Oh yes, it’s hella retro. Regardless of whether you are a Trek fan or not, I’ll have you know that the rebooted Star Trek films are the best things to have happened to the franchise. They’re fun and quirky, showcasing depth with its characters and have the ability to tell a story on a ‘space-full’ level.
Whatever you know about J.J Abrams and his take on the first two movies, you are wrong. Unless it’s all good talk, then you’re probably right. Being Hollywood’s go-to guy, he was called in to helm the latest instalment in the Star Wars franchise, one which turned out to be one of the most successful movies of all time. Now that’s saying a lot about his prowess as a filmmaker, so let’s take a moment to praise his efforts on this side of the galaxy.
Since his departing to pursue the more popular space adventure, Fast & Furious’ Justin Lin upgraded from the front seat of fast cars to the Enterprise’s command chair. Some may say Paramount Pictures may have been desperate, but here’s where I say that it was the best thing that they for this 50-year-old franchise.
Beyond finds itself being quite different from its predecessors with its expansive capabilities. Focusing more on exploration this time around; it takes on the feeling of being an episodic addition to the series. Our experienced heroes fall onto a rollercoaster of unforeseeable events all of which resemble the Trek TV show from the 60’s. This and the winks at the franchise’s past is what this film does best.
With a prologue that will kick start your sci-fi drive instantly, it flaunts a great introduction to both the universe and its inhabitants. Chris Pine’s James Kirk is spacing out on captain duty. His inability to serve swiftly is accompanied with a crew being quite clueless or should I say, crewless these days. And that my friends is what a five-year space tour does to you, so you might want to think twice before you say it would be cool to live on Mars.
Zachary Quinto’s Spock isn’t on the sunny side of things (not that he ever was), given his life choices and the changes occurring due to an unexpected turn of events which won’t be revealed for this spoiler free review.
First, it was fast cars and now flying saucers, Lin proves himself to be a master of vehicles. Taking his heroes from one place to another in style is his strongest suit. With extremely dazzling visuals that include worlds beyond ours, including our very own Dubai, it begs the question as to what else this talented visionary hiding in his bag of tricks. Watch out for a climax that will blow your mind like a rock concert. (you’ll get what I mean soon enough).
And now, for the shtick of the film – say au revoir to the ship! With blockbusters coming out almost every month, it has become a necessity to have complex and exhausting predicaments for a movie’s protagonists. After investigating an attack on a fellow colleagues’ ship, the Enterprise’s crew members find themselves holding hands together as their ship crumbles to pieces after being attacked above ground level by a wave of space-piranha doppelgangers. Left stranded on a planet inhabited by goblin-drone hybrids, they seek out the person responsible for their untimely demise.
And this is where we see an excess of subplots. With this film being approached as an expanded TV episode that develops over time with its story, characters and action segments, it focuses on the scattered members of the Enterprise, whose side goals don’t quite add up to the film’s main one.
If you were looking for an Idris Elba, look for the alien antagonist who somehow can manage to speak english. Regrettably, his motives weren’t as interesting as his reptilian vampire grins, alas being the most disconcerting part of the film. A variety of concepts such as “It’s a trap!” and “Our own kind is the real enemy behind all this” exist as cliches that are interestingly woven in, which calls for the movie to feel less ambitious as the latest instalment.
Want some romance in a sci-fi adventure? You got it. The bromance between Kirk and Spock continues to bloom with winning smiles and authentic conversations. They have dazzled us for so many years, and surprisingly still continue to do so. Fortunately, that extends over to the rest of the crew, which we have seen before in small doses, and amongst new ones. It’s no surprise Karl Urban’s Bones beams humour onboard the Enterprise, and this time brings that over to the front where all the action is taking place.
The previous two movies were generally received well by both critics and fans, hence the development of comfort towards the recurring cast, who bring genuineness to space and the final frontier. If you liked Simon Pegg’s character before then you will love him now! All in a day’s work for a solid screenwriter and an actor. The late Anton Yelchin’s Chekov finally grows on you this time around, as he stands withKirk as his right-hand man amidst all the action, trading places with Spock who runs about with Bones.
Star Trek Beyond may not be as enterprising as its predecessors, but it outshines Abrams’ sequel in more ways than one. Its fresh vibes originate from its past, rejuvenating the saga with a perfectly timeless formula that never really needed much improving. Its intentions are clear, with the need to bring back old-world grooves, which we have seen been kicking on the past Trek series.
Trekkies, if you ever had an undying love for this beautifully ageing franchise, Beyond will remind you again for what it stood for and what it will always will – “to boldly go where no man has ever gone before”.
