Spoiler Alert...I just want to give fair warning...
Overall, I liked it a lot, even more than the 2009 Star Trek movie, which I also liked. Here’s a rundown on what I liked, and also a few things that I didn’t like as much. Surprisingly, I really liked Benedict Cumberbatch as the villain, even though he didn’t match up very well in terms of the established character of Khan from previous appearances. He was very effective in projecting a character that was believably menacing, an opponent that would be difficult to defeat. In fight scenes, he actually seemed convincing as someone who has been genetically engineered to be five times stronger than ordinary humans. I liked the new Engineer Scott quite a bit...he was more than just a bit player in this one, and the scriptwriters, and the actor, succeeded in making him likably vulnerable, funny, and brilliant all at the same time.
The things I didn’t like quite as much...Chris Pine as Captain Kirk is ok, but just not believable as a starship captain...he doesn’t have the gravitas (or the ridiculous overacting either) of William Shatner. Chris Pine is 32, but looks younger, and at times, he almost seems like a teenager. Zachary Quinto as Spock...he’s actually ok too, but his character doesn’t even seem like he’s making any effort at all to reign in his emotions...he’s just too angry or irritated all the time. For me, this just doesn’t quite work for a character that is supposed to be half-Vulcan. When Leonard Nimoy showed any emotion as Spock it worked really well, because even the slightest display of emotion stood out, and was effectively amplified against the predominant backdrop of Vulcan passiveness.
The engine room death scene didn’t work very well, and they shouldn’t have even tried to do it. When Spock died in the 1982 Wrath of Khan, it was very powerful emotionally (for me anyway), partly because there was a strong friendship built up over years between Kirk and Spock. In Star Trek, Into Darkness, the scene had almost zero emotional effect when Spock had to watch his friend Kirk die...these two ‘friends’ barely knew each other in this alternate Star Trek timeline. In fact, it felt really cheap that they even tried to pull a reverse Spock-Kirk death scene, almost like they were trampling on something sacred.
We’re not going to get the perfect movie so we have to take what they give us. That said, I won’t get my hopes up too high when I eventually see this thing. The scene about the suicide bomber will bother me.