12. Star Trek Into Darkness (2013) OK, it's my Wrath of Khan thing again. I know this movie got raves and deservedly so -- I was into it every minute in the theater. It's got great pacing, good performances, a formidable villain -- everything you want from a Star Trek movie. But. It just doesn't have the heart of Wrath of Khan. This could be because once, again, I'm way too attached to that movie. I understand the reboot thing. I applaud it. But something about replacing the gloriously over-the-top Ricardo Montalban with the cerebral Benedict Cumberbatch just didn't quite work for me. To wit: Kirk's big death scene in the warp core chamber? I didn't take that seriously at all.

Overall: A- It's a good movie. It's just the second-best Star Trek movie featuring Khan, that's all. And it's the second-best of the Abrams era -- I love an origin story.

Plot: A- It's one thing to tamper with the text. It's another to change the whole nature of an iconic character. Admiral Marcus as an opponent wasn't bad. So, yeah, good movie.

Costumes: B+ I liked the references to the velour-y uniform jerseys from the show's early days. Otherwise -- nothing special.

Extra Cast Members: A- Cumberbatch -- adore him as Sherlock. Just don't see him as Khan. But it's still fun to watch and, even better, listen to him. Admiral Marcus was fine, Carol Marcus quite good -- even though in this timeline she has inexplicably acquired a British accent.

F/X: B+ Khan's attack on Starfleet headquarters was good. Ship crashing into Starfleet headquarters better. Big finale fight scene on the hovercraft? Just a top-of-the-train fight, set in the not-too-distant future.

Series ranking: 1. Wrath of Khan 2. Star Trek 3. First Contact 4. Star Trek Into Darkness 5. The Voyage Home 6. Nemesis 7. Insurrection. 8. Generations 9. The Undiscovered Country 10. The Search for Spock 11. The Motion Picture 12. The Final Frontier