We check out the first 9 minutes of Star Trek Into Darkness and here’s what we thought of it!

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

On Sunday evening, a number of film journalists were invited by Paramount to get an early glimpse of STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. To be specific, it was a preview of the first 9 minutes which will be shown at IMAX screenings of THE HOBBIT: AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY this coming weekend. Yet let’s get this out of the way right now, I will not be describing to you the footage in full, moment by moment detail, simply because before the screening began, J.J. Abrams himself showed up and asked us to avoid going into too much detail as we write about what we were about to witness. In fact, we were shown this short footage so we would have something to discuss before our visit to Bad Robot in Santa Monica where we would get a behind the scenes look at the much anticipated sequel to his 2009 hit – more on that coming soon. Of course, just in case, MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD!

As far as the 9 minutes in question, I can honestly say that I loved what I saw. Without giving too much away, yes we saw the introduction of Benedict Cumberbatch as… they didn’t say! Is this ominous villain the wrath fueled Khan? I’d say it’s not a bad bet to take. Cumberbatchs’ presence doesn’t arrive until after we meet a young couple (Nazeen Contractor and Noel Clarke) who seem to be looking for a miracle as their daughter is clearly very sick, lying in a hospital bed. Cumberbatch appears to Clarke and offers the possibility of saving his child’s life. There is no explanation given as to how this affects the film. In fact, there was nothing really explained as far as the main storyline – however, these short scenes are clearly hints as to what is to come.

We next cut to Nibiru, a planet about to face certain devastation with a massive volcano about to erupt. If you have any worries about the sequel feeling a little too dark and gloomy, have no fear, the humor is not lost here. In many ways this opening sequence felt inspired by RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK – we all know that Mr. Abrams has been inspired by Spielberg before. While Kirk and Bones (Chris Pine and Karl Urban) attempt to lead the planet’s population away from certain death and destruction, the two find themselves running for their lives from the very group that they are trying to protect. The action and dialogue here is top-notch as is the way they introduce the remaining cast members including Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Sulu (John Cho) and Scotty (Simon Pegg).

It would be an understatement to say that the first nine minutes of INTO DARKNESS are pretty darn good. In fact, while I was looking forward to the film beforehand, being of fan of Abrams first STAR TREK film, my excitement level for this new film has risen to new heights. The IMAX 3D is certainly impressive, as well as the cinematography by Daniel Mindel and the epic score by Michael Giacchino. Truth be told, a lot can happen AFTER nine minutes of a movie that can quickly ruin the fun for everybody. I honestly don’t see that happening here. For me, there is no doubt that I will be counting the days until May 17th, 2013, when STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS descends into theatres.