Friday, August 5, 2016

Star Trek: Beyond - Movie Review

Duration: ~2hrs
Watched: Theater

We pretty much jump right into this story with Kirk and crew a little over halfway into their 5yr Mission. Fortunately, they are up for a break on the brand new Yorktown Station. Shortly after arrival, an out of control pod of some description is picked up by the station with some awful news regarding a lost ship and crew in an uncharted nebula. The Enterprise is dispatched to figure out exactly what happened. What awaits beyond the cloud?

Pretty much right away this movie has a different look and feel compared with its 2 predecessors. Justin Lin takes over as director and Simon Pegg and Doug Jung on writing staff. This was a huge improvement over the first movies because it feels like people who actually cared about the source material were directly involved in its production. Sure, there is some silly stuff here and there but it works out in the end because it is used in very clever ways.

The characters in this movie feel like they actually belong in Star Trek. No one is yelling, fighting, or screaming. They are measured and deliberate like professionals should be in these kinds of extreme situations. Everyone gets along and cooperates to accomplish the goals set before them. It's a very different take than the previous movies and a return to form the series needed. Heck, Bones is good in this movie too! He isn't shoe-horned in at all!

The plot, overall, is pretty solid. Although, I will agree with others in that I think the antagonist is pretty weak as far as his motivations go. However, that does not mean their plight is without some sympathy. There is a Doomsday Weapon and we have to stop it. That is the gist of it. Go. Have fun.

Conclusion
This was a pretty kick-ass movie that totally took me by surprise. The trailer made it look terrible. Fortunately for us all, it was not. No Wrath of Spock here. Justin Lin and Simon Pegg should absolutely be commended for this film. It felt like a real Star Trek movie with plenty of action. It had a totally coherent narrative with plenty of laughs as well. I have no real complaints.

Recommendation
Yes. Go see this. If you like Star Trek in general you should absolutely see this. Even if you don't, I would still recommend it as a decent sci-fi flick as the crew of the Enterprise is pretty well known in today's popular culture. I had tons of fun and I am certain most others will too.

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