1. The Performance
Let's be perfectly honest here, none of this would matter if Benedict Cumberbatch's performance wasn't incredibly good as Harrison. He could be wonderfully written, brilliantly conceived and perfectly frames, but without the restrained theatricality of Cumberbatch's performance, Harrison would have been just another blockbuster villain. Instead, with Cumberbatch, he is an amalgamation of the classic Brit-villain (honed on stage and occasionally grandiose) and a superior, comic book movie like creation. There is certainly something of Tom Hiddleston's Loki in the performance, and also of Hannibal Lecter, as I have already said, and the chief asset for his impact is the flick-switch that turns Harrison from intelligent and cool, to snarling and rabid beast. Cumberbatch also brings a likability factor that is crucial in creating the most enduring villains - it is the disarming weapon that sees us perversely routing for Darth Vader at times, or mourning the death of Voldemort, or the disappearance of the Joker. All real villainy requires a spark of chemistry, to provoke us into further outrage at our own reactions to the monsters on display, and Harrison is a case in point. Star Trek Into Darkness is released next Friday in the UK.