OVERVIEW: Lauded by critics as “a sleek, thrilling epic” (Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly), “a clever, exhilarating action adventure” (Claudia Puig, USA Today) and “stratospherically entertaining” (Peter Travers, Rolling Stone), director J.J. Abrams’ phenomenal global sensation STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS makes its highly-anticipated debut on Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D, DVD and On Demand on September 10, 2013 from Paramount Home Media Distribution. Fans can be the first to own the film on Digital when it arrives three weeks early on August 20th. Boasting “spectacular visual effects” (Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer) and “one of the best villains in recent memory” (Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News) STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS delighted audiences around the world, earning a coveted A CinemaScore.

"I'm excited for viewers at home to check out Star Trek Into Darkness on Blu-ray and DVD," said J.J. Abrams. "They did a great job and I'm thrilled with how everything looks and sounds. We also have some really fun behind-the-scenes special features that we shot on the Red and created entirely in-house at Bad Robot. They really look amazing and unlike anything I've seen on DVD or Blu-ray before." Abrams added "I hope fans enjoy seeing the process that went into making the movie and the truly amazing work of our most spectacular cast and crew." 

The STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS Blu-ray/DVD and Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo packs with UltraViolet™ are bursting with behind-the-scenes material detailing how the filmmakers delivered a rousing epic filled with both spectacle and soul. For the first time, the special features included in the combo packs were produced entirely by Abrams' Bad Robot Productions and captured in spectacular high quality on Red Epic cameras for a uniquely intimate perspective of the filmmakers' process. 

SYNOPSIS: In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organization, the crew of The Enterprise is called back home to Earth.  In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.  

FILM REVIEW: J.J. Abrams, the man who rebooted the Star Trek film franchise four years ago to widespread and well deserving acclaim, has done it again with a new and exciting concept in this second installment. One could say that he has singled-handedly picked up the franchise and blew the dust of off it and given it relevance and appeal. It seems as though he embraced the chance to insert his magic in to part two of his mission to make Trek viable, vibrant and cool again. After the confident take-off of part one, I like how he keeps this franchise flying with a much faster, better paced, logically sequenced sequel that makes for the most thrilling Star Trek since First Contact. Also, there’s the sense of an expanded universe in this one, where the characters and plot are much bolder and mature, and might somehow indicate the direction of future installments.

Naturally Kirk and Spock are back, with Chris Pine (This Means War, 2012) and Zachary Quinto (Heroes – TV Series) still fitting the roles as comfortably as their Ly’cra-material jumpsuits. Then there’s Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible IV – Ghost Protocol, 2011) back in a much bigger, much funnier role as engineer Scotty (complete with a cabbage-headed sidekick), dropping exasperated one-liners that are off-the-cuff hilarious. He’s backed by Karl Urban (The Lord of the Rings trilogy) as medical man Bones, chiming in with his constant colorful metaphors (“You don’t rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire!” lol). Sulu, Chekov and the others are onboard also, but what’s most notable about the crew is the return of sexy Zoe Saldana (Colombiana, 2011) as Nyota Uhura (Spock’s love interest) and Alice Eve (Men in Black III, 2012) playing the sexy Dr. Carol Marcus: Weapons specialist. Wow, what eye-candy! Lastly, but certainly not least, we have Benedict Cumberbatch (The Hobbit, 2012), playing the badass rogue Starfleet officer called John Harrison. I thought his villainous role was awesome, but believe that they could have come up with a more outlandish name than that for a Star Trek villain. Even his real name ‘Benedict Cumberbatch’ sounds more intimidating than ‘John Harrison’. Nonetheless, if there is a real downside to his character, it would be that it was very much underdeveloped. I guess this is their way of leaving some possibilities open for future ‘nemesis’ roles for his character.

Some annoying factors about the movie is that it felt a little hurried in regards to the climax and for some reason they had an odd compulsion to leave Kirk dangling from ledges, constantly, throughout the movie. A little awkward, when you consider how many other options they have for putting Captain Kirk in to compromising positions. Nevertheless, Into Darkness is a real super, fun movie and is well worth the visit to the theaters. I believe a large portion of Star Trek’s audiences may well be satisfied by the film and it is well-deserving of four and a half out of five stars for this latest J.J. Abrams effort. – MoviMan Stan

Review By Movi-Man Stan

BLU-RAY: The film is presented in widescreen in a 2.39:1 aspect ration preserving its theatrical format. The picture is just flawless. Not only the picture looks great in this release, also the sound it is good, a 5.1 Dolby Digital in English that provides a good complement to the picture. It also includes  English, French  and Spanish subtitles.

VIDEO:
Widescreen (2.39:1) 16x9

AUDIO:
English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital,  and English Audio Description

Subtitles - English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese 

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Creating the Red Planet – Experience the creation of a never-before-seen alien world, as featured in the action-packed opening sequence of the film.

Attack on Starfleet – Go behind the scenes with the cast and filmmakers and witness the creation of the shocking attack on Starfleet Headquarters.

The Klingon Home World – Discover the stunning world of Kronos, and see how the filmmakers reinvented the Klingons for a new generation.


The Enemy of My Enemy – Find out how, and why, the identity of the film’s true villain was kept a mystery to the very end.

Ship to Ship – An in-depth and thrilling look at the filming of the iconic space jump sequence, which both defied the laws of physics and pushed the limits of visual effects.

Brawl by the Bay – Sit in with Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch as they revisit their intense preparation for the film’s breathtaking climax.

Continuing the Mission – An inspiring look at the partnership between the film’s crew and the organization that assists returning veterans to find meaningful ways to contribute on the home front.

Ultraviolet Copy

DVD Copy