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Star Trek fans have 10 reasons to be thankful for Alex Kurtzman

Alex Kurtzman is a controversial name for parts of Star Trek's fandom but there are good reasons to be happy for his reign.
L-R: Paul Scheer as Andy Billups, Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner, and Gabrielle Ruiz as T'Lyn in episode 1, season 5 of Lower Decks streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount+
L-R: Paul Scheer as Andy Billups, Tawny Newsome as Beckett Mariner, and Gabrielle Ruiz as T'Lyn in episode 1, season 5 of Lower Decks streaming on Paramount+, 2024. Photo Credit: Paramount+
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10. Star Trek Into Darkness

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(Left to right) Zachary Quinto is Spock, Benedict Cumberbatch is John Harrison and Chris Pine is Kirk in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.

We can debate the merits of Into Darkness all day: the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch as Khan, the different Klingons, the plot, the retread of The Wrath of Khan, underusing Carol Marcus, and more.

Kurtzman, who served as a co-writer and producer on the project, tried to replicate the success of the 2009 film, and he did. Still, despite strong scores from critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, Into Darkness didn’t work out for everyone, as the fan service wasn't welcomed by some of the fans.

Nonetheless, this remains the highest-grossing Trek movie ever (unadjusted for inflation), a franchise achievement in itself. It’s not Kurtzman’s fault that it didn’t work for some fans.

However, at the end of the day, it was a win overall. Into Darkness boasts an "A" CinemaScore, which reveals how audiences scored the film coming right out of theaters, and that rating matches the "A" Star Trek (2009) garnered from moviegoers four years before.

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