Star Trek: Into Darkness-does what it says on the tin, albeit very well

After the startling success of J J Abrams first reboot of the classic Star Trek franchise, the inevitable sequel has, at last arrived. Into Darkness once again combines million dollar special effects with the myriad of concepts and creativity conceived by Start Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but this time boasts an improved storyline and more convincing performances from it's main actors, alongside the predictable host of minor ones.

After former Star Fleet officer John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) launches a terrorist attack against the space corporation, Captain James T Kirk (Chris Pine) and his Vulcan second-in-command Spock (Zachary Quinto) climb aboard the iconic Enterprise to attempt to capture him at the planet of the notorious alien species the Klingons. After being unmasked as ancient alien warrior Khan, Harrison escapes to begin an assault on Earth, and, as per usual, the crew of the Enterprise are the only ones who can stop him.

This is a more developed story to that of the previous Star Trek film, weaving themes of betrayal, pain and love into one, satisfying whole. Of course, a ripping yarn means nothing to a film without powerful performances from it's actors, but Into Darkness does not disappoint in this area. Chris Pine and Zachery Quinto reprise their roles as the ever present Captain Kirk, and cult hero Spock respectively, but it's Benedict Cumberbatch's tortured Kahn who truly stands out. The Sherlock star moves seamlessly between ultra-violence and flowing emotion in a role which seems perfectly suited to him. The stars are supported by a collection of favourite Star Trek characters including Scotty (Simon Pegg), Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and a future Spock played by original actor Leonard Nimoy.

Where Into Darkness, and indeed the original Start Trek series excels, is in it's action and special effects. There's goosebumps aplenty as the Enterprise leaps into warp speed, and exhilaration during battles with Kahn or the Klingons. It's everything you expect and want from Star Trek: pure, exciting science fiction.

However, the film falls short during the inevitable moments where emotion is attempted to be invoked in viewers. Scenes such as an injured Kirk and Spock making the "live long and prosper" sign separated by glass feel slightly flat and unnecessary. Perhaps scenes like this shouldn't even be attempted in films such as this. It is science fiction after all, not some Oscar winning tear-jerker.

Despite this, Into Darkness is exactly what you expect from a Star Trek film: explosive special effects, a strong, if slightly stretched story and decent acting. Above all, it's brilliantly entertaining, and too many films are forgetting that entertainment is what the movie industry should be all about.

8/10

Les Miserables Review

I've always adored Les Miserables. I grew up with the music of the stage production, and was even to taken to see it in London when I was about 10. For me, music can contain little more power and emotion than in such classics as Do You Hear The People Sing, Empty Chairs At Empty Tables and A Little Fall Of Rain. So when a film adaption was announced, I was, needless to say, excited.

The first thing that struck me was the cast. The film's phenomenal budget had allowed Hollywood A-listers such as Russell Crowe and Anne Hathaway to star, but I wondered whether these actors, particularly Crowe, would be able to perform anywhere near as passionately as the many singers who have appeared on stage.

However, my doubts were instantly quashed the moment I set eyes on the goose bump-inducing opening sequence in which French prisoners drag an enormous ship into docks. Unfortunately, my suspicions returned as soon as Jean Valjean ( Hugh Jackman) opened his mouth to sing. Having listened to the original 1985 production on repeat for the entirety of the previous week, the vocals in the film seemed incredibly flat by comparison.

What had really impressed me during the build up to the film's release was the fact that the actors had sung like on set, rather than recording the songs before and then mouthing them in the way of a music video. This was certainly a brave move, but perhaps not the right one. Because the actors had nowhere near the vocal power as the stage singers, recording there vocals live may have added a little emotion to the songs, but it did nothing to improve the vocal performances. One example which stuck in my mind was Crowe's rooftop rendition of Stars. For me, its one of the strongest songs in the musical, but Crowe's flat and emotionless voice drained the song of all the power it possesses.

It's by no means a poor film though. Helena Bonham Carter and Sacha Baron Cohen give delightful performances as the master and mistress of the house, and are undoubtedly the stars of the whole show. The period costumes and sets are also impressive, and certain examples of visual effects are truly stunning.

The films length is unfortunately also an issue. Admittedly, an adaption of Victor Hugo's 1000+ page novel would never be short, but it is so long that it loses pace in several stages and struggles to sustain the viewers attention. The length also leads to inconsistency, as many sections are brilliantly done, while others are very poor indeed.

It's a shame that the ground breaking music of Les Miserables has not been transposed perfectly into the film. However, this is certainly not a bad adaption, it simply fails to convey the musical's power, emotion and strength which we all know and love.

6/10

A Welcome

Hello...is this thing on?
Heaven knows what has brought you, admirable reader, to this forsaken corner of that spinning ball of information we call the Internet. What am I saying? Spheres have no corners! In this blog, I will do my best to review any films, music, games or anything else that comes my way, as well as posting my own thoughts on politics and all that sort of thing. So hello and welcome to the Worldwide Reviewer!