8 Movies That Failed Because They Didn't Kill The Main Character

7. Star Trek Into Darkness

kirk-into-darkness-feat

RIP: Captain James T. Kirk

At the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spock sacrifices himself for the sake of his crew by subjecting himself to radiation poisoning in order to stop the Enterprise from being destroyed. At the end of JJ Abrams' Star Trek Into Darkness, a pseudo-retelling of the Wrath of Khan, the tables have turned and it's now Kirk who makes the sacrifice. It's an interesting twist no one saw coming, and was a bold move that no franchise had done before: killing the charismatic, handsome male lead of a very successful, popular franchise (and in only the second film, no less).

However, Kirk doesn't stay dead for long, as Bones realizes that Khan's blood can be used to save the captain. The film presents it in a way that doesn't feel like a cop-out, but I can't help but feel a little cheated when Kirk's death is reversed so easily. Though his demise might have lost the respect of loyal Trekkies, it would have worked as a way to set the movie apart from today's typical blockbuster fare. It would have drastically shifted the dynamic of the crew and led to some pretty interesting storylines for future movies. Perhaps Kirk could have come back to life in a sequel (Star Trek III: The Search for Kirk)?

Contributor
Contributor

James is a 24 year old writer and filmmaker living in Portland, OR. He attended college for graphic design and writes for various sources on the web about film, television, and entertainment. You can view all of his work on his website, www.thereeljames.wordpress.com