Star Trek: Into Darkness
Space chicks, Aliens and Hybrid Genres
From the opening sequence to the ending credits, this Star Trek sequel to the 2009 Abrams reboot is the very manifestation of a Hollywood Blockbuster. Abrams maintains the core of the first film, as his uniquely generalized visual techniques remain the most compelling component.
Overused character tropes and predictable story lines can become tedious after the 100th blockbuster, even when Abrams attempts to (maybe?) subvert that by mixing genres. This sequel incorporates elements of superhero and action genres, which may attract a larger audience of casual consumers – but it does nothing to sway Hollywood cynics who view this as another one of those generalized time wasters.
However, I may be a little harsh, as I did particularly enjoy the tension-inducing the action genre stylized fight scenes and chase sequences which were perfectly punctuated by Abrams’ glistening visual style. Furthermore, the use of archetypal ‘Good v. Evil’ characterization (typical of superhero genres) could have been a total bore however with the minuscule-yet-still-there development that is present within characters such as Kirk, Spock and Uhura, the film becomes a little bit more bearable. It is evident that Abrams attempts to subvert the brashness and overly bouncy nature of the characters from the first film. We see the emotional politics that come with the Kirk-Spock bromance, which is inadvertently connected to the Spock-Uhura romance and Kirk-Blonde chick romance, creating one big emotional spiderweb. In turn, the characters are pushed to explore a grittier aspect of themselves, automatically making this film a little more compelling than its prequel, especially as these developed elements don’t beckon to the old-school sci-fi generic conventions which would be expected from a film of this nature.
This is especially seen in the Kirk “death” scene wherein him and Spock share a heartfelt goodbye as Uhura stands by, consequently developing Kirk’s ‘too cool for feelings’ and Spock’s ‘I have none (feelings)’ into a more empathetic ‘we’re kinda human’ dynamic duo.
