Ben Oliver

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Star Trek Beyond

We will find hope in the impossible.
22 July 2016

The latest instalment in the long running sci-fi franchise, taking place in the ‘re-booted’ alternate universe. This time Captain Kirk and his crew answer a distress signal that leads them on a mission into uncharted territory.

Safe to say it’s been a while since I enjoyed a summer blockbuster this much. It’s well made, well cast, well written and most importantly, really fun.

Seasoned Trekkies might not like the extra focus on action scenes (director Justin Lin is well known for his work on the Fast and Furious franchise) and the screenplay does get a little silly, sometimes to the point of distraction. However, there are enough references to the old series to keep people engaged and of course since this is an alternate universe it all sort-of makes sense.

It’s particularly satisfying to see the crew of the Enterprise start to mature. Chris Pine in particular handles the difficult task of making Kirk ‘grow up’ without being too bland. The whole cast manage to convey the feeling that they have gained a lot of experience since we last saw them, and the way they follow Kirk into battle without flinching really gives a sense of them working as one.

If you are going into this cold I would probably recommend at least watching the 2009 film Star Trek just for some background information, but the efforts they have made to make this accessible to all are commendable; this film stands alone and doesn’t suffer for it.

Maybe in the alternate universe the films with odd numbers are the better ones; let’s hope not because I already want to see more.