Director: Justin Lin
Story By: Gene Roddenberry
Screenplay: Simon Pegs, Doug Jung.
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba; Sofia Boutella.
There’s always a moral to a Star Trek story, and this time in, Star Trek Beyond, Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is having a midlife crisis.
He’s been lost in space for too long and doesn’t know what he wants anymore. He’s made the memory of his father proud; he’s the captain of the Enterprise. But where do the steps towards his father end? And where does Kirk begin?
That’s what I like about the Star Trek franchise. I like the characters and seeing how they deal with their struggles in life.
Interesting that Beyond is the third in the trilogy of the Re-boot series (the 13th Star Trek film) now coming to maturity, just like Capt. Kirk.
As always, there’s the difference in characters’ personality and culture. I love Scotty the Scotsman and am really getting into the reluctant Dr. ‘Bones’ McCoy (Karl Urban), the southern doctor. And not just because he’s handsome, Bones makes me laugh.
And there’s always the running theme of unity, which is mostly what the Star Trek films are about. The difference of the crew members and the strength of working together.
So yes, there’s a formula in the writing here, in the themes written for Star Trek, but that’s why we dig it, yeah?
What was new is the addition of the character, Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) who looks to be a permanent fixture in future films.
And the visual effects just keep getting better with each Star Trek adventure. See Ian Failes article for Inverse here: how-star-trek-changed-visual-effects-history.
Director Justin Lin has brought Peter Chiang on board to take a more scientific approach to the visual effects. The realistic VFX (visual effects created by processes in which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot) go beyond (ha, ha) all expectation.
There are some amazing perspectives here that on the big screen kicked in my vertigo, so yeah, the visual effects are amazing.
I have to mention the sadness felt when realising I’ll never see Anton Yelchin as Chekov again. See article about his passing here. I’ll miss the innocence (although not as innocent with the ladies in, Beyond) and the genius Anton managed to give to the character, Chekov…
A few asides from crusty Bones, tracks to get the blood pumping and the feeling of being on a roller coaster, Star Trek Beyond adds up to a well-packaged, entertaining film.