Star Trek - Into Darkness

"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few".

In the Star Trek Universe, the Prime Directive is the first guiding principle of the United Federation of Planets. The Prime Directive dictates that there can be no interference with the internal development of alien civilizations. It's like the 1st Commandment of the famous 10 Commandments. In the Star Trek Universe The Prime Directive feels like a metaphorical critique of how our European forebears acted when they fanned out across the planet wielding guns, germs, steel and Christianity.

In the highly codified world of Star Trek (I'm on thin ice here, because I am not a Trekkie) the rules often get bended, but not before they get discussed as they might be in an ethics course.

Star Trek Into Darkness is mostly not about moral and ethical debate. It is a relentless thrill ride of a movie that presents the iconic characters (Kirk, Spock, Bones, Chekov, Uhuru) that we know even if we haven't been paying close attention. But the ethical give and take is there and it's prominent. If you are not a Trekkie you need to know that the good guys fight uber-villain, Benedict Cumberbach (rogue Starfleet Commander John Harrison) with the weight of a code of ethics slowing their synaptic response.

Star Trek's coda has aspects of religion and genius-humanist creator Gene Rodenberry acknowledged the fervour of his early avid followers but disliked his role as involuntary prophet:

"I didn't write Scripture, and those who did were not treated very well in the end ... I'm just afraid that if it goes too far (Trekkie fan fervour) and it appears that I have created a philosophy to answer all human ills that someone will stand up and cry, 'Fraud!'"

This is the 12th movie in the Star Trek canon.... or the 2nd if you count the JJ Abrams-directed Star Trek pics which first bowed in 2009. The 2009 Star Trek relaunched the fifty year old cultural phenomenon to great acclaim. Director Abrams did not obsess about the Star Trek coda in the 2009 movie and gave us a fresh take on a great franchise.

This time Abrams concocts his filmic thrill ride with a good dash of Star Trek coda. See this film. It's fun. It's smart. It presents the best bad guy in ages (Benedict Cumberbach) and Kirk, Spock and Bones bring to life the virtues of passion, logic with zest.  All the other characters you've loved are there too...and you'll like them.