"Star Trek Into Darkness"

I've always been a fan of the Star Trek franchise, but not an obsessive one; so I was quite pleased when J.J. Abrams subtly rewrote the rules of the universe in his first film adaptation in 2009. "Star Trek Into Darkness" builds on this promising beginning with a solid storyline, focussing on treachery at the heart of the Federation; and the requisite flashy visuals, sufficiently immersive even in 2D. Benedict Cumberbatch is a truly imposing super-villain (although, as Javier Bardem discovered after "Skyfall", such dominant performances in popcorn cinema rarely win the deserved awards); and Zachary Quinto as Spock does an excellent job of being, somewhat ironically, the emotional heart of the piece; indeed, all the principals get their chance to shine. And yes, Chris Pine's Kirk is annoyingly cocky; the shoot-em-up action sequences are incoherent; and the cameo from a Roddenberry veteran is somewhat shoehorned in - but this is all par for the course. I wasn't even offended by the totally gratuitous shot of Alice Eve in her underwear. Highly entertaining stuff. And there's even a Tribble.