It’s quite easy to describe the cultural influence of Star Trek on the world. This was a pioneering franchise in the world of science fiction, something that revolutionized how films and shows of this kind were made to look like. Star Trek essentially created the benchmark for modern science fiction and fantasy films, and it did so gloriously. However, in the 2000s, Star Trek seemed to be completely driven out of relevancy.
There was a demand for it by hardcore fans, yet none of them were being heard. As it turns out, it was because J.J. Abrams was working on a reboot of the franchise.
How to Stream or Download Star Trek Beyond
You can stream it or you can download the film from a digital store. Click on the Download button at the end of this review. Check out also our review of Star Trek Into Darkness (2013).
The Movie Review
It’s hard to follow up on Star Trek: Into Darkness, it was one of the most well-made science fiction fantasy films of the 2010s. Though Justin Lin’s Star Trek Beyond does so gracefully, giving us a film that dives headfirst into the psyche of its main characters, rather than the explosive situation they’re in.
The film follows the crew of the USS Enterprise as they are stranded on a remote planet, there they are attacked by a ruthless dictator named Krall. After feeling wronged by the universe, Krall has decided to take his revenge on the federation. Kirk, Spock and the crew must find a way off the remote planet, and figure out a way to stop Krall before he attacks the federation.
Let me just say this outright, Justin Lin has given us some of the best direction in the Star Trek franchise. Star Trek Beyond is paced so incredibly well, each moment is meticulously added into the film to make sure it is relevant to the overall story.
There are genuinely zero filler moments here, even the moments with side characters have some semblance of value for them which develop them in various ways. There is no moment that feels undeserved here, and no motivation is left unexplored.
The main reason why this film was not as popular as Into Darkness was because of the lack of a noticeable villain. This is because Idris Elba’s Krall was in full prosthetics and make-up to make him look truly alien. The way Idris Elba’s character threatens the crew is much different to Benedict Cumberbatch’s Khan, the difference is in their approach.
Khan was a malicious character, lying and cheating his way onto the ship. Krall is very direct, no lying, no deceiving, just pure terror. Idris Elba’s hyper emotional performance here really sells the character.
The rest of the cast is just as good as they were in the original films. Chris Pine’s James T. Kirk is actual perfection in terms of casting.
Zachary Quinto’s rendition of Spock turns to be as fun to watch as always, Simon Pegg as Scotty is a romp, Karl Urban as Bones is a fantastic addition to the plot meanwhile John Cho’s Sulu and Anton Yelchin’s Chekov are absolutely perfect the way they were in the original films.
Visuals
Visually speaking, this film definitely does use more CGI than the previous two. It is set on an alien planet after all, though that CGI is quite visible at times. Cinematography though, is actually quite well done. The film has a penchant for being well shot despite being mostly VFX work and a few camera tricks. We have cinematographer Stephen F. Windon to thank for that!
Music
Michael Giacchino’s music is an aspect of this trilogy that is quite overlooked. The soundtrack is what truly makes you dive into the world of Star Trek. There’s just something hypnotizing about the soundtrack in Star Trek Beyond, and it’s truly some of the most captivating music in a Star Trek film to date.
The Bottom Line
In conclusion, Star Trek Beyond might be a much more contained story than its predecessors Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness. However, that does not exclude it from being just as important, gut-wrenching and genuinely heart touching story.
This one relies heavily on its characters, Krall in particular is a show-stealer, and Kirk’s arc here is more beautiful than ever before. This is a film worthy of everyone’s time.
