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Star Trek Beyond - Review: Beyond your expectations


Star Trek Beyond - Review: Beyond your expectations
9 out of 10

Survive the first few minutes. You remember how incredible the opening section 2009's reboot was? It was an epic mini-feature of Kirk’s father sacrificing himself for the crew of the Kelvin, including new born Jim. Or maybe the awesome spectacle of Spock dangling inside that raging volcano during the opening of Into Darkness? Of course, you do. The trouble is that anyone expecting this 3rd rebooted venture to similarly blast in at warp speed phasers blazing will be bitterly disappointed. Instead we get an unfunny alien based comedy skit that feels like leftover material from Simon Pegg’s underwhelming Absolutely Everything. The film does a Jason Statham in Spy. It charges in with promise only to stag itself on a door handle for an embarrassing failure. However, this sequence does end much sooner than expected and pretty much everything that follows for the remaining 2 hours is great and at many points outstanding. Survive the first few minutes..... because beyond that lies some fantastic science fiction.

After 3 years in deep space, James Kirk (Chris Pine – Jack Ryan) is having 2nd thoughts about the life he’s chosen while tragic news forces Spock (Zachary Quinto – Heroes) also questions his. But when a terrifying new threat leaves the Enterprise marooned in ruins, they’ll have to re-find themselves to save the Federation.

RIP Anton Yelchin – Prochnost, forever boldly go amongst the stars

Now, the first anomaly your sensors will pick up is that despite the angry fears of many comment sections following the Fast & Furious franchise veteran, Justin Lin’s, appointment to the commanding chair, this film is not Fast & Furious in space (that’s probably being saved for Fast 9). I viewed as part of a trilogy run through and at no point did it feel out-of-place (poor intro aside) from JJ’s two prior films, from visual aesthetics to tone and character usage. Existing fans set phasers to stun because this is still the franchise you love. Yet Lin’s influence is present as he does manage to up the ante with some crazier set pieces without feeling he’s gene-splicing franchises. This is most evident through a gunfight in and around a wrecked ship that utilizes its surroundings to superb effects for more unorthodox situations. It taps into the core value of Star Trek “boldly going where no one has gone before”. On the screen or small, it’s about placing these beloved characters completely out of depth and watching them overcome through resourcefulness. The whole film really keeps that feeling at heart as in merely the first act we see The Enterprise destroyed (“Blowing up the ship builds character”). The vast swarm forces of Krall (Idris Elba – Pacific Rim) engulf and dissect the Enterprise through sheer weight of numbers and brute force like a lion being brought down by a horde of wasps. The despair and desperation combined with the very unique nature of the threat and some magnificent visuals effects make it all utterly draw dropping. Even if your heart breaks as Kirk watches the saucer plummet from an escape pod, you’ll feel satisfied it was worthwhile. It must be noted though that one key feature of the climatic space may prove a huge dividing point among fans to the extent the more Methodist Trekkers will be spitting out their Mountain Drew all over their reproduction uniforms. It sees the film embrace the ridiculous and fun. Personally, I absolutely loved it but if you haven’t liked the recent film’s occasional indulgence in silliness then you’re advised to brace for an impact.

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Now, just like it’s two prior films, Beyond is not free of malfunctions despite Scotty’s best tinkering. The biggest problem is the very McGuffin -ike super weapon Krall seeks to unleash. It’s the one thing that pushes things too far in terms of believability even with a franchise that has time travel, A.I. and teleportation sitting happily on its shelf. The brief explainers we get don’t really answer anything and even though it provides a means to an en,d it should have been done better. Some of the new supporting faces are rather weak and bland, especially Lydia Wilson’s Kalara, who feels like little more than Abe Sapien’s dull sister that wears way too much foundation. Finally, the production design of Krall’s encampment looks like it was knocked up on an overly schedule to look oddly low budget ,making Krall’s forces look very inconsistent -- they have vast technology yet their base is a shanty town.

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Yet for all the adrenalin and explosions, he injects into the film, Lin has thankfully retained some teachings from his former crew. That is their strength as individuals and family like unity. The film utilizes the scattered escape of the ship’s destruction to setup several different character arcs as the crew work their way back together. He shows a great awareness of not just what works within the current cast but what long standing fans want to see. The ever eager Chekov makes a perfect Robin to Kirk’s Batman. Uhura and Sulu get the spotlight as lead faces among the captured crew. While Spock and Karl “I am the Law” Urban’s Bones are mostly together in the film as their beloved bickering off-couple pairing. As you might expect, it’s the later in particular that produces the best results. Not only do they deliver buckets of great comedy but easily the film’s best emotional moment as the pair reflect on their peril and the fear of death. A moment inspired by the most surprising ace up Lin’s yellow sleeve: a deeply respectful and meaningful incorporation of Leonard Nimoy’s real life passing. Rather than a Paul Walker style 4th wall break, it stays much more grounded to become Quintio’s driving theme throughout as he deals with the notion of his own death and questions whether or not he has a duty to continue the work of his older self in service of the Vulcan people. It’s an idea that’s wonderfully mirrored by Kirk’s arc of wondering if he’s meant for more than the often mundane routines of exploration missions. Star Trek Beyond reminds that this is a blockbuster franchise with just as much emotional depth as lighter spectacle.

More than anything else, Beyond feels like a clear reaction to all the openly voiced objections against Into Darkness. This is not an overly dark outing that riffs on its legacy, this is a big fun adventure that gives us plenty of new. It’s a return to 2009's Kobayashi Maru geek heart winning form. This may be Star Trek’s 13th film, but with results this good, we can be sure it won’t be the final frontier as this franchise lives long prospers.

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