Star Trek Into Darkness
Directed by: J.J. Abrams Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Benedict Cumberbatch Rating: Not Yet Rated Release Date: May 17, 2013 (IMAX 3D tickets for May 15 available via the Star Trek Into Darkness App)
Trailer Score: 6/10
Thoughts by TSR: After being completely underwhelmed by the generic first trailer for Star Trek Into Darkness, whoever was behind this Super Bowl spot did a slightly better job. Benedict Cumberbatch really stands out and owns these 30 seconds. They're still not saying whether his John Harrison is actually Khan or some other Star Trek villain – even Captain Kirk wants to know who the hell he is! – but he looks and sounds awfully menacing. As much as I like Chris Pine, I totally buy it when Cumberbatch glares into his baby blues and says that he's better than him at everything.
Everything else is fine. The giant Cumberbatch leap and the shots of Spock surrounded by fire and jumping from a very high platform are cool enough moments for this short ad. We close with people fleeing as a ship crashes into a city. It's big and loud, but it's a pretty good way to end a Super Bowl commercial. A fine TV spot isn't enough to get me overly excited about this film, though. Who knows, I went into J.J. Abrams' Star Trek not expecting much of anything and came out quite happy. Maybe lightning will strike twice. The power of Cumberbatch has to count for something.