Review of Star Trek Beyond (2016) by Dana F — 09 Jul 2017

The gang is back, and they are up shit creek once again. Alas, it seems that mayhem is always right around the corner for the poor Enterprise crew. They always end up getting themselves in a whole heap of trouble, but it's all cool because it's a Star Trek film, and everything always works out fine in the end.

Spoiler alert: this entry into the franchise is no different. The film sticks to the formula to a fault, complete with the fun action, good humor, and nonsensical plot. So yeah, there is nothing really original or noteworthy about it.

.. but oh man, does it have some exciting sequences, one of which was probably the most exciting I have ever seen in a Star Trek film. The problem with this film lies with the plot, which is difficult to follow to say the least.

I understood all the 'whats'... it's the 'whys' and the 'hows' that get murky. Idris Elba plays a great villain (as always), but hell if I know what exactly he was trying to accomplish with his villainy.

Suffice it to say that there is a lot of nonsense thrown around here, but just don't think about it too much and enjoy the ride. Director Justin Lin has taken the reigns from JJ Abrams, and with mostly successful results - the movie is visually fantastic, it moves along nicely (the two hours runtime feels like much less), it's exciting without being overloading, and it allows each of the main characters time in the sun.

There isn't a lot of character development here, but that's the benefit of making the third film in a franchise - we already know these people. Some new characters are even introduced, with varying levels of success.

Being Star Trek, the dialogue can be pretty hokey, but I forgive it for that... it wouldn't be Star Trek without the cheese. Overall, I enjoyed this one more than 'Into Darkness', but not nearly as much as the first (the 2009 film).

It's a great popcorn flick and certainly worth the rental.