Star Trek Beyond Review

I hate summer, except for the movies. My goodness, do I love summer movies. It’s the only reason nerds like me get out of the house during the summer. Well, that and jobs. But if I didn’t need food…

Anyway, I’m sure it’s not a surprise to any of you that I am a huge Star Trek fan. I have seen every movie, and at least a few episodes of any show. My favorite Captain is Picard, Next Generation is the best series, and my favorite of the movies is First Contact.

I think it’s safe to say that I loved Star Trek Beyond. But I think I can safely say that even non trekkies will agree that it was a very good movie.

The story is solid, which is where everything needs to start. It had a beat to it, a flow that worked really well. An enemy named Krall kidnaps the majority of the Enterprise crew, leaving only the major players like Spock, Kirk, Bones and Scotty free. They’re stranded on a strange planet, having no idea who’s kidnapped them or what they want.

As it turns out, what they want is an artifact called the abronath that is part of a bioweapon big enough to wipe out a whole space station. Like the space station called Yorktown, which happens to be the home of Sulu’s husband and daughter.

The first thing that jumped out at me for this movie was the flow of danger. First, the whole crew is in danger. Then, just one person, who Kirk must save at great risk. Finally, the whole station of Yorktown, which we particularly care about, of course. This was a great way to keep tension fresh throughout the movie.

Now, of course, a lot of this is dependent on seeing the first two movies and being emotionally invested in the characters. That shouldn’t be an issue, you want to see the first two. Which brings me to my next point. This movie is a really good continuation of the first two ‘new’ Star Trek movies. There are moments that are throwbacks to earlier in this series, like Beastie Boys Sabotage playing at a crucial scene. But you don’t really need to see those movies to enjoy this one. It’s fine standing alone. Seeing the first two just adds a deeper understanding to this one.

Likewise, you don’t have to be a long term trek fan to appreciate the new series. But it adds something. There are moments that made me lose my geeky little mind, like when the Enterprise crashed and burned. (Not a spoiler, it was in the freaking trailer!) Or when Spock is given a box of the other Spock’s belongings that included a picture of his Enterprise team. I literally started crying at that.

I also cried during the very memorable speech for ‘Spock’ that was obviously for Leonard Nimoy. It was touching as hell, and just reminded me how much the acting world lost when it lost him.

Finally, I understand that there’s been some fuss over Sulu being gay in the new movie. I don’t want to get too far into this particular fight except to say this. Anyone complaining about continuity needs to stop. Spock wasn’t dating Uhura in the original Star Trek, either. Kirk’s dad is alive, Captain Pike is in a beeping chair, and Vulcan is still there. Get over it.