Star Trek: Beyound (2016)

The third entry in J.J. Abrams reboot of the Star Trek franchise may well be the film in which this new series comes into its own, and as much as I like Abrams part of the reason for that is because he didn't direct it, Abrams tends to be too loyal to source material sometimes i.e.Star Wars Episode VII. Star Trek: Beyond while produced by Abrams is instead directed by Justin Lin, best known for directing four of The Fast and the Furious movies. There is an expected kinetic energy to the film, which the previous two films had in parts, but this movie also feels loser, freer then the others, more like the original Star Trek TV series then the movies (though honestly part of that is do to the bright color scheme of much of the film). That is not to say that the film doesn't include a heavy dose of Abramsesique homage, there are scenes or story elements taken directly from Star Trek's II, III, IV, V and surprisingly Insurrection. Also there are plot elements that tie the story into the era depicted in the prequel series Enterprise. The story itself though is a new one, not a lose remake, and is better because of it. The stakes also feel refreshingly refrained, the Earth doesn't have to be in immediate peril in all of these movies.

To me the most enjoyable scenes in the film are when the crew is split up into small groups while stranded on the planet after the destruction of the Enterprise, which is not a spoiler as it is highlighted in the movies trailer. Spock and McCoy stuck together and good naturedly sparing, one of the more fondly remembered dynamics of the original series is highlighted here, and I liked Scotty's scenes with the new alien character Jaylah. The climax is also good, with some nifty visuals, and the villain of the piece, played by Idris Elba, is also quite good, which is not always the case with Star Trek villains. This is a fun and good looking movie which I would recommend seeing on the big screen, as well as the entry in this reboot I think most likely to be well received by hard core Star Trek fans and the general public alike. ***