty good villain. As for the female cast, it sure feels like they are mostly there for the mandatory eye candy. Well, at least the film knows its audience.
While the script is questionable, the art style and sound design are considerably stronger. The clean slick look of bright structures and textured uniforms contrasts with the old stone and the dark fiery destruction. This is a J.J. Abrams movie, so yes, there are too many lens flares, but they fit the style of the film and are not that distracting.
In short, Into Darkness offers good visuals and thrilling action but the dramatic elements fall short. It’s like J.J. Abrams shook his shiny rattle to distract the audience from the poor writing, and apparently, it’s working.