There is plenty in Star Trek Beyond for diehard Trekkers to enjoy, and director Justin Lin (Fast & Furious) guns the action sequences – even if that motocross machine that Kirk is ostensibly riding looks totally fake and video-game-ish. Justin Lin directs the explosive action of this sequel to every fanboy’s favorite space adventure.
Advertisement
I don’t think there’s any chance that this captures awards buzz like Star Trek did a few years back, but it’s not a near also ran like Star Trek into Darkness was. A sort of malaise has set in as the search for odd new worlds has become a bit mundane.
Pine makes a fascinating Captain Kirk, turning in the kind of nuanced work that rarely gets recognized in blockbuster filmmaking.
The Enterprise is dispatched to help when Kalara (Lydia Wilson), an alien of a previously unknown species, shows up at Yorktown pleading for her shipmates, whom she claims are in trouble on the far side of a unsafe nebula. They’re forced to abandon ship, and get stranded on a desolate planet with a cruel new enemy. Seven off-screen years into the Enterprise’s “five-year mission”, they have all comfortably settled into these iconic roles and really made them their own, with the core trio of Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and especially the scene-stealing Karl Urban turning in exemplary performances as Kirk, Spock and Bones, respectively. Eventually they all come together in order to save the day. The writers are such huge fans of the franchise that the movie is laced with Easter eggs, many that only the most die-hard fans will spot. It’s best just to accept that Elba’s character is as ruthless as Khan and as aggressive as a Gorn. He saw it in the way Gene Roddenberry created the show and continued through directors J.J. Abrams and Lin in the latest movies. That’s what happens in this film.
Beyond is much more static than other films, set mostly on the one planet (much like the Classic TV show) and gives the Crew time to bond and intermingle in ways that grow each character.
So beam me up to 2 stars out of 4 and hope that if there is to be another enterprise for the Enterprise, it’s one that goes beyond Star Trek Beyond. Gone is the tedious timeline bending and recycle plot lines from old films, Beyond is determine to reset and move ahead with more purporse, both for the crew and the audience. She survives everything, including Pegg, the co-scriptwriter who also plays Montgomery Scott in the film, constantly calling her “lassie”.
Advertisement
The late Anton Yelchin as Chekhov. Unfortunately, with the exception of Bones and Spock, the opportunity for compelling chemistry and character growth within the unlikely teamings is never fully capitalized. There’s a conscious effort to cement the relationship between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, much in the same way as with the original series. The noble Sulu (John Cho) pairs up with the tough-minded Lieutenant Uhura (Zoe Saldana) but the best match-up might be Scotty (Pegg), who is paired up with Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), a tough-as-nails warrior who saves Scotty’s life and eventually helps him reunite with his colleagues.
