Star Trek Into Darkness (Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy) [3D Blu-ray]
Description
Note: The Digital Copy code is valid till September, 2023.
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable
force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and
everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a
personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to
capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into
an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships
will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has
left: his crew. A good portion of Trekkies (or Trekkers, depending
on one’s level of Star Trek obsession) have special affection for episodes of
the original TV series that related to Earth and other-Earth cultures visited
by the crew of the Enterprise, version 1.0. Some of the shows unfolded in
distorted forms of the past, some in the present day of Star Trek’s future
reality. Director J.J. Abrams recognized the importance of this relationship
in his origin-story reboot of the franchise in 2009, and in Star Trek Into
Darkness he has made it an even greater touchstone to the roots of Star Trek
creator Gene Roddenberry’s defining philosophy from nearly 50 years ago. The
human home world is key to the plot of this spectacularly bold leap into Star
Trek lore, which cleverly continues along the alternate path that was
established as separate from the “original” Star Trek universe in Abrams’s
first whiz-bang crack at advancing the mythology. But it’s not just Earth that
is cool and imperiled in this rendering of adventure in the 23rd century; Into
Darkness also plays with the original conceit that Earthlings were member to a
multi-species United Federation of Planets ruled by a “Prime Directive” of
noninterference with other civilizations. The conflict comes when rogue
elements in the Earth-based Starfleet Command hunger to shift focus from
peaceful exploration to militarization, a concept that is anathema to the crew
of the Enterprise and her ongoing mission. The new cast is again inventively
reunited, each of them further investing their characters with traits that
reveal novel acting choices while staying true to the caricatures that are
ingrained in our popular culture. The interplay between Chris Pine as Kirk and
Zachary Quinto as Spock is deeper, and Zoe Saldana as Uhura is a solid third
in their relationship. John Cho (Sulu), Simon Pegg (Scotty), Anton Yelchin
(Chekov), and Karl Urban (McCoy) all have standout roles in the overall
ensemble mystique as well as the plot-heavy machinations of this incarnation’s
narrative. Fortunately, the burdens of the story are well served by some
important additions to the cast. Benedict Cumberbatch’s Shakespearean aura,
ferociously imperious gaze, and graceful athleticism make him a formidable
villain as the mysterious Starfleet operative John Harrison. Harrison has
initiated a campaign of terror on Earth before leading the Enterprise to even
greater dangers in the enemy territory of Klingon-controlled space. That his
background may make dedicated Trekkies/Trekkers gasp is just one
acknowledgment of the substantial and ingrained legacy Star Trek has borne.
There are many references, nods and winks to those with deep reverence for the
folklore (some of them perhaps a little too close to being inside-baseball),
though the fantastical and continually exciting story stands as an expertly
crafted tale for complete neophytes. Another new face is Peter Weller–
iconically famous in sci-fi-dom as RoboCop–here playing a steely,
authoritative Starfleet bigwig who may also be following a hidden agenda. Not
only is he running a covert operation, he’s also at the helm of a fearsome
secret starship that looms over the Enterprise like a shark poised to devour
its prey. Which brings us to the awesome CGI effects driving the dazzling
visual style of Into Darkness and the endlessly fascinating cosmos it makes
real. The wow factor extends from the opening set piece on an alien world of
primitive humanoids, garish vegetation, and a roiling volcano to the finale of
destruction in a future San Francisco that is elegantly outfitted with
gleaming-spired skyscrapers and all manner of flying vehicles. (London also
gets a breathtaking 23rd-century makeover). With a coolness that glistens in
every immaculately composed shot, the movie never forgets that humanism and
creativity make the myriad design details and hyper-technology pop out as much
more than eye candy. The biggest achievement of Star Trek Into Darkness is
that it hews to the highest standard of a highly celebrated tradition. Though
Kirk and co. may bend it a little, the Prime Directive remains unbroken. –Ted
Fry
Features:
Product Details:
- Genre: Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Format: Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Digital_copy, 3D
- Contributor: Anton Yelchin, Karl Urban, Peter Weller, John Cho, J.J. Abrams, Leonard Nimoy, Alice Eve, Chris Pine, Benedict Cumberbatch, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Zachary Quinto See more
- Language: English
- Runtime: 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Aspect Ratio : 1.85:1
- Is Discontinued By Manufacturer : No
- MPAA rating : PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned)
- Product Dimensions : 0.7 x 7.5 x 5.4 inches; 3.68 Ounces
- Item model number : PRT7913732TD
- Director : J.J. Abrams
- Media Format : Color, Dubbed, Subtitled, Widescreen, Digital_copy, 3D
- Run time : 2 hours and 12 minutes
- Release date : September 10, 2013
- Actors : Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Benedict Cumberbatch, Alice Eve