The Star Trek reboot was one of my favorite films of 2009. 2013's Star Trek: Into Darkness began with a completely open world with endless possibilities for stories that could be told. And what did the film end up becoming? A remake of the second Star Trek film, Wrath of Khan. I'll admit, if there was one Star Trek film I'd like to see remade it would be Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. But why did the filmmakers go to all that trouble with the first film to create a way to reboot the series while allowing the previous films to still exist if they were simply going to remake the older films? Into Darkness was still a well done film but did disappoint me somewhat.
I am pleased to report that STAR TREK BEYOND is a completely new and fresh story and it is one of the best films of the year!
THE PLOT
Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise travel to the outer rim of charted space. Suddenly they are besieged by a swarm of alien ships. The Enterprise goes down. Kirk and the crew find themselves stranded on an alien planet without a way off and surrounded by hostile forces. But the aliens have a far more sinister plan in the works, one that could effect the entire federation. Outgunned and weaponless, it is up to the crew of the Enterprise to find a way to stop this new threat and save the universe.
THE GOOD
The Script. Simply put, writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung deliver a completely fresh and fantastic story that still feels like Star Trek. I know some were concerned when Justin Lin, the director of four Fast & Furious films, was announced to direct. Worry not, for not only does Justin Lin provide his signature amazing action sequences, Simon Pegg and Doug Jung ensure that the plot is in-depth and worthy of the name Star Trek. Michael Giacchino returns to compose the music for the film too. While having nothing to do with the script, his musical score contains the classic themes present in the previous two films which greatly helps maintain the feeling of a Star Trek film.
The Characters. An ensemble story with a high profile cast and much beloved characters can be a difficult task to pull off. Justin Lin was the right man for this job as he has proven four times over that ensemble films are his forte. Each of the characters are given their moments to shine and shape the outcome of the plot. The actors don't miss a beat either as they embody their characters perfectly. When the ship crash-lands on the alien planet the crew is split up and paired together. One of the major highlights of the film is the pairings of characters. McCoy and Spock together is fantastic. And the new addition of the character JAYLAH, played by Sofia Boutella, is excellent.
And Idris Elba. That man can do no wrong.
THE BAD
Missing Characters? There isn't much I could find at fault with this film. It is very well done all around and deserves more praise than what it's receiving. The only disappointment I had with the film was the lack of Alice Eve's character from Into Darkness. She was a fantastic character addition and set up as a new member of the crew (not to mention another strong female character for a mostly male dominated cast). She is strangely absent from this film with no mention or reference to her character that I noticed. This didn't hurt the film too significantly but her absence was noticed. Hopefully she'll return for the next film.
THE VERDICT
Star Trek Beyond is a solid film all around! The actors are terrific, made even better by a wonderful script and dynamite direction. As far as servicing the characters and the Star Trek universe, the franchise doesn't get much better than this. Easily one of the best movies of the summer. Despite my feelings toward Into Darkness, this new Star Trek trilogy is high quality throughout all three films, Beyond being an incredible trilogy capper. Star Trek Beyond is one of my favorite movies of the year.
Overall Ranking: 8 out of 10
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