STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS (B-)

Bottom Line: Blatantly going where another STAR TREK movie has actually gone before, this quizzically titled sequel is an adrenalized, action-packed, summer blockbuster that’s a shade or two (maybe three) less impactful than its superior, rebooted 2009 precursor.  It’s a spastically rigorous voyage that delivers the requisite thrills you’d expect, but the final third boils down to little more than a lazily written ‘shout out’ that’ll either infuriate some (Trekkies) or sail right over the heads of others (Non-Trekkies; aka not nerds).  The exceptional cast, eye-popping cinematography, soaring score and fast-paced action sequences work in unison to entertain while the redundant nature, constant movement to make up for lack of story and the motives of a superhero-like villain who’s not super-intriguing occasionally pull this ship off course.  It’s an enthusiastically envisioned, off-balance experience.  With a bloated running time of just over two-hours, the filmmakers’ laptop scriptwriting software must have been toggled to ‘shallow’, while the rest of this picture’s phasers are clearly set on ‘fun’.

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, Alice Eve, Benedict Cumberpatch, Anton Yelchin, John Cho and Bruce Greenwood

Directed by: J.J. Abrams (STAR TREK, SUPER 8 and MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE III)

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 123 minutes

Story: When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew. (c) Paramount

Trailer: www.startrekmovie.com