Star Trek Into Darkness

“Star Trek into Darkness” is both suspenseful and an action-packed sequel. While it is more eventful than its 2009 predecessor, there seems to be fewer stops for audience rest and thorough character development.

We find that James Kirk (Chris Pine) is in trouble with disregarding Federation regulations in order to save his friend Spock (Zachary Quinto). While he feels justified to save his friend, Spock disagrees since Kirk abandoned the rules and even lied to cover up his own mishap (Luke 16:10). The two polarized friends come at ethics from different angles: Spock believing right or wrong is defined by rules and logic, and Kirk following his gut instincts, since not everything is easily determined by rules.

The Enterprise fleet soon find themselves assigned in trying to track down a terrorist who’s behind Federation attacks. Spock and Captain Kirk soon find that everything is not quite perfect, and their decisions will not only affect their own crew, but the lives of others. I’ll stop there, as to not give away any more spoilers.

Kudos must be given to the screenwriters in not wasting any precious time in reintroducing the characters. This is a safe gamble, due to the likelihood of the theater audience already being familiar with the Star Trek franchise. More time is given in the development of Spock and Kirk’s friendship, and Kirk’s growth as a leader. I also enjoyed Scotty being given more screen time, although Uhura’s character isn’t used much other than a plot device.

Objectionable Content

The violence in this sequel is much darker and much more frequent than in the first installment, so parents should take note. From beginning to end, the action is mostly nonstop. There are plenty of explosions, punching, kicking and slapping. During the explosions, some people are sucked into space. A leg is broken, and a head is crushed off screen. Some people are graphically shot and die onscreen.

There is some sexual content in the film. Kirk is shown in bed with two female aliens. They are briefly under the sheets, and the girls are shown in their bra and panties. And Dr. Carol Marcus is shown in her undergarments when Kirk defies her orders and turns around while she’s changing clothes. In a passing scene, two aliens French kiss.

In all, I counted about 25 uses of profanity: 6 d*mns, 6 bast*rds, 5 hells, 4 a*s, 2 sh_t, and 2 SOBs. There are also a couple of brief scenes of people drinking and being drunk.

Kirk is known for his hotheadedness and, at times, rash thinking. He tends to go by his emotions and not think things through; he believes saving someone’s life, despite putting others at risk, is defendable (Proverbs 11:2). On the other hand, Spock prefers only reason, logic and the obedience of all rules (Romans 2:13). The movie examines these two perspectives. Is there ever a median? The answer is yes. Often times, secular rules are fallible, so we should spend time in prayer and ask for God’s guidance and wisdom for holy discernment. In Proverbs 2:6-9, it states:

“For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He holds success in store for the upright, he is a shield to those whose walk is blameless, for he guards the course of the just and protects the way of his faithful ones. Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path.”

Aside from the aforementioned, I thoroughly enjoyed this well-made sequel and cautiously recommend it, especially if you liked the 2009 installment. There are some good morals for teens: the value of friendship, going with what’s right (even if it’s unpopular), and laying down your life for the sake of friendship. However, if you’re a true Trekkie, you might find this film a bit of a disappointment. My advice is to treat J.J. Abram’s relaunch as a separate entity from the previous Star Trek movies.

Violence: Heavy / Profanity: Heavy / Sex/Nudity: Moderate

See list of Relevant Issues—questions-and-answers.