Sunday, August 7, 2016

Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond

Star Trek Beyond is a visual tour de force, and one hell of a sci fi / action movie! The problem I have is Beyond isn't intellectually stimulating (yeah I know that sounds kinda fey) it's almost like Bayformers in space!

The Yorktown Star-base was impressive, it reminded me of 70's artists drawings of what living in space would be like.




But you blink and we're leaving again.....that was the fastest maintenance check I've ever seen!  
I was also impressed by the alien designs in Beyond, since 2009's re boot the films have excelled at alien designs and effects....we've come along way people!   


I love the look of Jaylah but for me she seemed like eye candy. I'm positive she will be a popular cos play design for years to come.The fight scene she had was kinda ridiculous, I guess I'll chock it up to Jaylah was a member of a human martial Arts dojo somewhere....
I think it's a guilty pleasure for fans and writers to see the Enterprise get destroyed, seeing Krall's fleet tear apart the Enterprise was spectacular but hollow at the same time. It seems like 90 percent of the time the Enterprise and it's crew are unstoppable but when you want epic space battles the Enterprise becomes cannon fodder.
This brings me back to my original point this movie is all style and barely any substance, it's all oooh's and aaah's and no hmmm's, the core of this movie is revenge....that's it. And the Abronath bioweapon is the MacGuffin this story revolves around, we get a brief introspect into Kirk's state of mind when we first arrive at the Yorktown Star-base but it's never developed unfortunately.
But we just hop into a rescue mission for an Alien no body knows and zero protocol is involved....okay...
Now lets fast forward to the USS Franklin a pre federation starship that's been marooned on the planet Altamid for over 100 years.....100 years and within the duration of the time the Enterprise crew are on Altamid they're able to get this ship off world!? Holy Fuck Scottie and Jaylah you got serious skills! 
And I love Hikaru's idea to jump start the Franklin.....no not really.




And my biggest issue I have with Star Trek Beyond is how they defeated Krall's drone fleet from attacking the Yorktown star base!!! Using music as a strategic weapon against a superior Alien threat, Hmmmm where have I seen that before???? OH YEAH!



They totally stole the idea from Macross!! I guess Justin Linn is a fan of Decultcha.
And the Beasty Boys?!?! Really? It may have worked in 2009's reboot but this scene made me cringe! 

And the revelation of Krall's identity in the final twenty minutes for those who hadn't figured it out felt almost Scooby Dooish. Hey at least Trekkies got an original villian and story that didn't rely on nostalgia for nostalgia's sake and a weapon that sucks a sun dry without killing every living thing on the weapon.
I have shared my gripes with the movie but the acting is superb all around and the effects, and aliens design are very impressive. I also thought the tribute to Leonard Nimoy at the end, was classy. 
I just prefer TNG Trek better than this action oriented Trek.
So what exactly did we go beyond?
B-

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