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PLOT: Three years into it’s mission in deep space, the Enterprise falls under attack by a ruthless alien. Captain Kirk and crew must band together, survive, and find resources and friends in unexpected places to stop the invader, who possesses a weapon that can destroy millions.
REVIEW: STAR TREK BEYOND is a thrilling blockbuster roller coaster ride that moves at a breakneck speed, yet slows down, catches its breath, and delivers a truly heartfelt and emotional story.
For the first time in three films, the Enterprise is finally where she belongs – out there in deep space exploring strange new worlds and new civilizations. There’s no coincidence then that this installment feels so much like an episode of the Original Series. That is its strongest quality. Yes, there is a ton of action, but director Justin Lin confidently reinforces that this is a bona fide Star Trek adventure.
That means this is decidedly not Star Wars. It’s not Guardians of the Galaxy.
This is Trek, with it’s own distinct way of going about things.
Thus, characters and themes, struggles that symbolically mirror our world, science and technology juxtaposed against genuine emotion, all are present.
When we first catch up with the crew, we get a sense of the daily life, the comings and goings, on board a Starship. They have become a family.
When the ship arrives at a Federation outpost, populated by thousands, we experience a peace, harmony, and prosperity even in these far reaches of space.
Michael Giacchino‘s energetic score is highlighted here. The track, Night on the Yorktown, from the soundtrack, is among the most powerful across the entire franchise.
The Enterprise is dispatched on a rescue mission through an uncharted nebula near the outpost. When the enemy attacks, it is sudden, violent, ruthless, and heart-stopping.
It isn’t a fair fight.
Despite the achievements by this crew thus far, despite this heroic Starship’s ability to survive just about anything, all of this is stripped away.
Recent events in our world are a reminder that life can change unexpectedly in the blink of an eye.
The Star Trek family lost two of it’s own this year in Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin.
The fragility of life, just how special our humanity can be, are powerful themes that radiate in BEYOND.
What happens to the crew from here on out, therefore, is emotional and surprisingly relevant. I was fully on board for the ride.
The film divides the crew into unique groupings we haven’t seen yet in these films, and this further strengthens the bond, the sense of family these characters share. Kirk and Chekov share screen time together as do Uhura and Sulu. Scotty partners with a clever and resourceful alien named Jaylah.
And then there’s Spock and McCoy.
Some of the best episodes of the Original Series pair these two together. They represent the tug-of-war within Kirk, between Spock’s unabashed logic and McCoy’s unbridled humanity. When they work together, they bring out the best in Kirk, and allow him to be a true, great leader.
From the Original Series, check out the episodes entitled, The Galileo Seven, The Tholian Web, and All Our Yesterdays. These are three great Spock-McCoy episodes, hints of which are utilized in BEYOND.
Part of what makes the camaraderie so present is having these talented actors return across several films, a feat in Hollywood that is often challenging, but when it works, it creates a truly special body of work. There’s Bond and Star Wars, but Trek is closer to the Harry Potter franchise in particular with its ability to bring a larger quotient of key actors back across multiple films.
Chris Pine IS Captain Kirk. Privately, James T. may express a very human sense of doubt, but in front of the crew, he transforms into Captain Kirk, an unwavering and strong leader with a crew that believes in him, and follows him, even when the odds are against them and the situation is grim.
Zachary Quinto’s Spock continues to evolve into his own. His take has always been respectful of Nimoy’s, but decidedly different. His Spock is more curious about the emotion in him that sometimes surfaces. Rather than rejecting it, he is more exploratory of it. It adds a unique and interesting layer to a legendary character already so resonating among fans. Hence, Quinto’s Spock, as Nimoy’s did before him, continues to inspire.
Karl Urban is finally given some meat to chew on, with BEYOND making his character pivotal in how the film plays out. Urban is so good as McCoy. DeForest Kelley was always more frail than Kirk and Spock. He lacked the brawn and physicality, which was always amusing when he found himself fighting for his life in a gladiator arena, for example. Urban retains the exact same eccentricity as Kelley. He hates those transporters! But he does this in the warrior body of Urban. It’s almost like his McCoy doesn’t even realize he could be a heartthrob if he wanted to. It makes him all the more humble, likable, and just downright human.
The rest of the crew – Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, all have their moment, their struggles to overcome.
And Idris Elba as Krall is a special antagonist indeed. He might have the toughest of tasks. How do you play an alien while wearing a mask, something we’ve seen multiple times in the shows and the films, and still keep the concept fresh and unique? Elba succeeds by bringing a physicality and intelligence to Krall. He keeps him primal and intent with his purpose. He makes him a very real threat.
BEYOND commits a great deal of resource into its special effects, and it pays off big time. When Paramount finds the willingness to let its Trek films go big, they always seem to deliver.
Justin Lin uses today’s special effects technology cleverly and smartly, and as an opportunity to forward the “science” aspect of Trek that is a signature of the franchise. We see a different way of looking at warp speed, a different transporter visual. The world building, seemingly Christoper Nolan-inspired, might be the best technical achievement introduced in the film.
And yet, there’s a tactile, tangible, grounded feeling in the visuals as well. For all the computer generated imagery, there are actual sets for the actors to play in. Seeing this shot above, I’m instantly transported back into the Original Series.
The spaceships and lasers are matched with physical fighting and impressive stunt work.When it’s all put together, it’s simply a dazzling magic of visuals that deliver a true believability despite the fantastical premise.
Where does the franchise head next now that it’s already gone Beyond?
Paramount has already announced a 4th installment, with Chris Hemsworth signed on to reprise his role as Captain Kirk’s father.
Whichever way this more personal story is told, I’m hoping it’s done so even further out in the galaxy. These films are charting a very interesting course. It seems that with each sequel, the Enterprise ventures further and further out into the galaxy. The first one I don’t think went much further than Vulcan. Into Darkness made it as far as the Klingon empire before the ship had to turn around and head back. Here, the Enterprise travels beyond the boundaries of the Federation. It would be great if the 4th film takes us into a new galaxy, into a place where no one has gone before.
For now, we can relish in the delight, success and achievement that is STAR TREK BEYOND and look forward to the continued adventures of the Starship Enterprise.
Grade: A