'Star Trek: Beyond' is directed by Justin Lin (Furious 7) and once again stars Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Seldana, and John Cho as the returning Enterprise crew along with newcomers to the series Idris Elba (Dark Tower) and Sofia Boutella (The Kingsmen). With 2013's 'Star Trek: Into Darkness', I had lost a little faith in JJ Abrams' rebooted franchise. The film, while competently made, went back to the well way too soon and essentially rehashed 'The Wrath of Khan' for about 88% of the film.
For 'Beyond' however, the film branches out with a original story and it worked out for them big time, and really everything about this film puts it on top of the other two and is my personal favorite of the 'reboot' series. This time around, Captain James Kirk (Pine) is unsure of his personal worth and questions whether everything he's done so far was for himself or his late father. The crew is also growing tired through the many space travels they've endured so far, leaving them vulnerable and in the grasp of the evil Krall (Elba) who leaves them stranded on a planet while he plans to destroy the Federation and everything the Enterprise stands for. The crew must unify and work with a young female warrior (Boutella) to stop Krall and leave the dangerous planet.
The film was handed off to the right hands here, with writer Simon Pegg and Director Justin Lin. This team works together great for both action and for 'Star Trek' in general. I personally am not a big fan of the 'Fast and Furious' films, but there's no denying that they have some great action sequences and Lin brings that to this film with a fast paced 2 hours that really never lets up. There's always something going on highs and lows and always keeps your attention and in your seat. 'Star Trek: Beyond' also has a high amount of humor due to Pegg's writing. The film is funny, really funny and more funny than most will expect but it's a pleasant surprise that awaits you. The way Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) and Spock (Quinto) work off each other is probably the best parts of the film for me.
The film's villain Krall, while menacing and interesting doesn't really get as much light shed upon his motives until the final act of the film. This does not benefit him, as he's just a typical angry alien warlord who hates Starfleet and the Federation but we never figure out why and even when we do, It's underwhelming for sure. I think they could have done a little better with Krall although Idris Elba is excellent when portraying the character. I love seeing this man the more I see him and can't wait until 'The Dark Tower' to see if he shines again. Another unfortunate aspect was that Anton Yelchin's Chekhov doesn't get as much screen time in this film or any of the reboot films to be honest. Yelchin is a terrific actor in many films such as 'Odd Thomas' and I never understood why he never got to do much in these 'Star Trek' films. It's even sadder that his passing means we won't be able to see any future work.
The film works best when showing the Enterprise crew coming together and working as a team to overcome even the worst odds against them, and I feel that has always been the best part of the 'Star Trek' franchise. 'Star Wars' I always felt had more of a personal growth message with its spirituality and inner strength tying into the characters, while 'Star Trek' was about unity, family, and togetherness in the hopes of one day bringing peace and that's not a bad message to spread at all, nor is the ones in 'Star Wars'. These films are more than science-fiction to me and to my father, they meant something special as I'm sure they do to many. That is what makes them so great to watch time after time and why I feel so strongly about 'Beyond' in particular. Even with the sad passing of Mr. Nimoy and Mr. Yelchin in reality, you feel that the actors in this film became stronger in real life and through their characters because of it.
'Star Trek: Beyond' is a great film that you should all see, if not for the personal feelings I have expressed then just for a damn good movie.
A-
(In Loving Memory of Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin)
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