LAMORINDA WEEKLY | "Star Trek Into Darkness"


From left: Zachary Quinto is Spock and Chris Pine is Kirk in "Star Trek Into Darkness" from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions. (C) 2013 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

One of the most famous quotes in the Star Trek legacy is "Where no man has gone before!" This film is a huge undertaking for any director of the Star Trek franchise that has created more than 700 television shows and 12 movies.

At first glance into the galaxy, I would say man has gone everywhere, but surprisingly director J.J. Abrams, who directed the first reboot in 2009, delivers a detailed storyline and a movie that is exhilarating to watch on the big screen. Moviegoers will be on the edge of their seats as they experience a brilliantly shot film, while they cheer on the Enterprise crew to succeed in battle against the evil villain of mass destruction.

Once again Chris Pine ("Bottle Shock," "Rise of the Guardians") returns as Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto ("Margin Call," "Heroes," "American Horror Story") portrays Spock. As with the cult popular television series, it is the ensemble cast that makes it all work, with Zoe Saldana ("Avatar") as Uhura, Karl Urban ("The Lord of the Rings") as Bones, Simon Pegg ("Ice Age") as Scotty, and John Cho ("Harold & Kumar") as Sulu. It should be noted that not one of these cast members is a scene hog like William Shatner was in the television and early film series.

The amazing crew must come together to stop a force of terror within their organization. Starfleet agent John Harrison, portrayed by the talented British actor Benedict Cumberbatch ("The Hobbit," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," "War Horse"), leads a terrorist attack on the Starfleet Library in London. He quickly follows up the London hit with an attack on the key Starfleet officers. Kirk and the Enterprise are assigned the responsibility of hunting down Harrison on the planet Kronos populated by the rival Klingons.

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is a thriller and Abrams delivers something new in a franchise that dates back to 1965. Kudos to Abrams, for that is no small feat. The film is rated PG13 for violence and intense images. You will feel like you are in warp speed during the 2 hour, 12 minute running time.

Derek Zemrak is a Film Critic, Film Producer and Founder of the California Independent Film Festival. You can follow Derek on Twitter @zemrak for the latest Hollywood news. Derek is the host of Real to Reel on TRadioV.com live at 6 p.m. every Tuesday.