Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

MOVIE SUMMARY:

After the crew of the Enterprise find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one-man weapon of mass destruction.

MOVIE THEMES:

Growth and Maturity
In a real sense, this movie is a true sequel to Star Trek (2009). While the first movie was about beginnings, this movie is about maturity. Kirk, beginning with the first scene, has to learn to grow up. In the beginning, he breaks rules and thinks only about himself. By the end of this movie, he learns what it means to be in leadership.

Admiral Pike serves as a surrogate father to Kirk, just as he did in Star Trek (2009). In this film, Pike dies in a terrorism attack. Although Spock mind-melds with Pike as he dies, it is Kirk who has really felt the loss. Because of this death, Kirk regains command of the USS Enterprise. However, this death changes him. In the first film Kirk never knew his father. In this film, he loses his surrogate father and it affects him deeply. Kirk declines a medical exam by Dr. McCoy, but he clearly is dealing with the death throughout the film.

The Bible teaches that God helps us use experiences in our lives to help us grow to maturity. God gives us many opportunities to grow. Each of these opportunities are to help us grow to be a better servant of God and to also learn to love others better (Romans 12:1-2, Ephesians 4:15, 1 Thessalonians 3:12, 2 Peter 1:5-6, 2 Peter 3:18).

Terrorism
The movie explores the nature of terrorism. Agent John Harrison (later revealed to be Khan) sets a series of events in motion to exact revenge on Starfleet. He uses terrorism tactics in an effort to fight the blackmail that Starfleet used when they captured his crew. Khan uses all of his intellect to try to save his family.

Starfleet uses a top-secret department called Section 31, similar to the NSA and DARPA in the United States government. The agents in Starfleet use morally reprehensible methods to fight Harrison/Khan. They are ordered to use torpedoes which have been classified. Kirk blindly follows orders from an admiral who is bent on war. Starfleet is an exploration organization, but during times like these, they are used for military purposes. However, this goes against the values of the organization.

The parallels to the War on Terror are striking. An attack on London is similar to the attack on New York on September 11, 2001. The reactions by the top leadership in Starfleet are similar to the way President Bush (and Obama) have used the Pentagon and the military to fight Islamic terrorism. When Kirk captures John Harrison, he beats him up before he arrests him and puts him in custody. This is similar to the tactics used by the CIA against terrorists abroad.

The terrorist tactics of Harrison/Khan is similar to other movies. Harrison/Khan is captured and put in a cell. However, he uses the emotions of his captors to further his agenda. The prison scene is similar to the scenes in Joker in The Dark Knight (2009), Raoul Silva in Skyfall (2012), and Loki in The Avengers (2012).

Terrorism is a form of vengeance. The Bible teaches that as Christians, we don’t exact vengeance on our enemies. Instead, we let God exact His vengeance. God created the institution of government. They are servants of God. They can use whatever is at their disposal to punish evil (Romans 13). They often use inhumane forms to accomplish their goals. When a government starts to go completely against God and His family (Revelation 13), then it is to be opposed – just as Harrison/Khan opposed Starfleet.

QUESTIONS:

1. In this film, one sees Kirk grow and develop to be a better leader. What experiences have helped you grow as a Christian?
2. The film is a social commentary on the War on Terror. How do you see the war on terror against enemies of the state? Does government operate as God said they should? When would say that government has gone too far in fighting its enemies?
3. Khan is someone who is exacting revenge on Starfleet because of how they have treated his family. Do you agree with his methods?
4. Would you use terrorism against the state as Khan did? Why or why not?