I never knew how much I needed "Star Trek Beyond" until I saw it opening weekend. Donning my Star Trek shirt and insignia pin, I walked into the theater hoping for the best. Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek television series has shaped my life in a lot of ways, philosophically and artistically. Screenwriter Simon Pegg (who also plays Scotty in the film) promised a return to what Trekkies love about the series. From these words alone, I had high expectations.

Directed under Justin Lin, Beyond goes back to Star Trek roots much more prolifically than the JJ Abrams renditions. The many nods to the original series, including much-appreciated jabs between Bones and Spock, are a delight to lifelong fans. The film strayed away from the action-packed, romance-tinged plot of the previous two reboots. Instead, viewers are brought into the original Star Trek world of intellectual humor, questionably slow timing, and metaphorical musings on philosophy and politics. McCoy (Karl Urban), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Sulu (John Cho), and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) all get considerably more character-building scenes and we see a more contemplative side to Captain Kirk (Chris Pine). New character Jaylah, played by Sofia Boutella, captures your loyalty within one swing of her weapon. She acts as an example of the classic Star Trek tradition of possible enemy becoming friend.

While I jumped out of delight for the return of the original "Star Trek" atmosphere, I also appreciate that things must always change. As Kirk says in the film, "We change because we have to, or we'll keep fighting the same battles." The film did an outstanding job of keeping the things that make the series unique while entertaining modern viewers. Star Trek has always questioned humanity's limits and the absence of those limits, marveled at the expanse of the universe, and debated the ideas of manifest destiny, war, and peace. It's something magical to witness those themes being played out in a modern world that Roddenberry never even saw. It's something even more magical that we can travel through these themes and beloved characters in films as passionately made as this one.