After being demoted and losing the U.S.S. Enterprise Kirk discovers that a menacing act of terrorism on the homefront may bear deeper meaning and a bigger threat than he first realized . . .

That, roughly, is the plot of Star Trek Into Darkness, the newest episode in the massively successful J.J. Abrams reboot of the franchise. I’m not going to say much more about the plot itself at the risk of spoiling anything, solely because I know how much people have been looking forward to this movie.

Let me say that this is a very fun film, with a lot to offer to audiences. From the beginning, Abrams was smart enough to make a distinction between the timelines of this universe and that of the original series (doing a decent job of preserving what the fans held sacred). While I’m not a “Trekkie” by any means, I think I can safely say that the film recreates the feel and energy of the original series.

Having shared that, I do not think this film is as good Abrams’s first Star Trek movie. Yes, it’s got killer action scenes and a few twists that many people won’t see coming. But, in my opinion, the film also seems to lack the level of character and plot development that the first movie had. Some of our favorite characters seem to only be in the film for a few minutes.

Now, does this ruin the movie? Absolutely not. But I certainly don’t see this being the best film of the summer. It’s a good exploration of the friendship of Kirk and Spock, albeit at the expense of other characters. I can’t help but think of the many other directions in which the story could have gone. We could have had a movie that was epic, but instead we got a movie that you’ll certainly want to see.

Think I’m crazy? That’s fair. Join the conversation and share your thoughts below. Anyone’s welcome to chime in so long as it’s respectful.