Director J.J. Abrams has done it again. After watching the first installment of Star Trek that came out in 2009-which many are mislabeling as a remake-trekkies were willing to accept the massive change to the Star Trek universe; but now he has gone too far.

For the non-trekkies, “Into Darkness” will seem like a fitting sequel to the ’09 blockbuster. The story has a little of everything.

There is a love story between Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Spock (Zachary Quinto); high speed chases, explosions and blazing gun scenes for thrill seekers; humor and tear-jerker moments for sentimentalists; and a continuing story line for those that want a running narrative.

But true-blooded trekkies are going to have a hard time getting over the attempts Abrams makes to link the movie with the original series.

Throughout the film there are little tie-ins that, for the most part, attempt to legitimize the film with older Star Trek fans that grew up with, or saw reruns of, Star Trek: The Original Series. There are so many of these tie-ins that they stop being subtle and become cheesy.

Knowing his audience will largely be made up of those that never watched the television series from the 60’s, Abrams attempts to make the storyline new and invigorating while still acknowledging the massive history of his film’s parent lore. However, the massive shift in the universe of Gene Roddenberry’s creation leaves something to be desired.

The film’s plot isn’t anything new to the Star Trek franchise, essentially acting as a remake of “The Wrath of Kahn.” Benedict Cumberbatch, most widely known for his lead role on the BBC’s “Sherlock,” plays the villain of “Into Darkness,” and is a force on-screen that seems to dwarf his counter parts.

The weakest bit of acting in the movie, bar none, is Chris Pine as Captain James Kirk. Kirk’s character has received a major overhaul that left me thinking that Abrams only understood the pop culture references to Kirk, rather than the 60’s series that originated them.

Pine never seems to fill out the character, leaning more on Quinto to support his acting.

Despite Quinto’s exceptional acting, even his character isn’t safe from Abrams’ Star Trek alterations. The director places extreme emphasis on Spock’s human emotions, to the point that Spock cries!

Abrams’ effort to appease trekkies while connecting with a younger audience culminates in an epic moment involving Kirk and Spock. But even this is a letdown because it is an effort to connect with “The Wrath of Kahn” while sticking with the re-envisioning movement of the series.

“Star Trek Into Darkness” attempts to tread between satisfying trekkies-with inside references to past characters and events from all the Star Trek series-and marketing and selling to a younger audience with limited knowledge of the original story. As a trekkie, I was left wishing the film had gone to the first star on the left, and straight on till morning.