Star Trek: Beyond

I am of two minds when it comes to Star Trek: Beyond.  As a summer movie, it's fitfully diverting and amusing.  But as a Star Trek film, it feels a bit limited.  Really, just a little.  There's something very standard about this latest adventure.  Not much is learned or discovered, because the movie puts emphasis on special effects and action (both of which are handled very well).  And while the cast is as likable as ever, they seem to be given a little less to do this time around.

Maybe it's the influence of last year's The Force Awakens, leaving audiences wanting more grand space battles and duels instead of exploring worlds.  Or maybe it's the influence of the new director, Justin Lin, who got his start with indie dramas but quickly moved on to the Fast and Furious franchise.  All I can say is audiences looking for a thrill ride that is done well but doesn't really do anything spectacular will most likely be satisfied, while the fans who have followed this franchise might see it as overkill.  Place my opinion at the halfway point.  I enjoyed it, even though I was never really wowed by it.  It does come across as sensory overload from time to time, but it at least knows how to keep a sense of humor to itself.  There is a lot more comedy here than in the past two rebooted Trek films, and that is no doubt inspired by British comic Simon Pegg (who returns as Scotty in this film) having the lead screenplay credit.

If the screenplay has kicked the laughs and action up to the next level, than the narrative has more or less been left by the wayside.  Set three years into the Starship Enterprise's five year mission, we find Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) at a crossroads in his life, debating whether he should take a different job within the Federation.  Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) is having similar thoughts of his own.  But then, on what seems to be a routine distress call, the Enterprise is attacked by our alien villain for this installment - a slimy being named Krall (Idris Elba, buried underneath heavy make up), who makes a declaration of war against the Federation by taking out the Enterprise itself with his fleet of ships.  With Kirk and his crew separated and stranded on Krall's hostile planet, they must not only reunite with each other, but also find a new ship so that they can prevent future attacks from Krall's forces.

That's about as deep as Beyond's plot goes, which is a bit disappointing, considering the franchise is known for its themes of strong characters and exploration.  But honestly, the movie blows by so fast, you don't have time to think about how simple and straight forward it is until you're out of the theater.  The first 15 minutes or so are devoted to catching up with the main characters and where they're standing at this point in the story.  After that, the movie pretty much goes into all-out action mode, and never lets up.  There are a couple subplots here and there, such as Scotty befriending an alien warrior woman named Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), who seems to be set up as being a regular character in future movies, but doesn't get to contribute much here, save for one fight scene with a forgettable villain.  But honestly, once the crew of the Enterprise is separated and stranded, character development is the last thing on this movie's mind.

I can say the movie works as in-one-ear-out-the-other entertainment.  I enjoyed it while I was watching it, but felt a little empty afterward.  My memories of the film are fading fast even as I write this.  Beyond doesn't really want to go much further than necessary.  It gives us what we expect, along with some very nice visuals, and that's about as far as it goes.  What it lacks is an interesting villain.  Yes, we are again, faced with another summer blockbuster where the villain is the least interesting part of the film.  I didn't think it was possible for Idris Elba to be forgettable, but here it is.  He's not bad in any way, and he's obviously trying to get a performance out from underneath all those prosthetics, but the script just does not give him a real character to play, and his motivations are not that interesting.  He doesn't get any moment where we truly get to know him or hate him.  He's simply your generic intergalactic bad guy, and for an actor with Elba's expertise, that's a shame.

However, I must admit that if you are looking for simple summer movie thrills, and don't care about a plot or characters, this is not the worst choice out there.  It's certainly better than some of the recent recycled trash we've had lately, like Independence Day: Resurgence.  I just simply am torn on this direction the franchise seems to be taking.  What has always set Star Trek apart is that aside from the space battles and phaser guns, it's always been about discovery and exploring the universe.  I didn't get that sense here.  It's a well done space action movie, but it doesn't have what I usually expect in a film from this series.  I'm all for change, and I understand the need to update and advance with the changing trends and to also bring in younger audiences.  But I also don't want to see this join the countless other special effects spectacles that have nothing to differentiate themselves. 

Movies like this make me glad I don't use a rating system for my reviews, as I wouldn't know how to rate it.  Given the kind of movie the filmmakers have given us, it works, but it also doesn't quite sit right with me fully.  Call me on the fence, or call me conflicted.  All I know is that while I was admiring the movie while I was watching it, I also found myself wishing it would slow down a little.

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