Joe Rossi for Curtains Up
A well made entry to this timeless franchise.
If Star Trek Beyond feels episodic, I believe it is intentional. After two films that set up this whole new franchise, it’s nice to have a film play like an episode of the old TV series. It’s a mission film. It’s a peppy, wild and fun ride through the cosmos with a crew of talented and attractive individuals. After so many different franchises and event films that strive for our attention, the Star Trek films have something they do not — heart. The filmmakers behind them, from part one and two’s J.J. Abrams to Beyond’s Justin Lin, they know how to milk sentiment and pathos from what could be a generic and spectacle heavy series.
Deep into one of their voyages, the USS Enterprise, lead by Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), takes a disastrous hit from the ship of the films new enemy, Krall (Idris Elba) and a band of the ships survivors get stranded on a distant planet. They hook up with a warrior named Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) to help them stop Krall and his attempt to posses something called the Abronath, AKA Death Machine.
Sounds cool. And it is. I’m not spoiling some of the better surprises in store for the Trekkies or action junkies because they must experience them on the big screen. This isn’t some digital download you can watch on your IPhone. This is a full-blown movie experience. Thanks to action director Justin Lin’s uncanny talent at putting together complicated sequences and coupled with a witty and smart script by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, this is a Star Trek film to be savored theatrically. The tech credits are aces across the board. The cast does their best here and truth be told that they have actually grown on me. Aside from Pine’s Kirk, who has the right balance of heroism and cockiness, Zachary Quinto’s Spock is the series MVP. With a deadpan face that rarely cracks a smile, Qunto finds the right note of parody and originally that makes the character, one of the entertainment industry’s most parodied roles, one to savour.
This is a well done summer movie that will hopefully not get lost in the spectacle of the season. And rest in peace Anton Yelchin. What a talent.
