Rating of
3.5/4
The Frontier strikes back!
Indyfreak - wrote on 07/29/16
Justin Lin takes the reins of the newer Star Trek movies from J.J. Abrams' hands since the latter has moved on to a different sci-fi film franchise. Wonder which it is? Anyway enough of me being a smartass, Star Trek Beyond is a great sequel and honestly if this was the first movie instead of the third in the new film series, no one would notice. It's a perfect example of a stand-alone sequel that works as a rock-solid science fiction blockbuster.
The difference between Abrams and Lin as far as their directorial style goes is noticeable from the first scene onward but it speaks volumes of Lin's talent that it fits right in with the first two Abrams movies. Justin Lin makes the Star Trek universe bright, colorful and splashy as though someone finally made a 200 million dollar extended episode of the original show.
The cast is excellent with the standouts among the returning actors being Karl Urban and Zachary Quinto as Bones and Spock who develop a nice friendship in the film. Newcomer Sofia Boutella plays a scrappy alien figher as tough as Rey. She's pretty too. Idris Elba is absolutely unrecognizable as the story's tyrannical villain Krall thanks to some good makeup but his snarling voice and menacing glare leaves a memorable impression.
The highlight of Star Trek Beyond is the action and how Justin Lin expertly balances that with both the dramatic heft and comedic bits. Yes the Enterprise is destroyed again in this movie but the movie really grabs hold of you during this intense sequence which feels like the first time it happened in the near forty year franchise. The visuals are imaginative and somewhat silly in the tradition of the original series which I'm sure some might appreciate.
Star Trek Beyond is among the best movies of summer 2016 and I say that as sincerely as possible.
