Review: Star Trek into Darkness – Does the sequel engage? Find out in the latest Movie Filter.

In theaters Friday: Before Midnight, Epic, Fast & Furious 6, The Hangover Part III

New on Blu-ray: Beautiful Creatures, Side Effects

Four years after reviving a franchise on life support with a brand new cast and creative license to scribble all over a fleet of nerds’ preciously worshipped “canon,” director J.J. Abrams and crew have returned with Star Trek into Darkness. But does this sequel engage? Well, yes and no.

The film once again stars Chris Pine who plays his young Captain Kirk petulant and punkish, like a smart aleck teenager flipping his finger at the Catholic school faculty every time they turn their backs. If Tom Cruise in Top Gun was not a direct influence on this Kirk interpretation, I’ll sing “Great Balls of Fire” and play beach volleyball with some sweaty dudes. The heart of the story remains the impulsive, ego-driven Kirk’s odd couple routine with his first officer, Zachary Quinto’s dutifully rational and dispassionate Spock. They’re like Maverick and Goose, and their banter is great, but I was almost expecting them to break into a Righteous Brothers sing-a-long at any moment.

When one of Starfleet’s secret agents turns on his own and bombs the peace-keeping explorers’ headquarters in London, the agency’s surprising hawkish admiral loads the Enterprise to the gills with powerful missiles and orders Kirk to track the traitor down in enemy territory (hello, Klingons!) and blow him to smithereens. No investigation. No trial. And absolutely no questions asked.

The film tries to ask big questions about terrorism, military intervention and loyalty—the latter sneaking in at the emotional apex of the film, a moment that looks great on screen but given the lead up to it, doesn’t feel 100% earned—is at its best when the action ramps up and the stakes and sides are clear. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen until about an hour into the picture when we finally hear from the villain John Harrison. After an appearance in Spielberg’s War Horse, Trek marks the Hollywood arrival of English thespian and Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch whose presence is both magnetic and foreboding. He makes for a memorable foe, all steely-eyed looks and deep, sage dialog. He could have used more screen-time, because his is the type of character that you don’t mind sitting back and watching chew the scenery.

Likewise, Zoe Saldana’s Uhura is underutilized—particularly given her new relationship with Spock—and while the script is riddled with leaps in logic and a few wormholes you can drive a transporter through, at least the rest of the cast’s winning chemistry and humor (particularly Simon Pegg’s motor-mouthed Scotty and Carl Urban’s grumpy Bones) keep things fun and ironically light for a film titled “Darkness.” This Trek is not about inspiring awe—unless you really love lens flairs—just a big, loud, pulpy, warp speed adventure. But as that, it’s worth the trip.