I went to see this with a friend who had never seen
Wrath of Khan. He of course got some of the references, but having not known about the reversal of the death scene until after we watched
Into Darkness he thought it worked well for Kirk and Spock's story arc. I'm inclined to agree. It was fan service, yes, but I'm not cynical enough to write that kind of thing off. I also think worked for the characters as well.
The only thing that really bugs me about the movie is Spock contacting Spock Prime. I feel as if the character would've been a lot stronger had he figured out Khan on his own. It deprives this new crew of their ability to think on their feet and confused a lot of audience members I spoke with that are less familiar with Trek.
Otherwise I enjoy it more than the 2009 film. The crew felt tighter by the end and more like the family I typically see them as in the original movies. Happy to go against the grind and like the movie for most of the problems people here have with it. That typically tells me it's pretty good.
