Before I begin, I'd like to take a moment to pay my respects to Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin, who both tragically passed away. They were both excellent actors who played large roles in defining their own versions of "Star Trek." Leonard Nimoy's death reminds us all that a single man is capable of anything, even bringing joy to millions, if not billions, for nearly fifty years. Anton Yelchin brought an exuberant energy to the role of Chekov and showed incredible promise for new roles to come. His sudden death in a freak accident should remind us that we must make the most of the time we have.
"Star Trek Beyond" could not have released at a more critical time. Not only was it the follow up to "Star Trek: Into Darkness," a very divisive movie among fans, but it also released in the midst of the celebration of the original show's fiftieth anniversary. I'm proud to say that "Beyond" manages to strike a balance of fun, fan service, and modern blockbuster action.
The movie opens up three years into the U.S.S. Enterprise's legendary five year journey, and Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is feeling older, about to outlive his father, whose death in the 2009 reboot kicked off the alternate timeline that the past three movies have explored. This realization prompts him to consider if the Enterprise's mission is one he actually wants to continue. Meanwhile, Zachary Quinto's Spock receives sad news from New Vulcan (the original Vulcan was destroyed in the 2009 movie, another deviation from the original timeline) that beckons him to put aside his Starfleet duties and his relationship with Zoe Saldana’s Lt. Uhura (another cha- okay you get the idea) to help rebuild his race. However, our heroes are forced to put their problems aside when a distress signal from uncharted space turns out to be a trap set by the villainous Krall (Idris Elba) who is hell-bent on fracturing the Federation. The Enterprise crash lands on an unknown planet and the crew must find a way to escape and warn the Federation. This leads to a fairly simplistic story as the scattered crew comes together and attempts to stop Krall.
Simple as it is, the story quickly takes place to the real draw of the movie, the character dynamics. Scriptwriters Simon Pegg and Doug Jenn nail each character's voice perfectly and manage to draw out new material by pairing up the Enterprise crew into new and exciting combinations, the best of which is Spock and Karl Urban's Bones. Combine this fundamental understanding of the characters with a healthy dose of humor and emotion and you have a stellar script.
After the crew crash-lands, they find an ally in Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) an alien who has lived on the run from Krall her entire life. She meshes perfectly with the Enterprise crew, a natural survivor whose pessimism and straight forward nature contrast with the crew's optimism and idealism. The highest compliment that I can pay Jaylah is that I wasn't annoyed by her taking up space that could have been used by characters such as Uhura and Sulu (John Cho), who are mostly relegated to the sidelines.
Then there's the matter of Krall. At first, I wasn't very impressed by him. His villainous rants pretty much sum him up as your standard Hollywood Darwinist, seeking to start a war because he believes that conflict will lead to the strong becoming stronger while the weak die. In addition, he decries unity as a weakness while leading a drone army... that works together in unison. Despite this disconnect, later events (no spoilers here folks) reveal hidden depths to Krall's character and he becomes a dark mirror of Kirk's questioning self.
Finally, we come to the action. This is where director Justin Lin gets to shine the brightest. Fresh off of the latest "Fast and the Furious" movies (and some of the best in my opinion), Lin has a proven eye for chases and fist fights. However, he subverts expectations in that the film's greatest sequence isn't Kirk on a motorcycle or a climactic fistfight, it's the initial assault that leads to the Enterprise's destruction. Instead of your standard ship-to-ship combat, we're treated to a beautifully crafted sequence of the Enterprise coming under attack by a swarm of spear-like ships darting and weaving around the comparatively massive vessel.
"Star Trek Beyond" manages to appeal to both hardcore fans and mainstream audiences without missing a beat. Justin Lin manages to bring a unique style to this classic universe while a tightly written script ensures that the relationships we've known and loved for the past fifty years are still alive, albeit in new forms. Its callbacks to the original series are the icing on the cake, making this movie a perfect way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of "Star Trek."
