by Jon Partridge
Star Trek Beyond heralds our return to the JJverse (now known as the Kelvin Timeline), a semi-reboot of Gene Roddenberry’s Universe under the guise of a alternate timeline. Star Trek (2009) was an opening salvo which showed some bold narrative choices and an impressive cast with undeniable chemistry which was followed up by the rather lackluster Into Darkness, which was guilty of not just rehashing one of the most cherished story-lines in Trek history, but doing so while crafting a WEB OF LIES in its marketing campaign and introducing ridiculous devices which patched up solved plot issues but completely tore apart the long term logistics of the series. Magic “cure all” blood and halfway across the galaxy teleporters, anyone? Well, Trek is back, and this time Scotty himself, nerd captain Simon Pegg (together with Doug Jung) picks up a PADD to write the thing. Taking the helm this time as director is Justin Lin, fresh off multiple entries to the Fast and Furious series, hopefully to impart some of that energy and fun in this latest outing.
Three years into their five year exploration of deep space, the Enterprise is dispatched in a rescue operation during which they ship is attacked by alien forces led by the merciless Krall (Idris Elba), doling out punishment due to some vendetta against the Federation. After abandoning ship, the crew is left scattered across a planet, many imprisoned while Kirk and other officers regroup. They become aware that an artifact being held on board the Enterprise is the key to Krall’s agenda, a part of an ancient weapon he intends to deploy against the Federation’s newest and heavily populated outpost. Kirk and co., together with new ally Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), must find a way to liberate their crew and get offworld to foil Krall’s plans.
With an opening that feels a little more like you’re watching a a sequel to Galaxy Quest, you could feel this outing for the Enterprise crew was going to be lighter than the previous one, and it is. It’s a relatively simple tale that takes the crew on a rollercoaster of action, brimming with energy and peppered with rather charming character moments. There’s a denigrating comment in Beyond about things feeling “episodic.” It’s true to an extent; it feels more like a two-parter than perhaps any other film in the franchise’s history, and that’s not a bad thing. It’s a slice of the original series given a modern spin and multimillion dollar facelift. Beyond recognizes that the real success of the franchise was always that crew camaraderie and the spirit of the show, and these things are placed front and center.
It’s a very heartfelt return to Star Trek‘s roots, and much of that is down to the script by Pegg and Jung. It’s rooted in the ideals of Roddenberry’s Trek. What sets things in motion here is a humanitarian rescue effort. What saves the day is people, of different talents, backgrounds, and races, coming together, working together, and solving problems together. That and a fistfight between Kirk and an alien. “Stronger together” is a sentiment that runs throughout the film. How timely is it then that it coincides with a slogan associated with one political movement going up against another espousing far more hateful rhetoric? Beyond shows Star Trek can be as timely and pertinent now as it was back in the ’60s.
This idea of unity is why Justin Lin was so perfect for this after blending family with action so perfectly in Fast Five and Fast and the Furious 6. He truly he commits to the fun. Even a cheesy and predictable sequence bringing the Beastie Boys’ Sabotage back into the mix is so much fun you can’t help but smile at his audacity. His signature flourishes are there, including teamwork, a high speed motorbike sequence, and a big air catch. Sadly he doesn’t manage to work a tuna sandwich or Corona into proceedings. When Beyond goes “full Lin,” it’s probably its least Trekkiest, but often its most fun.
The already impressive ensemble grow ever more into their roles. Every character gets a little emotional moment or a more action orientated piece. Pine is morphing more into the Kirk we know, the angst slipping away. Everyone else is pretty on the mark. Karl Urban’s McCoy is undeniably MVP. The script does flesh out these people, be it though cheeky references to TOS or adding details such as Sulu’s family. This is a necessary thing given these iterations don’t have 3 seasons of TV worth of backstory. Elba is fine as Krall, although his character is greatly hamstrung by the writing, a reveal coming late on in the film that had it been introduced sooner could have been better explored and made him more affecting. Sofia Boutella is a welcome injection of attitude as Jaylah.
Nerd content is high, be it a mention of a giant green hand in space or the MACO units fighting the Xindi. For more casual viewers these will breezily pass you by, so fear not for a technojargon or nerd overload. These little things do matter to the more hardcore fans, showing what a labor of love the film was for those involved. The film has a great pace to it too, refreshingly being a little over two hours in length. The whole “summer blockbusters being 3 hours long” thing needs to stop. The cherry on top is the score from Michael Giacchino, something that has proven to be one of the most successful components of this rebooted series. It hits new heights here, channeling a little John Williams/Star Wars but also bringing in some boombastic tracks that wouldn’t be out of place back in 1966.
It’s not a perfect film by any stretch, though. Some of the editing is frankly sloppy, and there are a few moments that sap the film of energy, notably in the first act. Much of this maudlin sentiment comes from issues inherent to this version of Kirk. His confusion in the beginning of Beyond stems from his daddy issues, something that has bogged him down for three films now (similarly, see Spock with his survivor’s remorse after the loss of Vulcan back in 2009). This is underscored by the recent news that Star Trek 4 will feature the return of his father. While Beyond doesn’t let it overwhelm things too much, it’s reassuring that we may finally be able to draw a line under this aspect of Pine’s Kirk that is frankly holding him back.
The most egregious sin of Into Darkness was its appropriation of emotional beats from The Wrath of Khan. The history behind the original crew hasn’t transferred to this new reboot, so you can’t draw from that same well. Beyond shows that remains an issue, but doesn’t tap into it directly. It’s embodied in two moments in the film, the first when the Enterprise is destroyed (it’s in the trailer so not a spoiler), which prompts little reaction; but a soaring sequence later in the film with an older starship stirs the emotions. It feeds into this idea of history and how these reboots have assumed the mantle of the original series, emphasis on the assumption. Beyond wisely approached this problem by keeping the associations to little in jokes and instead focusing on the relationships and camaraderie. It’s drawing from the characters, sure, but building up its own relationship with the audience. Beyond respects the original, but finally feels to be charting its own 5 year mission.
Star Trek Beyond is a blast. It’s a film with a succession of impressive action setpieces that takes pause to allow for some charming and often touching character moments. It will leave Trekkies more than satisfied, likely to leave with a massive grin on their faces. For the more cursory fans, there’s more than enough breezy fun here, largely down to Justin Lin, to mark it down as one of the most entertaining summer releases.
Star Trek Beyond opens nationwide on July 22nd, 2016.