Star Trek Into Darkness Out Now, Reviews

As of 8PM EST, Star Trek Into Darkness is officially released in North America with IMAX and 3D early screenings followed by midnight showings (which I am going too).Rotten Tomatoes is reporting a solid 87% of positive reviews for the movies from critics, a figure that is not easy to get. The audience grade hasn't been tabulated yet. Below are snippets from a few of the reviews to highlight what critics are saying, useful if on the fence about spending the money to go see it. I hope to have my review up tomorrow.

Dark Horizons

"Star Trek Into Darkness" is a very difficult film to review because so much of the film, and its criticisms, depends on one being aware of certain spoilers. I won't go into any major plot details, but I can say that the reveals should result in some quite strong reactions - especially amongst long-term Trek fans. ...the story never really forms a cohesive whole, the thrill ride elements taking precedence and often interrupting the flow rather than sitting comfortably within it. ...the final mano-e-mano fight scene feels like an anticlimax, leaving you wondering if there's a whole third act that was excised at the last minute. ...So many of the 'surprises' of the film only register if you know the earlier work, and if you do - the 'surprises' aren't a surprise. An attempt is made to keep things fresh by taking existing major moments and subjecting them to 'reversals'.

Entertainment Weekly

The whole Enterprise crew has become a collection of colliding egos ...these characters pop out at us with a new dynamism. ...And they all confront a villain who has been brilliantly retrofitted to throw everyone, including the audience, off guard. That's the real ''darkness'' the film's title is referring to: the place where you're no longer certain what the right thing to do is. And that's a place of genuine excitement. Into Darkness is a sleek, thrilling epic that's also a triumphantly witty popcorn morality play.

Washington Post

... the casting coup here is Benedict Cumberbatch, who exudes steely resolve and silken savagery as a villain on the cusp of becoming a legendary nemesis. ...“Star Trek Into Darkness” derives its ballast, and most of its menacing pleasure, from Cumberbatch, who takes tantalizing ownership of a role with near-limitless future prospects for evil mayhem. For its part, “Star Trek Into Darkness” contains debates about weaponizing the Enterprise and unilateral assassinations that can’t help but echo current arguments about due process and drone strikes. ...With the franchise now securely underway, it’s reassuring to know that Abrams and his team have the con.

USA Today

Spectacular special effects, superbly crafted action sequences, plenty of humor and terrific performances render it a cut above most summer blockbusters. This gleeful adventure should please both hard-core fans and those unfamiliar with Gene Roddenberry's original mid-'60s TV series. While densely plotted, it manages to be both nostalgic and forward-looking. The less said about the twisting plot here, the greater the potential for viewer enjoyment. But though it's exciting to see the vessel in intergalactic peril, what makes the story surprisingly moving is the bond between Kirk and Spock as they risk their lives to save each other.

The Hollywood Reporter

For a genre film of this sort, extra attention has been paid to provide the leads with morsels of human dimensions, including crises of conscience, uncertainty, fallibility, hidden motives and character traits that determine that they sometimes just can't help themselves; these are details that are not essential but nonetheless prove welcome as they create undercurrents that weren't always there in Star Trek TV episodes or in the previous 11 feature films. ..moral issues between Kirk and Spock come into play that are marginally more engaging than the cranked-up action sequences that are manufactured every 10 or 15 minutes, too often with a rote, push-button feeling to them. ...Abrams works in a narrower, less imaginative mode here; there's little sense of style, no grace notes or flights of imagination. One feels the dedication of a young musician at a recital determined not to make any mistakes, but there's no hint of creative interpretation, personal feelings or the spreading of artistic wings