科幻片《星际迷航：暗黑无界》

    It’s no secret that Hollywood is in love with sequels* and reboots*.

    The 2009 “Star Trek” reboot/sequel was a success.

    Like any good reboot, J.J. Abrams’s reimagined “Star Trek” created a world close enough to the original that fans were satisfied, while new viewers were entertained* by a modern sensibility*, and both camps were pleased by just how good it was.

    This time the story tells about the newly captained, but still inexperienced James T. Kirk tracking down* a top Starfleet agent* who’s gone rogue*.

    As before, it’s an exciting humorous journey through space that tries to capture the best bits of the original film series. The action is exciting, the story gripping*, and Benedict Cumberbatch (who played the title character of the hit BBC show “Sherlock” ) makes as wonderfully a compelling* villain as you’d hope he would.

    Perhaps most enjoyably of all, despite the changes in pace, character and tone, the film still catches the essence* of the original “Star Trek” films. We’re watching morally grounded* people trying to defeat a powerful foe in desperate* situations.

    Not everything is perfect, however, and some of the old problems with the previous film are still there. For example, the characters don’t completely feel like a family, with their exchanges often feeling stilted* instead of natural.

    As to the plot, the story moves along at a great pace, providing many great action set pieces that feel organic* to the story. But unfortunately things begin to fizzle* in the final act. And just like its setup, the final resolution* feels equally short on ingenuity* and surprise.

    Despite these problems, this one manages to be a very enjoyable “Star Trek” movie.

    Now J.J. Abrams has a complete monopoly* over the two largest sci-fi franchises in cinema history. How he will continue to breathe something fresh and different into both “Star Wars” and “Star Trek”, and if he will continue giving a key role to Simon Pegg, remains to be seen.

    (SD-Agencies)