Welcome to the first EVER Some Kind of Star Trek contributor post. You've heard a lot about what's been seen in trailers and what we're about to see - but what do we want from a sequel as fans? What does Star Trek Into Darkness need to do? +JoeHardacre tackles the questions...

"You think you can't make mistakes? But the choices you make could get yourself, and everyone under your command, killed."
The strong opening words from another stellar trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, but it's surprising how easily those words could fall right onto the shoulders of JJ Abrams, the man spearheading one of the more pleasing franchise reboots in recent memory. Okay, maybe not the killed part, but the expectations for Star Trek Into Darkness dwarf even the weight felt when Abrams was leading us into an unknown frontier with Star Trek in 2009.
Looking back to the build up to the Star Trek reboot, as much as I was overawed by those initial posters, screen shots, trailers and interviews leading up to the release of the film, the one thing that stands out to me is apprehension. The Trekkie in me harkened back to my childhood days; of nights watching Kirk, Picard and Janeway. I recall with fondness sitting alongside my father as they battled through seemingly impossible odds and charming the pants off of everyone they came across while they did it.
For me, a reboot, even one as promising as this, hinged on one key factor: the casting. The Kirk Vs Picard argument seems as though it has existed since time immemorial, but no matter whose corner you stand in (I’m a Picard fan personally), the recasting of James Tiberius Kirk and his beloved crew was met with more than a few raised eyebrows. Who could stand up to the role? Would it be a big name actor, overflowing with rugged charisma in a hope they could match William Shatner? This approach, however, didn't sit well with me at all. In my opinion, given the mammoth history of the Star Trek universe, as well as the fervency of its fan base, the second an established actor hit the screen, I believe our attentions would have been drawn to immediate comparisons not only between the original and the re-imagining. Not only that, but to other performances that actor has delivered over the years, rather than the character they are portraying.

Thankfully, these issues were largely unfounded; Chris Pine, relatively unknown except for the Princess Diaries 2, and Lindsay Lohan-led rom-com Just My Luck, was a revelation. He immediately captured Kirk’s arrogance, not to mention his ability to throw (and indeed take) a punch. His delivery was less refined for sure, but no less assured; the bar scene left no doubt in anyone's mind that Pine could carry Kirk’s resilience, both in a fight and indeed in his pursuit of the other, but just as legendary of Kirk’s penchants. Karl Urban stars as Bones, his introduction a startling reminder of the weathered, experienced voice of reason opposite Kirk’s impetuous, cavalier approach, and Brits amongst us will have needed no introduction to home-grown star Simon Pegg, who slipped into the role of Scotty with consummate ease. So far, so good; but the biggest question mark remained above arguably the franchise’s most beloved character: Spock.

Ultimately, the reboot was an undoubted success; perhaps overshadowed by the James Cameron led Avatar, but still, it became an instant cult hit, and achieved so much more than I could possibly have imagined back in the late 2000's. We were introduced to believable characters, a carefully worked plot device to preserve all our earliest Star Trek memories, whilst paving the way for JJ Abrams and his writing team to take this Enterprise and boldly go where no Star Trek team have gone before.
Thus, we are led to the sequel; the marketing campaign has been deliberately ambiguous, although the latest efforts have been analysed and scrutinised extensively by Clive here and in stark contrast to the efforts of the first film. The change in demeanour is deliberate, and highlights exactly what the production team have been looking to achieve with each film. The first Star Trek was presented with a very simple, but difficult goal in mind: make us believe. Make us believe that this cast of upstarts, complemented by a few well travelled and respected actors could replicate characters, locations and ideals that have been held in high regard for over 40 years.

The marketing was direct but effective, and although I personally went into the film with no expectations whatsoever, such is my personal preference so as to avoid disappointment, I left with naught but a smile on my face. Obviously, I owe that to the fact the film was fantastic, and Eric Bana delivered a much underappreciated performance as Nero, but without that early preparation hammered into me through the marketing campaign, I’m not sure I would have been as readily accepting of what was occurring on screen.

In fact, the reception from the early teasers has been so well received, with Benedict Cumberbatch’s role central to most conspiracy theories, that the film has generated far more buzz on its own than any marketing effort could hope for. Trailers have shown Cumberbatch on top of our heroes in more ways than one, with the mystique surrounding his true identity and intentions being displayed with certain Avengers-esque flair. Although never existing purely as a single character, the notion of a band of heroes working together to defeat a powerful foe has been a huge critical and commercial success over the years (Avengers Assemble, The Dark Knight Rises and Skyfall in just the past 12 months), and from the anticipation building as we approach May, it seems as though Star Trek Into Darkness should easily warp past the $385,000,000 the first made at the worldwide box office.
The true area for growth, however, is outside of the US; the reboot performed admirably, but with only $127,000,000 from burgeoning overseas markets, it’s easy to see exactly why we’ve seen a shift in locale. The destruction of London is sure to generate a lot of interest in the UK, and following on from the London Olympics, the threat to London we saw with Skyfall and the UK’s Royal Wedding all occurring within the past year, they couldn't have selected a location more engrossed in the minds of the world than the Capital of ol’ Blighty.
The true area for growth, however, is outside of the US; the reboot performed admirably, but with only $127,000,000 from burgeoning overseas markets, it’s easy to see exactly why we’ve seen a shift in locale. The destruction of London is sure to generate a lot of interest in the UK, and following on from the London Olympics, the threat to London we saw with Skyfall and the UK’s Royal Wedding all occurring within the past year, they couldn't have selected a location more engrossed in the minds of the world than the Capital of ol’ Blighty.

Prediction: 10.5/12 (If you really want to know about the 12 point scale, just ask).
Joe Hardacre is a Trekkie and a former work colleague of SKOST creator Clive Burrell. In the few weeks they toiled side by side in 2012 their combined interest in Star Trek gave them a respite from the daily labours of work. Although not quite a fan to the same level as can be witnessed in the wider world, it's more than enough for him to wade blindly into an argument if someone should dare speak disparagingly about Will Riker. Joe's hopefully going to stick around and talk a bit more in the future about more aspects of Star Trek
- he might even get a contributor profile...!
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