"Into Darkness" was part of a completely misleading marketing campaign, just as "Earth Will Fall" on the movie posters was. I really expected and hoped that the movie would live up to those phrases ... imagine my disappointment!
The phrase “Into Darkness”.
- Thread starter xavier
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I think Berman and Company underestimated the need to simply make good movies.
Well, they still killed hundreds of thousands of Federation citizens, so some part of Earth fell.
For my part, I was not bothered at all by the title. It is a darker place that Starfleet is moving towards, especially Marcus' war mongering. Rather appropriate for the times, in my opinion.
I bet section 31 had something to do with it.
I'm really glad they didn't go with Star Trek: Vengeance, which was apparently considered. That name makes it sound like the fifth TNG movie.
www.mtv.com/news/1707278/star-trek-vengeance/
www.mtv.com/news/1707278/star-trek-vengeance/
I agree Vengeance would have been really cliche. I will have preferred. Star Trek: Federation.
Vengeance wouldn't have worked as well as Into Darkness did. Vengeance would've made it Khan-centered. I think Into Darkness made it Marcus-centered, which upped the stakes.
If there is one thing I think most on these boards can agree upon, regardless of individual opinions of the movie, the marketing (phrases like, "Earth Will Fall" and Khan's soliloquy that didn't even make it into the movie) was odd. The poster of London burning over-played what happened there and portended greater world-wide destruction, when it was only SF that really took the brunt of Khan's fury, and that was in a fit of pique, not part of a planned assault.
If there is one thing I think most on these boards can agree upon, regardless of individual opinions of the movie, the marketing (phrases like, "Earth Will Fall" and Khan's soliloquy that didn't even make it into the movie) was odd. The poster of London burning over-played what happened there and portended greater world-wide destruction, when it was only SF that really took the brunt of Khan's fury, and that was in a fit of pique, not part of a planned assault.
Why? What does "Federation" have to do with the plot?
Not a thing.
"Star Trek: Federation" would be more appropriate as the collective title of a series of Trek novels set in Jonathan Archer's time, post-Enterprise.
Or it would be had it not already been used as the title of a novel twenty years ago.
Tbh, Star Trek movies traditionally have pretty lame sub-names.
Personally my least favourite is 'The Final Frontier'. There's just something I find lazy about it. A bit like calling a James Bond movie 'Licence To Kill'. You just think, "Yeah, they didn't take longer than a minute to think up that title!"
Maybe that's just me, though. 
The only thing that still baffles me about Into Darkness is the lack of any kind of hyphen or semi-colon. 'Star Trek Into Darkness' is like a fully formed phrase. You know, like saying 'Star Trek Into The Unknown'. You expect there to be a literal darkness into which they go on a star trek.
Besides other acts of darkness already brought up, I thought it was pretty dark of that father to, you know, BLOW-UP a Federation Facility and kill countless innocent people to save one person. Talk about the needs of the one out-weighing the needs of the many.
I'd been thinking of concluding that post with a parenthetical " ... if it hasn't been used already," but ended up leaving it out. Oh, well.
Having "First Contact" as an episode title didn't stop them from recycling it for a film. Nor did the fact "Final Frontier" was the title of a novel stop them from using it as a film title a year later.
'Into Darkness' as a title reminds me of a radio ad a few years back. I forget the jingle now, but it was so lyrically vague, it could have applied to any product or service, whether it be an auto dealership, soap, taco sauce...you name it. I no longer remember what the ad was for, just the generic song, something to the effect of 'if you need us, we'll be there' kind of thing.
I'd be curious to know if any other titles were considered...
I'd be curious to know if any other titles were considered...
It's a great, simple title. Into Darkness not only refers to how paranoia can
drive people to take "necessary evils" to the evil extremes, but also refers to Kirk's character arc, whereby he is tempted to go to dark places for reasons of revenge. Kirk's gung-ho to kill Harrison/Khan until Spock's admonitions make him think twice, for instance.
drive people to take "necessary evils" to the evil extremes, but also refers to Kirk's character arc, whereby he is tempted to go to dark places for reasons of revenge. Kirk's gung-ho to kill Harrison/Khan until Spock's admonitions make him think twice, for instance.
Perhaps to some... but would "Star Trek Rebellion" have been less so?
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Welcome to the world of science fiction.
I believe that "Licence To Kill" was originally called "Licence Revoked" which made more sense. Rumor has it that the American audience would associate that with a driver's licence so the title was changed.
