Review: Star Trek Into Darkness

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch, etc.
Director: JJ Abrams
Studio: Paramount

When rogue Starfleet operative John Harrison bombs a secret installation in the heart of London, Captain James T Kirk must risk war with the Klingon Empire to bring the terrorist to justice.

Remember how Star Trek used to be the thinking man's science fiction? Well those days are long past, as JJ Abrams brings us the dumbest incarnation yet. Where his original 2009 reboot just barely held together under examination, this sequel is so full of holes, it falls in upon itself under the weight of it's own stupidity. An argument can be made that the general masses prefer this stripped down, trigger happy, bare bones version of Star Trek. I mean, just look at the box office receipts. Clearly, the audience is getting something they like...and that couldn't be more depressing.

The strangest part of this whole disaster is that despite all the promises to make the franchise easily accessible and new viewer friendly, it's basically a remake of 1982's classic 'The Wrath of Khan'. Where previous entries had simply mimicked the structure and brought a crazed tyrant up against the Enterprise *cough*Nemesis*cough*, 'Into Darkness' is far more literal. Entire sequences are copied from three decades ago. Writers Orci and Kurtzman could be accused of plagiarism, it's so blatant.

If the news hadn't already reached you, the film's lead villain is fan favourite, Khan Noonien Singh. Only it isn't really him and he isn't really the lead villain. But he should've been. Benedict Cumberbatch crafts a truly unique reinterpretation of the classic villain. He isn't remotely like the Ricardo Montalban version, in look, in speech, in mannerisms, in action. Cumberbatch is so unlike what came before, it's puzzling as to why he even needed to be Khan. He could've easily been a Starfleet terrorist called John Harrison, just as the film initially presents him. The twist of his true identity won't make the slightest difference to new viewers, while the fans will have seen it coming a mile away.

Similarly, Khan's war against Starfleet is nonsensical and ultimately fruitless. The true villain of the piece is Peter Weller's Admiral Marcus. With the post 9/11 vibe of future Earth, Marcus' worst instincts are coming to the fore, making him believe war with the neighboring Klingon Empire is inevitable and the only logical recourse for Starfleet is fierce militarisation. His plans are meant to be top secret, evoking Deep Space Nine's Section 31. However, I'm pretty sure they didn't have scale models of their mysterious evil ship displayed prominently in their office for all to see. I had to restrain myself from shouting at Kirk and Spock for not asking "gee, what's that ship, sir?". If that wasn't ridiculous enough, Marcus hands over 72 "advanced" torpedoes to the Enterprise and orders them to fire every single one at the Klingon homeworld. Not once do the crew wonder about the awfully specific number of torpedoes, what's inside of them or whether it's overkill to fire 72 missiles when one would do nicely. In terms of evil schemes, this is right up there with Scooby Doo's old man Withers. He would've gotten away with it too if not for those meddling kids!

Chris Pine is once again back as the young Captain Kirk. Despite working through his growing pains in the first movie and earning the Captain's chair, this film has him learning the exact same lessons twice over. 'Into Darkness' begins with Kirk flouting the Prime Directive, having a huge impact on a pre-Warp society (hell, pre-Wheel society) and most importantly, lying about it. William Shatner's James Kirk may've had his roguish moments in the course of his five year mission, but Pine's is ten times more reckless and prone to making bad decisions. Personally, I thought we'd gotten over this stage of his evolution by the end of the first film and now we'd see Pine living up to the rich heritage of the character. Unfortunately, this younger incarnation is little more than a petulant child, who doesn't hesitate to throw a hissy fit when he can't have his way. Even when he tries to martyr himself towards the end of the film, it doesn't play as heroic, but dumb. Pine simply isn't likable in the role of Kirk and I don't think any future films will evolve him to a point where he is.

Zachary Quinto's Spock comes off much better, having several strong scenes lamenting the loss of his homeworld in the first film and the resulting death wish he's working through. Where Leonard Nimoy once played the Vulcan as well-adjusted and open to exploring his burgeoning Human emotions, this is a Spock who's been dealt a devastating blow and is in the process of shutting those emotions down. He can't bring himself to become attached to people for fear of losing them. Even pushing away his closest cohorts in best friend Kirk and girlfriend Uhura. By the time he's chasing down Cumberbatch's Khan across the futuristic skyline, his top has well and truly blown. His frustrations fueling his fight against the literal superman. Ironically, it's this emotionless green blooded alien that gives the movie what little heart it has.

While JJ Abrams may have failed abysmally to draw out worthwhile performances or stories from the otherwise talented crew, the one area where he overwhelmingly succeeded was in the visuals. I can pick holes in virtually every aspect of the film, except this one. Whatever it's flaws, 'Into Darkness' looks absolutely fantastic. The colour palette is positively vivid, there's a number of ingenious fades and the image of the Enterprise falling out of the sky is unmatched. If they put as much thought into the story as into the visuals, we would've had an outright classic on our hands.

Being a long-time Star Trek fan, I'm almost the wrong audience for this movie. While it features more fan-service than ever before, this is not the Star Trek I knew and loved. The franchise as it was would've done anything humanly possible to avoid violence, in favour of finding the peaceful solution. This new incarnation solves it's problems at the end of a phaser. Why travel the hard road and understand your enemies, when you can fire a torpedo at them and marvel as it explodes in a variety of pretty colours. Where once Star Trek preached philosophy, it now screams spectacle. The franchise may be more profitable than ever before, but I left the film questioning whether it is now creatively bankrupt.

4 out of 10

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Review: Star Trek - The Next Generation - Hive #4

Writers: Brannon Braga, Terry Matalas and Travis Fickett
Artist: Joe Corroney
Publisher: IDW Comics

Captain Jean Luc Picard has the fate of the Galaxy in his hands, but will his resolve remain strong in the face of potential genocide?

This isn't the first time the good Captain has been to this dance. In the classic TNG episode "I, Borg", Picard was presented with a paradoxical computer program, that if uploaded into the Borg Collective, would end their threat once and for all. But through talking to the liberated drone, Hugh, the crew of the Enterprise came to realise the innocent nature of the assimilated and hesitated to pull the proverbial trigger. Though years may have passed, our heroes find themselves in the exact same position. Only this time, the Borg are coming in force and the humanitarian approach isn't an option.

Considering the death and destruction the Borg Collective have wreaked across the Milky Way since last they had the option, you can't exactly blame these otherwise noble people for having an itchy trigger finger. However, much of this series has outright contradicted emotional journeys established in the shows themselves. Picard had already faced his demons in the motion picture "First Contact" and Seven of Nine progressively embraced her humanity throughout the entire of "Voyager", so to see them fall back into the hands of the Collective is downright heartbreaking.

For all the good that creative mind Brannon Braga brought to the Star Trek franchise over the decades, his writing has become predictable and trite. Ask any modern day fan their opinion of his stories and it's as if his very name were a dirty word. Just like George Lucas before him, he may've helped get us here, but he's treated us like cr*p ever since. His last effort being the notorious dreadful "These Are The Voyages", also known as the reviled Enterprise series finale. That episode was disrespectful to the show itself and relied far too heavily on flimsy shock tactics to get a rise out of the audience. It's unfortunate to find those same tendencies are still apparent today.

The sad thing is that the building blocks for a fantastic story were there. With only a few small tweaks, we could've had a fond farewell to several beloved Star Trek characters. Instead, we have an absolute mess, that wipes a handful of major players off the board in various unsatisfying ways. The strangest of all being Braga killing off his own ex-girfriend, Jeri Ryan! Her character, Seven of Nine, was Voyager's breakout star and her journey towards reclaiming her humanity was the best arc the show ever attempted. But with this series, she ultimately failed. She went back to the Borg, was violated anew and sacrificed her life in a vain effort to save thousands while TRILLIONS died around her. The heroic death is appreciated, but throughout the course of this mini-series, she fell so far from the heights of her time on Voyager. Captain Janeway would be genuinely saddened to see her personal pet project go out in such a manner.

Another confusing treatment of a beloved character comes in the form of resurrected android, Data. Braga went to alot of trouble to include the character in his story, but with seemingly little gain. Some convoluted story about the Borg assimilating the Daystrom Institute and salvaging his files from the B4 unit seen in "Nemesis". But for all that effort, what did Data actually do? He popped in, said hello to his friends (who aren't exactly given time to react to the return of their dead colleague), stood in the background as Picard and Seven saved the day, then disappeared as the timeline corrected itself. Braga, you just reversed your own reversal!

As a fan, particularly of the Borg, I couldn't help but notice the blatant repetition of classic plot devices throughout this mini. Picard facing his fears of Locutus, check. The Borg Queen gloating from her impenetrable fortress, check. A magic virus that will save the day, check. The brave hero feeding themselves to the Borg, check. It basically played like a greatest hits album. If you've seen "Best of Both Worlds", "Scorpion", "Unimatrix Zero" or "Endgame", you've seen Hive.

As bad as I thought this series was as a whole, I don't want this to come across as a denigration of everything Star Trek. I clearly love the characters and the concepts or I wouldn't be voluntarily reading the story in the first place. In trying to find the rare good qualities of Hive, let it be known that I thought the wrap-up was fantastic. I absolutely loved the idea of a free Borg race establishing their own colony, not to mention Picard hinting he was about to resurrect Data (again). These concepts were wonderful and left me with a tangible feeling of "okay, the Borg are out of the way, can we see THOSE episodes now?". There is a rabid Star Trek fan inside me and they will always long for the next adventure.

5 out of 10

Weekly Round-Up 25/09/2012

NIGHTWING #0 (DC)

Epitomising the notion of DC's "Zero Month", we're taken all the way back to Dick Grayson's origin as Robin. It's pretty much beat for beat everything you'd expect from such a story. No radical reinventions on display here. But even so, a solid retelling of the tale none the less. The only true alterations come in the form of furthering writer Kyle Higgins' running theme of Dick always looking forward, never back. There's a particularly clever scene depicting this, with Dick and a childhood friend racing a train and saving an endangered innocent in the process. The only possible downside is the ghastly revisionist Robin costume. What was once a tunic and pixie boots has become a godawful suit of armour with so many details it must take the artist an hour to simply remember what it looked like in the last panel. The New 52 has been rife with such outfits and sometimes they could do with taking a step back and realising - simpler is better.

8 out of 10

SPIDER-MEN #5 (MARVEL)

In the final issue of this landmark crossover between 616 and Ultimate universes, Peter Parker and Miles Morales team up one last time to take down the dimension-hopping threat of Mysterio. So why does it feel like nothing much actually happened in this mini-series? Over the course of these five issues, conflict has been kept to a minimum, instead being more of a polite meet and greet between the two Spider-Men. Mysterio is so easily defeated in this issue that you can't help but wonder why it took so long in the first place. However, it's not all bad, as the bonding between the two arachnid-themed heroes has been genuinely funny and compelling. While it's not really the 616 Peter's place to give Miles his blessing (what with being in the wrong universe and all), the advice he was relaying was heartfelt and meaningful. Miles has always been lacking in any endorsement from his universe's dead Peter Parker, so it's quite fitting he receives it here. The issue ends on a hell of a cliffhanger, with Peter looking into whether or not the 616 universe has a Miles Morales of it's own. I don't know what it is that he found on that Google search, but I'm sure I'd buy another mini-series to find out!

9 out of 10

 STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION - HIVE #1 (IDW)

As a life-long Star Trek fan, the initial news of this mini-series captivated my interest. Unfortunately, the implementation has failed to deliver on every conceivable level. Beginning five hundred years in the future, it's revealed that the Borg have achieved their goal of assimilating the entire galaxy. Yet their quest for perfection has yielded no answers, no resolution, no peace - they're actually quite bored by it. The reassimilated Locutus sets into motion a plan to restore the region to it's former glory and like all good Trek stories - uses time travel to do it. The issue itself features a horrifying scene which can only be described as Picard calling old flame Vash for a booty call, a frankly laughable Data substitute and manages to undo four seasons of character development for a major Voyager cast member (it shouldn't be too hard to guess who - she's on the cover!). Also, if the plot hinges on travelling back in time to stop the total assimilation of the galaxy, who are these new inter-dimensional beings acting as the villain and why should we care about them when all signs point to them being a wild goose chase. When Brannon Braga left the Star Trek franchise behind, that was the best decision anyone could ever have made. Why undo that all these years later?

3 out of 10

THE WALKING DEAD #102 (IMAGE)

Still reeling from the shocking events from issue 100, Rick's group have made their way back home to the Washington compound. Last issue's cliffhanger reveal of Andrea having captured a prisoner would have typically been taken as a rallying cry, especially with this group of characters. However, writer Robert Kirkman expertly turns the dynamic on it's head. Sure having a prisoner is a tactical advantage, but they're up against overwhelming numbers and one man held in a cupboard isn't going to change that. Previously, we would've expected lead character Rick Grimes to take his sweet revenge on the prisoner and set out looking for the villain, but recent events have shaken this once proud man into apathy. Where mere issues before he was offering his military support to a neighbouring community, he's now backed down and is actually conceding to the rebel's demands (or at least we think he is). For a hundred issues, these characters have proudly taken on the world all by themselves. This issue intelligently explores the option of cowardice under such circumstances, as worrying as that may be.

10 out of 10

Weekly Round-Up 01/09/2012

AQUAMAN #12 (DC)

Geoff Johns and Ivan Reis' successful post-modern revival of Aquaman continues in this next chapter of "The Others". Arthur himself has gone rogue, leaving his team and wife in his wake, chasing after long-time nemesis Black Manta. While I hugely enjoyed this issue, not to mention the rest of the arc as a whole, this part of the story was very much transitory. Just as everyone catches up to Manta for, what appeared to be the final confrontation, he escapes once again and sets up the actual conclusion in two months time. Ultimately, it's gorgeously drawn and beautifully written, but not a lot actually happens. In the trade, nobody will notice any deficiencies though. 9/10

STAR TREK: TNG & DOCTOR WHO #4 (IDW)

The previous three issues very slowly brought together the crews of the Enterprise D and the Tardis. Bringing us to this fourth issue, for the most part relating to pleasantries. Our heroes have gotten over the initial apprehension, so now it's time to sit down for a drink and hash things out. Good thing we have Ten Forward on hand, as tended by resident know-it-all, Guinan. She and the Doctor trade barbs and let on that they know alot more about the universe than they should (duh!). There's a new revelation on the villain front, as the Cybermen appear to have turned on their Borg allies. The only problem with this being we never saw any teamwork besides one half-arsed planetary assimilation. This heel-turn was meant to catch us by surprise, when in reality I wonder how they ever got together in the first place. 3/10

AMERICAN VAMPIRE #30 (VERTIGO)

Being part three of an ongoing arc, you'd expect no major revelations in such a middle chapter (a problem Aquaman #12 faced earlier). However, that presumption assumes you've never read anything by Scott Snyder! Acting as somewhat of a character piece, "The Blacklist" finds Pearl still on the hunt for the vampires who attacked her frail elderly husband, Henry. She waxes nostalgic about the early days of their marriage, sending her into a deep depression (not as morose as it sounds). Which makes this the worst possible time to be teaming up with a manipulative bastard like Skinner Sweet! Sufficed to say Pearl makes a shocking, albeit long-expected, pass at her sire and quite possibly the worst mistake of her undead life. I can't recommend this book highly enough. Immensely enjoyable on it's own and astoundingly rewarding for long time readers. 10/10

Star Trek: TNG & Doctor Who #01 Review

In years gone by, the Star Trek comic license has crossed over with everything from the X-Men to the Legion of Superheroes. But one franchise it has never crossed paths with, and what may seem an obvious choice to science fiction fans everywhere, is long standing British icon, Doctor Who. This is the first time we've ever seen our favourite Police Box land within a sector of a starship named Enterprise and it just so happens that the honour falls to the Next Generation.

Unfortunately, we're still going to have to wait another month for the long awaited crossover, as it doesn't actually occur within these twenty pages. Not once do Captain Jean Luc Picard or The Doctor come face to face and I'd be lying if I said that wasn't a disappointment. However, what we do get are the worlds of the two shows interacting, producing a rather scary power couple in the team of the Borg and the Cybermen. No one's entirely sure of their motivations just yet, instead we're left to marvel at the devastation wrought by these two cyborg races as they come upon a defenceless planet. With cold, calculating precision, we watch as they overrun a society, forcing the society's Prime Minister to flee into the depths of space and wonder if there will be anything of her home to return to. At least half of the issue is devoted to this invasion and subsequent escape. It was an impressive display of dominance from the long time villains and it'll be difficult for the Federation to bounce back from such a thorough defeat in future issues.

The second half of the issue catches us up with The Doctor and his companions, Amy Pond and Rory Williams, as they make a swift escape from a hairy situation in Ancient Egypt. Oddly enough, this segment, featuring the characters we're paying to see, was rather boring and superfluous. The images on the page are meant to convey the madcap pace and insanity of your typical Doctor Who episode, but knowing full well that this diversion means nothing, you're left wishing they'd get on with it and meet the Enterprise already. There's nothing particularly wrong with it, it's just not the story we're here to see. But don't worry, as the issue draws to a close, they're quickly back in the Tardis and teasing the eventual meeting with the Next Gen crew.

This first issue will inevitably be sought after by collectors for years to come, so if I were you, I'd pick up a copy just on the off-chance it might be worth something in the eyes of a fan with too much money. However, the contents were mere teaser. We know nothing more coming out as we did going in. The Borg and Cybermen have teamed up, are making waves in the Federation and guess who will get the subspace message to go fight them. The story was lightweight and the artwork was far too photo-realistic, making me believe the artist is planning to paint over existing pictures of the casts for the entire series. A historic event kicks off with a whimper. Better luck next month.

5 out of 10