Star Trek Into Darkness is the 12th movie in the Star Trek franchise and the second installment in the reboot series directed by J.J. Abrams. The film sees the return of Chris Pine as Captain James T. Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Commander Spock, Zoe Saldana as Lieutenant Uhura, and Karl Urban as Dr. McCoy.
The movie opens with Kirk breaking Starfleet's Prime Directive to save Spock from a volcano eruption on a primitive planet. However, this act of heroism earns Kirk a demotion and a lecture from Admiral Pike (Bruce Greenwood) about leadership and responsibility. Meanwhile, a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) attacks a Starfleet facility in London, killing Admiral Pike and others. Kirk is tasked with leading the hunt for Harrison, who flees to the Klingon homeworld of Qo'noS. Despite warnings from Spock, Kirk takes the Enterprise into Klingon space, where they face a hostile reception and a potential war.
Eventually, Kirk and his crew discover that Harrison is actually a genetically enhanced superhuman who was created by Section 31, a rogue element within Starfleet. Harrison's true identity is revealed to be Khan Noonien Singh, a character from the original Star Trek series and the movie The Wrath of Khan. Khan has a personal vendetta against the top brass of Section 31, including Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller), and he offers Kirk and his crew a deal: help him take down Marcus, and he will spare their lives.
The rest of the movie is a high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse, as Kirk and his crew try to outmaneuver Khan and Marcus while also dealing with the moral quandaries of their mission. Along the way, they encounter other familiar Trek characters like Carol Marcus (Alice Eve) and Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), as well as new ones like Dr. Carol Wallace (Noel Clarke) and Lieutenants Marcus and Kirk (Jennifer Morrison and James Kirk, respectively). The film culminates in a thrilling space battle and a dramatic showdown between Kirk and Khan.
Star Trek Into Darkness has been praised for its action sequences, visual effects, and performances by the cast, particularly Cumberbatch as Khan. However, it has also faced criticism for its controversial portrayal of Khan (who was originally played by Ricardo Montalban, a Mexican actor) and its use of "whitewashing" in casting Cumberbatch, a British actor, in the role. Nevertheless, the film remains a popular entry in the Star Trek canon and a testament to Abrams' blockbuster-style filmmaking.