The most eagerly anticipated science-fiction movie of the year is the latest installment in a 47-year-old saga. Can director J.J. Abrams top his 2009 Star Trek film, which resurrected an aging franchise with terrific cast chemistry, fresh visuals, and an engaging plot? At the very least, there is good reason for optimism in the casting—the core crew of the starship Enterprise is back, joined by Benedict Cumberbatch, best known for his lead role in the BBC’s contemporary take on Sherlock Holmes, “Sherlock.” Cumberbatch has a compelling screen presence that is perfectly matched to the difficult task of playing a Star Trek villain big enough to fill the screen with menace without becoming cartoonish (special shout-out, though, to the late Ricardo Montalbán, who somehow managed to play the villain Khan in 1982’s Star Trek II as genuinely dangerous while still chewing the scenery). [See More]