It is commonly accepted that of the original “Star Trek” movie series, 1982’s “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” is about ten times better than 1979’s “Star Trek: The Motion Picture”. Applying the same logic to J.J. Abrams’s reboot of the franchise, “Star Trek Into Darkness” should be ten times better than 2009’s “Star Trek”. Now I really liked the 2009 “Star Trek”. I wasn’t doing star ratings at the time, but I would have given it three and a half, maybe four stars. Let’s be conservative and say three and a half. This means “Star Trek Into Darkness” should get thirty-five stars out of a possible five. That isn’t really my expectation, but the pressure is on the new film to outdo its predecessor, even if that predecessor is far more beloved than its 1979 equivalent.

The film once again stars Chris Pine as James T. Kirk, reckless captain of the Starship Enterprise. Pine’s an agreeable enough leading man, but he doesn’t bring the gravitas to the role that William Shatner did. Kirk’s best friend and biggest annoyance is his ultra-logical First Officer Spock (Zachary Quinto, much better cast in the role originated and retained by Leonard Nimoy). Other familiar characters include grouchy doctor McCoy (Karl Urban), steadfast third officer Sulu (John Cho), compassionate love interest Uhura (Zoe Saldana), rookie navigator Chekov (the perpetually pubescent Anton Yelchin), and comic relief tech-er Scottie (Simon Pegg). At least I think I’m supposed to call the tech guy a tech-er and not a tech-ie.

Following a deserved demotion and begrudged re-promotion, Kirk volunteers the crew for a mission to stop a terrorist named John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch). They’re sent by Admiral Marcus (Peter Weller) to neutralize Harrison with military weapons on a hostile Klingon planet. By the way, if you think “John Harrison” is too vanilla a name for a “Star Trek” villain, don’t worry, he doesn’t stay “John Harrison” for long. The plot features multiple betrayals, and more betrayals on top of those betrayals. I’m pretty sure some characters kept betraying the same characters over and over again.

In a film with so much betrayal, it’s remarkable that so many of the film’s best scenes are ones of loyalty. It should go without saying that in this action-adventure film, many of the characters risk (or give?) their lives for the greater good. But more specifically I’m referring to scenes where characters show their respect for each other. Kirk and Spock are especially effective in these scenes, sharply in contrast to other scenes where they’re at each other’s throats. Even if Kirk isn’t suited to be a starship captain, he’s more than suited to be a team leader in general. The people serving under his command all share a professional chemistry that makes me want to come aboard the Enterprise again and again.

I hope I get the chance to come aboard again soon because I want to see a film that improves upon “Star Trek Into Darkness”. The action and special effects are high-quality, but they’re about what I’ve come to expect from summer blockbusters. Many of the secondary characters (Sulu and Uhura come to mind) are given very little to do and are clearly only in the movie because their absence would be conspicuous to fans. Perhaps most distractingly, the film keeps trying to compare itself to “Wrath of Khan” when it should be trying to compare itself to the 2009 “Star Trek” to keep up the interest we had in the characters. It’s still a good movie with intriguing characters and relationships, in fact it’s the best film of the summer blockbuster season so far. It just suffers in comparison to the superior original, and it doesn’t help that there are two films that qualify as the superior original.

Three Stars out of Five.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence. Its running time is 132 minutes.

Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@nyu.edu.

According to the LCSO the driver smelled smoke and within minutes there were flames under the hood. The driver was unharmed.

Mercedes Benz is a total loss after the fire.

Saturday June 8, 2013

At Lehigh Acres Middle School, 104 Arthur Ave, Lehigh Acres Fl 33936

Hosted by the Lehigh Acres Soccer Club

Ages U6 thru U19 and Adult

Register online

Entry fee $200 ($170 if paid on or before May 25, $185 May 26-30)

Guaranteed entry deadline Monday before the tournament

Call them today at (239) 369-4320

Charles Bass holding His and his Dads record setting catch. Just over 38 pounds. WOW!!!!

Results from Lake Istakpoga…

1st place Bass and Bass 38.86 lbs
2nd place Mcferson and Blake 23.87 lbs
3rd place Stewart and Stewart 23.78 lbs
4th place Frank and Frank 20.72
5th Place Pierson and hartman 19.87
Big Bass Tom Pierson 8.55 lbs

Bass Club had 21 boats today. Next tournament is at Lake June.

Click the more button to see photos

Click the more button to see photos

The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is on the scene of a bus crash at 5871 Buckingham Rd.

Officials said there were four children on the bus, but no injuries were reported.

The bus involved is bus 107 assigned to Buckingham Exceptional Center, according to Lee County Schools Spokeswoman, Amity Chandler.

The crash happened near the Tice Fire Station after the school bus rear-ended a Choice garbage truck.

The crash seems minor with minimal visible damage to both vehicles.

Celso Christensen has moved to 2704 14th Street SW, Lehigh Acres, FL  33976.  His previous address was 3893 Palm Beach Boulevard, Room #108, Fort Myers, FL 33916.

Name/Description: Celso Christensen (DOB: 06/21/1976) W/M; 5’4” tall; 135 pounds; black hair, brown eyes. New Address: 2704 14th Street SW, Lehigh Acres, FL  33976.

Christensen was convicted in Lee County in July 2002 of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation Victim under 12 years of age. The victim was a minor.

Photographs and additional information on sexual offenders and predators can be retrieved on the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Website at http://www.fdle.state.fl.us. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office distributes this information to area schools, state registered daycare centers and Lee County Parks and Recreation facilities located within a one mile radius of the predator’s residence.

Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office has joined a partnership with FDLE by offering a link to a new feature. FDLE developed a notification service at the direction of the Florida Legislature as part of the state’s compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act. Citizens may select an unlimited number of addresses and/or offenders to track…and can update their selections at any time. The alert system will send email notifications within 24 to 48 hours of an address change to the state’s registry. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office encourages people to sign up for this free service by:

1. Visiting the Lee County Sheriff’s Office website at http://www.sheriffleefl.org

2. Click on Crime Activity

3. Click on Sex Offender / Predator

4. Click Florida Offender Alerts System under “Email Alerts”

5. Follow the instructions to register your request

Media inquiries are directed to the Public Information Officer at (239) 477-1340.