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Canberra Today 12°/15° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (M) *

THIS is the 13th big-screen foray into something that more than four decades ago began on TV and built a massive fan base that’s now grown older and, one hopes, wiser.

In the year 2295.55 young Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) is already breaking Starfleet rules for the sake of right outcomes. The crew aboard USS Enterprise is the same as it was on TV only younger. The enemy is still Khan, the opposing tribe is already the Klingons.

When a film’s a bummer, the first place to look for causes is the screenplay. What the writers gave director J J Abrams to film is a bit of a no-brainer, well-worn clichés and relationships of “Star Trek” yore already fully-formed, visual elements revelling in the latest CGI techniques to inflate a plot ridiculous beyond belief to occupy a bum-numbing 132 minutes. Fewer if you leave as soon as the end credits start.

The two most fulfilling performances come from British actors. Benedict Cumberbatch is rogue Starfleet officer John Harrison who, in a more just world, would have met his end in a battle royal with Kirk, but here has to stay alive to explain how Ricardo Montalban came to play him in 1982. Simon Pegg plays everybody’s favourite Enterprise crew-member, chief engineer Scotty.

“Star Trek XIII” blazons its heritage hoping to attract its traditional audience. Quite likely, their grandchildren will react to it with big LOL.

At all cinemas

 

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Dougal Macdonald

Dougal Macdonald

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One Response to Review: ‘Star Trek Into Darkness’ (M) *

K says: 22 May 2013 at 10:21 pm

The identity of the villain is meant to be revealed later in the film. Your printing it spoils the surprise. I’m really glad I saw the movie before reading your review.

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