Star Trek: Beyond (2016) Review

There's a magical feeling that you get every time you walk into the IMAX theater and see the six-story high 80 ft wide screen. The IMAX theater is a unique way of watching movies that everyone should experience at least once in their life. One of my first IMAX viewings was the 2009 Star Trek reboot. It blew my mind with how massive everything looked and how loud and clear the surround-sound speakers were. Nothing's changed, and I still love sitting in those fancy leather seats with my over-sized 3D glasses and popcorn, ready to be transported to another world.

The crew of the Enterprise take a much needed pit stop after 3 years into their 5 year deep-space mission at the brand new Yorktown space station. A distress call ends their vacation and they encounter a foe like none they've ever faced which leaves them stranded on a strange planet.

Star Trek: Beyond did a great job continuing the continuity of this alternate universe that J.J. Abrams began seven years ago. One of the things that sets this series apart from other Sci-Fi movies is just how smart and invaluable each member of the crew is. They all have a unique set of skills which is a result of their education at Star Fleet Academy and the years of experience they have attained on their adventures. Writers Simon Pegg and Doug Jung have done a fantastic job showing that Captain Kirk has really grown as a character. He began the trilogy as a reckless know-it-all who broke the rules and was running around everywhere while screaming his head off at people. His character is one of maturity and less bombastic behavior. He still makes some reckless decisions, but they are decisions made to protect his crew first. We also see how the life these people have chosen affects their families and relationships, resulting in some nice glimpses into the personal lives of the crew, making them seem more like regular people and not super heroes. The shining light of the more human moments comes from Spock and Bones while they're stranded from the crew and you really see the two grow into friends. The ground combat is well done, as well as the beautiful space action which has become a staple of this reinvigorated franchise. Most of the action is a result of the characters combining their smarts to overcome impossible odds, which is the strongest aspect of the film. Another positive is the comedy, which comes mostly from Simon Pegg as Scotty as he interacts with a serious badass heroine alien. The focus for Zachary Quinto's Spock is his coming to grips with the impact another character has made on him, giving the character a look at the impact he wants to leave in life.

The film does break any new ground, and sometimes the action becomes hard to follow. The shots are cut so fast that you anxiously await a long shot or establishing shot so you can see what's happening. Luckily the space action is mostly fluid and easy to comprehend. Another complaint would be that the main villain played by the incredibly talented Idris Elba feels underdeveloped, as was Eric Bana as Nero in the first film. Sadly, it was a little distracting seeing the final performance from Anton Yelchin as Chekov who tragically died recently, but that's unavoidable. The story is rather bland and revolves around your standard sci-fi McGuffin (an object the film's plot revolves around and that everyone is after), and during one of the film's climactic moments, the characters use a "weapon" that results in some mild corniness.

I would recommend this film if you want some fun sci-fi space action and don't mind some brief scary moments from the villain. These recent Star Trek films are made as nostalgic action reboots that offer brief glimpses into the alternate world that Trekkers are familiar with, and this film is no different. What does make this film different from the others is the pleasant lack of in-your-face nostalgia that was a result of the fist and second movie (Khan!!!!!). Although it is the third in a new series, it doesn't feel like the end of the journey for this crew, with the exception of Anton Yelchin as Chekov. It will be interesting to see what they do with his character in future films in this alternate universe.