Three years into a five year Deep Space mission, and mundanity has set in on board the USS Enterprise. After docking at York Town, Captain Kirk is charged with the mission of rescuing a small team of scientists stranded on a nearby planet, but all is not as it appears to be...
I shall be honest from the outset and admit that the latest installment in the rebooted franchise is undoubtedly the weakest of the three. From the very first scene, which sees Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) negotiating a peace treaty, the script (co-written by Simon Pegg, who also stars) feels unbelievably clunky, without any of the wit and snappy exchanges we have been treated to in the previous two. The banter between Spock and Kirk is all but gone, with only Bones (a scene-stealing Karl Urban) providing the sharp comments and sparky phrases. However, even Bones' role has changed, from cynical wise-cracker to philosophical speaker, telling Spock that 'the fear of death is what keeps us alive' - it all feels very odd. Similarly, there is virtually (if any!) character development, seen most obviously in the two new characters Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), who can be summarised as 'ass-kicking female', and new bad guy Krall (Idris Elba), a good-for-nothing baddie seeking vengeance on the Federation (surprise, surprise!). The other main issue I have with the film, aside from gaping plot holes and a lack lustre script, is the ridiculous use of shaky cam to film the action sequences. In the close combat scenes, the camera dips, rolls and jumps all over the place, making it incredibly difficult to see what is happening on screen. On several occasions, I was even left confused as to which characters I was actually watching. Not only disorientating, the fast-paced movement of the camera ended up leaving me somewhat nauseated.
Despite this, however, I would be wrong to say I hadn't enjoyed the film, at least in places. The large action set pieces look incredible on the big screen, with long shots showing off the scale of the encounters, before close ups prove the intricate detail that went into designing each space craft. Similarly, some of the film sees our heroes divided up into pairings you would not usually expect, with Kirk and Chekov (Anton Yelchin), Bones and Spock, and Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Sulu (John Cho) all fighting separate battles. It's an interesting plot device, and one that works well to mix up the familiar group dynamic. It's fast-paced and action-packed too, with very little talking in between one fight sequence and the next. And that score will always put a smile on my face.
A flimsy, popcorn crowd-pleaser that's perfect for summertime viewing, Star Trek Beyond isn't a bad film, it's just a rather empty, disposable one. Funny in places, and incredibly cinematic in others, it leaves you hoping for another installment with a better script, so you can enjoy the colourful characters in all their glory.
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