Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) - JJ Abrams

Star Trek Into Darkness begins with the Enterprise and its crew returning home only to discover a new, deadly threat.  A man, who is part of the federation, has begun waging a war against the fleet and everything it stands for through terrorist-type attacks.  With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads the manhunt to seek out the man responsible for these attacks.  JJ Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness is a fast-paced, engaging summer blockbuster that is both endlessly entertaining and thought-provoking.  The narrative of this film is much tighter than the first film, being far more engaging while doing a great job at balancing the fanboy demands and keeping things unique and interesting.  Star Trek has always been a pretty self contained story about a crew exploring the far reaches of our universe and with Into Darkness Abrams really opens this world up, exploring earth and the inner-workings of the Federation.  While some may not like this, calling it "Star Wars-esque", I found it to be a welcome addition to the Trek lore.  While all that I've mentioned certainly makes Into the Darkness already better than its predecessor, it's Benedict Cumberbatch's performance as John Harrison that really steals the entire film.  Cumberbatch is as good as advertised and his character, along with the storyline, really capture the moral complications that exist with war.  Things are not black and white, no matter how much people want them to be, and Into the Darkness really captures how morality can be blurred.   As far as the visuals go, the film looks great with very well done CGI work, fun action scenes, and interesting worlds.  Star Trek Into The Darkness is far better than its predecessor in nearly every way and probably my favorite thing Abrams has ever done. 
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