NinaCu

"Writer" David Koepp, apparently imagines that children should learn that adults in positions of wealth and/or power are idiotic fools; or, that the most scary thing in a movie is abject stupidity of the protagonists. This movie is basically the "Five Stooges" on steroids, but without any laughs.

The story presents a team of protagonists as bumbling unprepared incompetents, who willfully dive into one disaster after another. Perhaps this new genre of storytelling appeals to contemporary USA voters who self-sabotagingly elect a leader in a self-evident faustian bargain, based on willful ignorance? If so, then art has fully given way to profiteering and protecting shareholder interests at all costs.

3 Stars are for the usual competent production values from Amblin, that are insufficient to save this movie, which I would have regretted paying to see in a theater.

This is yet another wonderful G-rated home run by Dean Devlin. This incarnation is like a symbiosis of Warehouse 13, Scooby Doo, with a dash of Brimstone. The location in Serbia sets a brilliant atmosphere, not to mention making the show financially viable. The tone is even reflected in the score over credits.

One star is deducted for trying to make the prime librarian -- Vikram Chamberlain -- too humorous and goofy, like it was played by Noah Wyle; and also, for attributing too many different roles which preclude deeper character development for the audience to identify with. It would be better to write and play the character straight -- as self conflicted, torn between two external worlds (past & present fish out of water), and also torn between two inner conflicts (doing the work of Librarian while mostly sacrificing resolution of long lost love) -- analogous to the style in which Tony Shalhoub played multiple dichotomies in MONK. That requires NOT writing the character as everything all at once: plot protagonist, sub-plot antagonist, AND traveler along for the ride (think Michael J. Fox in Back to the Future).

Additionally, the character of Elaine Astolat is the equivalent of Captain Stottlemeyer (or Wharehouse 13's Artie); and, the character of Conner Green is the equivalent of Lieutenant Disher (or Scooby & Shaggy) -- who provides the goofy humor.

I have been a big Trek fan for over half a century, excluding the recent animated works. Section 31 is even worse than the final episode of ST:TOS -- Turnabout Intruder. Of the other movies, Section 31 makes Nemesis seem positively fascinating.

I can only hope that Paramount Global loses so much money on Section 31, that they learn the hard way to stay on the course of traditional Trek ethos. As an executive producer, I suspect that Michelle Yeoh endeavoured to recreate the success of "Everything Everywhere All at Once." However, the reality is that when one tries to do everything everywhere, they usually end up with nothing nowhere.

Consistent with contemporary audio engineers who have apparently fried their ears, the beginning of Section 31 presents yet more "whisper speak" for so much dramatic effect, that the words are sufficiently unintelligible and I had to turn on subtitles. Why even have vocal audio if it is incomprehensible? Just imagine that this review is in 3 point type which requires a magnifying glass to read!

Who is the genius who placed white text over white light -- so that it is as equally illegible as "whisper speak" is unintelligible???

Apparently within the first 10 minutes, the story is so pathetically bad, that all communication must be impaired.

Consistent with impaired communication, the "Mission Impossible" recording was composed for third grade child comprehension. The only thing missing was self erasure in 5 seconds. Perhaps the target audience is third graders who watch cartoons?

Then there is the gratuitous music video, which is as relevant as John Travolta as Santa Claus dancing disco.

Worse is the Leprechaun Vulcan. Guess what? It was not magically delicious. Need I say more?

Next up is the rip from Guardians of the Galaxy. Perhaps all the creative comic book writers have died?

Don't forget the homage to invisible man v. Invisible woman.

Were the writers so bereft of imagination, that one of them resorted to analogizing a magic 8-ball on their desk?

The "story" is so thin, there is nothing to spoil.