Film review: Stark Trek Beyond (12A)

It’s fair to say that the new Star Trek films have endured something of a mixed reception from both fans and newbies in recent years.

Be it meddling with much loved characters or not living up to the general high standards of the hordes of ‘Trekkies’ out there, director JJ Abrams certainly didn’t nail the first two films in his re-boot of the franchise (unlike, it must be said, Star Wars – which he got bang on).

That being said, I very much enjoyed both 2009’s Stark Trek and 2013’s Into Darkness. The casting choices looked solid and the action was relentless – something I look for in the crowded sci-fi genre.

It’d be remiss not to mention the fans’ fury, however, with Into Darkness especially alienating a lot of die-hard Trekkies.

With that in mind, Beyond always looked like being a big episode for the re-boot. With Abrams acting as producer this time around, director Justin Lin (The Fast & The Furious) was always likely to bring the action – and boy does he deliver.

We find the crew of the USS Enterprise – including Chris Pine as Captain James Kirk, Zachary Quinto as Spock, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as Bones and Zoe Saldana as Uhura – three years into a mammoth five-year stint in deep, uncharted space.

While the legendary team are now a much more cohesive unit, Kirk is seemingly at a crossroads in his captaincy – and has his eyes on the role of Vice Admiral of Yorktown, a huge city/base built by the Federation.

Spock is also struggling with his role on the Enterprise, something that has led to the (amicable) breakdown of his relationship with Uhura.

But those issues go out of the window when the Enterprise is tasked with leading a rescue mission in a nearby nebula.

I’ll not spoil what happens next, but it’s fair to say that the crew face their biggest test to date in the form of Idris Elba’s Krall and his people.

It must be said that the initial confrontation between the two forces is as good as you’ll see (action-wise) in any film of any genre.

It’s simply breathtaking stuff and beautifully realised on the big screen.

The action spreads to an uncharted planet with the team split up into unlikely combinations (I particularly enjoyed Spock and Bones as a pair). There’s also a great new character in the form of Jaylah (Sofia Boutella – Kingsman), proving that this rebooted series can bring fresh stuff to the table.

Throw in a great climactic battle (including brilliant use of a Beastie Boys track) and you’ve got all of the vital ingredients for a top Star Trek offering.

I’ll go out on a limb and say that Beyond succeeds in finding the sweet spot between staying true to the series’ roots and breaking new ground.

The cast, led expertly by the impressive Pine, now seem very comfortable in their roles.

Pegg and Urban get plenty more screen time and revel in it, while John Cho’s Sulu and the late Anton Yelchin as Chekov are also well used.

As for Elba’s villain, the Luther star is almost unrecognisable as Krall – a character that has a pretty dark end-game up his sleeve.

Perhaps his motives could have been better explained, but Elba’s performance is (as ever) bang on.

I’d have to say that Beyond is the best of the new Star Trek films to date.

If you’re a fan of the series, or indeed just action films in general, this is one you must see at the cinema.

Voice Verdict: 8.5/10 (reviewed at Boston’s West End Cinema)
+ Incredible action scenes
+ Strong performances across the board
– Krall not that well explored

SHOWTIMES
Boston’s West End Cinema (Fri, July 29 to Thurs, Aug 4)

**FINDING DORY 2D (U)
10am (daily), 3pm (daily), 8pm (daily)

**FINDING DORY 3D (U)
12.30pm (daily), 5.30pm (daily)

**JASON BOURNE (12A)
10am (not Wed), 12.40pm (daily), 3.20pm (daily), 6pm (daily), 8.40pm (daily)

**STAR TREK: BEYOND 2D (12A)
Noon (daily), 3pm (daily), 5.40pm (not Tues)

**STAR TREK: BEYOND 3D (12A)
8pm (daily)

**THE BFG 2D (PG)
10am (daily), 2.50pm (daily), 8.20pm (daily)

THE BFG 3D (PG)
12.10pm (not Wed), 5.30pm (daily)

GHOSTBUSTERS 2D
(12A) 6.20pm (daily), 8.45pm (daily)

SECRET LIFE OF PETS (U)
2.25pm (daily), 4.25pm (daily)

ICE AGE 5: COLLISION COURSE (U)
10am (not Sat), 12.20pm (not Wed)

KIDS’ CLUB
Fri-Thurs 10.15am – Angry Birds (U)

SILVER SCREEN
Wed 11.30 – The Legend of Tarzan (12A)

LIVE EVENT
Sat 2.30pm – World Cup Live

**FREE LIST SUSPENDED