--- title: "Star Trek Into Darkness: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/star-trek-into-darkness/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/star-trek-into-darkness" critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 18 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Star Trek Into Darkness (2013): what the critics said Critics' score 68 from 18 reviews: 12 positive, 4 mixed, 2 negative. Most critics like it. The reviews agree that this is a brisk, good-humoured action sequel that moves faster than the 2009 film and matches or betters its scale, and that Abrams stages the set pieces with clarity and energy. Praise clusters on Benedict Cumberbatch, whose villain nearly every reviewer singles out, and on the ensemble, with Zachary Quinto’s Spock and Karl Urban named as the crew members who register most. The reservations cluster on nerve. Several reviews find the film plays safe, revisits familiar ground and never raises the bar set by its predecessor; others call the plotting clunky and the relentless pace tiring. The spread is wide. The New York Times finds it swaps the series’ humanist ideals for blockbuster action, Collider objects to its reuse of material from an earlier Star Trek film, and The Hollywood Reporter, alone among the reviews, finds Abrams’s direction flat and mechanical rather than showy. ## Screen Daily Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 May 2013. The review praises the thrilling sci-fi adventure, stunning effects and further development of familiar yet fresh characters, highlighting Benedict Cumberbatch's terrific performance as the morally complex villain. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/star-trek-into-darkness/5054480.article) ## Variety — Scott Foundas Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 2 May 2013. Abrams delivers a sequel equal or superior to the 2009 film with grander scale, richly human characters and a pleasurable ride. Cumberbatch brings exotic grandeur as the villain in a well-crafted blockbuster. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/star-trek-into-darkness-review-1200442461/) ## Empire — Ian Freer Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2013. The critic praises the film as a blast of fun, funny, spectacular and exhilarating action cinema that follows the principles of the first reboot but amps them up further, with strong performances especially from Benedict Cumberbatch and a showman director in J.J. Abrams. [Read the review](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/star-trek-darkness-review/) ## Slant Magazine — Chris Cabin Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2013. Praises the clarity and inventiveness of Abrams’s direction that keeps the drama and action percolating, along with the moral complexity and emotional rigors of the narrative. [Read the review](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/star-trek-into-darkness/) ## Time Out — Dave Calhoun Rating 4/5. 30 April 2013. The critic describes it as a brisk, no-nonsense sci-fi action sequel that is modest, fun and briefly amusing with strong villain work by Cumberbatch, but notes it is a stop-gap tale that does not break new ground. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/star-trek-into-darkness) ## Total Film — Matthew Leyland Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2013. The critic calls it fantastic fun overall, a faster-paced sequel that papers over cracks from the first film with an intriguing villain and thrilling set pieces, though it risks peril-fatigue and sidelines some characters. [Read the review](https://www.gamesradar.com/star-trek-into-darkness-review/) ## Los Angeles Times — Betsy Sharkey Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 16 May 2013. The sequel ramps up action and spectacle while leaving room for heart and emotional depth in the crew's bonds. It wears its politics and moxie openly but sometimes opts for safer choices amid the bombast. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-star-trek-into-darkness-review-20130516-story.html) ## Vulture — David Edelstein Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2013. The plotting is clunky, but Abrams bombards the viewer into happiness with fan-service in-jokes and a vibe of fan fiction; praises the central trinity and brutal action. [Read the review](https://www.vulture.com/2013/05/movie-review-star-trek-into-darkness.html) ## Little White Lies — Adam Woodward Rating 4/3/3. 9 May 2013. The critic calls it an accessible, intertextually rich and immensely fun addition to the franchise with strong central performances, but faults it for playing it safe and failing to raise the bar. [Read the review](https://lwlies.com/reviews/star-trek-into-darkness) ## Sight and Sound — Kim Newman Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 10 May 2013. The critic finds the film fun and action-packed in a way the ponderous original-cast movies were not, but notes it is overly inward-looking and revisits familiar ground without breaking new ground for the franchise. [Read the review](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/film-week-star-trek-into-darkness) ## The Guardian — Xan Brooks Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 9 May 2013. The film is a glitzy, high-energy sequel with strong visuals but gets tangled in its own mythology and weakens the key Kirk-Spock dynamic. It excels mainly through Zachary Quinto's subtle, seriocomic performance as Spock. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2013/may/09/star-trek-into-darkness-review) ## The Hollywood Reporter — Todd McCarthy Fi1m's normalised score 50/100 (inferred from the text). 2 May 2013. The critic finds it an action-packed franchise entry with a mechanically made feel, praising the human dimensions given to leads but criticizing the flat visuals and lack of style or personality in Abrams' direction. [Read the review](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/star-trek-darkness-film-review-451154/) ## The New York Times — A.O. Scott Fi1m's normalised score 30/100 (inferred from the text). 15 May 2013. The film disappoints by prioritizing blockbuster action over the series' humanist ideals and idiosyncrasy. The cast delivers sharp performances and the villain's identity cleverly nods to classic episodes. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/16/movies/star-trek-into-darkness-directed-by-j-j-abrams.html) ## Den of Geek — Simon Brew Rating 4/5. 30 April 2013. The critic praises the film's light tone, strong ensemble cast especially Spock and the villain, and calls it an exciting, entertaining blockbuster. Singles out the strong villain and character work for praise, notes some lag in the middle and gratuitous elements. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/star-trek-into-darkness-review-2/) ## Digital Spy — Emma Dibdin Rating 4/5. 30 April 2013. Praises the emotional depth, Zachary Quinto's Spock as the heart, strong villain performance by Cumberbatch, and the focus on Kirk-Spock bond. Notes relentless pace, some gratuitous elements, but overall exhilarating and pleasurable. [Read the review](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a477544/star-trek-into-darkness-review-digital-spy-verdict/) ## The Wrap Fi1m's normalised score 80/100 (inferred from the text). 14 May 2013. The critic finds the sequel a thrilling, upbeat adventure that incorporates post-9/11 terrorism imagery and politics without becoming dreary. Abrams is praised for maintaining high stakes and genuine threat alongside strong ensemble chemistry and impressive visuals. [Read the review](https://www.thewrap.com/star-trek-darkness-review-thrilling-sequel-balances-fun-post-911-sensibility-91421/) ## /Film — Germain Lussier Rating 7/10. 17 May 2013. The critic finds it a fun but frivolous sequel that expands the scope with impressive visuals and action but lacks the inspiration of the first film; praises the cast, especially Urban and Quinto, and the action sequences. [Read the review](https://www.slashfilm.com/526112/star-trek-into-darkness-review-and-video-blog-read-and-watch-two-opinions-on-j-j-abrams-sequel/) ## Collider — Matt Goldberg Rating D. 16 May 2013. The film amplifies the shortcomings of Abrams' first Trek outing by lacking compelling character arcs, themes, and a well-constructed plot, ultimately failing due to laziness and a fear of originality. It singles out the film's disrespectful and poorly executed repurposing of elements from The Wrath of Khan for particular criticism. [Read the review](https://collider.com/star-trek-into-darkness-review/) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/star-trek-into-darkness.md