Star Trek Into Darkness

So is this the new format for Hollywood blockbusters these days? Take a very British actor, in the strictly stereotypical sense, dye his hair black and have him cause some kind of havoc with civillian casualties that seriuosly vexes our heroes. He then surrenders, gets marched through spaceship/airship and is put into a glass-fronted cell (because that always ends well!). Does this all sound familiar? Because as I was watching Star Trek into Darkness I couldn't help but be reminded of another film populated with numerous superheoes. Cut to said villian of the piece trying to verbally manipulate his captors from his cell, and the sense that his surrender was maybe not a snag in his diabolical plan after all, but an integral element. 

Despite this, I don't think it was the familiarity of the plot points that led to the lack of unpredictability and tension. Add to that the illogicality of solving the ship's power problem, not by any technical or computer based means by the numerous scientists on board, but by a good kicking (thus confirming my particular favoured method of dealing with failed technology, although less successful in my experience). Undoubtedly some of the supporting performances lift the film along the way but generally the second Star Trek outing remains a disticntly average affair.