After a mission on the planet Nibiru, Captain James Kirk (Chris Pine) is stripped of his title for breaching the Prime Directive; he lets the Nibiru's civilisation, whose technology lags far behind, see the Enterprise while trying to save Spock (Zachary Quinto) from an erupting volcano. Despite the rescue, Spock reports Kirk's reckless decision, putting their friendship at stake.
Back on Earth, Starfleet's agent John Morrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) bombs Starfleet's headquarters and attacks officials at an emergency meeting. Kirk is reinstated by Admiral Marcus (Bruce Greenwood) to find Morrison, but as Kirk progresses, he realises there's more to the mission than meets the eye.
Director J.J. Abrams excels at making epic blockbusters with a human touch, and this one, with the bromance between hot-headed Kirk and super-logical Spock, and a romance for Spock, is no exception.
Into Darkness avoids the clear-cut heroes/villains cliche and, by creating ambiguity, lets the audience decide what's right and wrong. For the doubters among you: yes, this is even better than the original.
YP Rating: 4/5