Netflix Gets The Best Star Trek Movie In Decades

When it was first announced that J.J. Abrams would be directing a Star Trek reboot, most Trekkies broke into two groups. One side saw Abrams’ track record with Lost and Cloverfield and felt optimistic about his ability to bring a breath of fresh air to the franchise.

However, the other side of the Trekkie world viewed Abrams as a style over substance filmmaker who would fail to capture the essence of the original Star Trek franchise.

For any film buff who doesn’t consider themselves a Trekkie, it’s hard to argue that Star Trek (2009) didn’t deliver what it promised for the casual fan.

With Chris Pine stepping into William Shatner’s shoes and putting his own spin on Captain James T. Kirk, the film offered a unique adaptation of the USS Enterprise crew. And with a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, critics were in awe over the movie’s visuals and story.

Due to the success of Star Trek, the film has spawned two sequels, with a third slated to hit theaters in 2025.

However, after the release of Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, Abrams decided to step back from the series to focus on the Star Wars franchise. Justin Lin was then selected as Abrams’ replacement to direct the third entry into the franchise.

Star Trek Beyond follows the crew of the Enterprise in the doldrums of a five-year mission, with Captain Kirk desperate for a change of pace. But the crew are met with a rude awakening when they are ambushed by a brutal force and almost completely destroyed. Captain Kirk faces perhaps his greatest foe yet in Krall (Idris Elba), a ruthless warlord determined to recover an ancient artifact from the Enterprise.

After Captain Kirk and members of his crew become separated on an unknown planet, they must quickly formulate a plan to make it out alive. Meanwhile, a remaining group of the crew remain captive by Krall on the Enterprise. After Krall obtains the ancient artifact, he assembles a powerful bioweapon, which threatens everyone in the universe.

Star Trek Beyond splits up the crew of the Enterprise, pushing them to their brink. However, they must all still work together in order to prevent Krall from ending life as they know it.

As in the previous entries, the performances in Star Trek Beyond are rock solid across the board. Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, and Zoe Saldaña all reprise their roles aboard the Enterprise. Throughout the film, it’s obvious that the cast all have a blast playing their respective roles.

Perhaps nobody enjoyed their time on set more than Elba. While playing a vicious warlord, Elba leaned into his character well. His character’s arc added a level of morality while remaining a fun villain to root against.

GFR SCORE

Star Trek Beyond is an enjoyable adventure that raises the stakes in the Star Trek franchise. The film feels closer to the spirit of the original series than the previous two films. With plenty of action and an intriguing story, this is a film that is worth the stream.