10 Worst Sequels In Star Trek
9. Star Trek Into Darkness
Star Trek Into Darkness has aged well. On release, it suffered from comparisons to Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan, while also carrying the weight of advancing the story introduced in its predecessor. As the years have passed, the performances have helped to turn the tide of opinion on this film, with Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Pine standing out in particular.
However, the film suffers from burying itself in Trek lore, taking far too many examples of older stories into its script. Kirk's relationship with Pike may rise above the latter's tragic death, though the introduction of Admiral Marcus rang too many bells from the jump. Simply put - everyone knew where things were going when the name Marcus was said out loud.
With Admiral there comes Doctor, and Carol Marcus appeared on the Enterprise, after appearing in a shallow marketing campaign focused on selling sex to the teenaged audience. Cumberbatch delivers a blinder as HarrisonKhan, but that's two for two with needless connections to an earlier Star Trek film.
The pressure that the film faces, forcing the Khan connections, undoes its power as a sequel to the superior Star Trek, a film that reintroduced the Original Series characters with energy and a modern aesthetic. Had the film taken a different direction, similar to its follow-up, then the whole affair would be stronger for it.