I enjoyed Star Trek Into Darkness, but I wouldn’t call it a “must-see” unless you’re a true Trekkie – or, at the very least, a casual fan of the TV and/or movie franchise. The more you know of the characters and the mythology going in, the more you’re likely to appreciate the latest round of challenges facing the familial crew of the Starship Enterprise. Most of the diehard fans have already seen the movie or read the spoilers relating to the villain. But I’m going to play it safe and keep it simple. Basically, the plot involves the Starfleet facing a major threat from within. Ultimately, Captain Kirk and his crew take it upon themselves to venture into some dark territory to capture the one-man wrecking crew responsible for a whole lot of death and destruction. The bad guy is played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who I’d never heard of, but certainly has a name (and face) to remember!
The characters and the casting are generally spot-on, with most of the major players returning from the 2009 Star Trek reboot. There’s Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock, Zoe Saldana as Uhura, Karl Urban as Bones, Simon Pegg as Scotty, John Cho as Sulu, and Anton Yelchin as Chekov. And once again, J.J. Abrams (Lost, Alias, Super 8) directs.
The heart of the movie is the bromance between Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Their relationship is – well – it’s complicated. But in the end, they’ve got each other’s backs. It’s quite sweet, really. 
Star Trek Into Darkness is part action-adventure sci-fi drama, and part comedy, in a Galaxy Quest sort of way. Purists may not appreciate the dichotomy, but I think the campiness helps broaden the film’s appeal. Bottom line: Star Trek Into Darkness is a decent ride that boldly goes where no one has gone before – unless you’re a Klingon or something.
Note: If you like Chris Pine, but don’t exactly like sci-fi, then check out People Like Us. It’s one of those good movies that seemed to fall through the cracks last year, and it shows that the guy really does have range beyond the Captain’s chair.
Thanks. Helpful. I’m a bit of a sci-fi fan (not a hard-core trekkie, though) & had some friends that raved about this film’s predecessor. But there was something that was slightly off about it to me. I think it might be the drama-comedy mix you mention that I found in that one, too. Also I found it to be more of a guy-flick ultimately. This one sounds similar.
I remember liking the first one (4 years ago!) even though I’m not a big Trekkie either. This one is fine, but it’s not the type of flick that you have to rush out and see. You can save it for a rental or matinee. I liked Iron Man 3 better and am looking forward to Man of Steele!