913 reviews
After the noisy and irretrievably stupid (though reasonably entertaining) Into Darkness, I wasn't desperate to watch this one, but when I finally did I was relieved to discover that it was even more enjoyable than the first film in the reboot, a rollicking adventure with terrific alien weapons, fun McCoy/Spock repartee, a promising newcomer alien, and a lot of really excellent action scenes.
The movie had almost all the qualities of the original series except one - the thinking part. The smartest thing in the movie is the funny opening scene, which suggests the difficulty of communication between different cultures.
But that's the last thing in the movie that suggests even a moment of thought. The main villain has very little in the way of motivation, and when he explains his purpose it's quite disappointing. Nothing in this movie is there to provoke thought, and I'm not entirely convinced that anything in the movie really makes sense, although there's nothing at the time that hit me as too absurd to live with (unlike the previous movie).
If you expect this movie, like the series, to explore racism and war culture, well, you're not going to be happy. But if you just want some old-fashioned action with some familiar characters, this totally hits the spot.
The movie had almost all the qualities of the original series except one - the thinking part. The smartest thing in the movie is the funny opening scene, which suggests the difficulty of communication between different cultures.
But that's the last thing in the movie that suggests even a moment of thought. The main villain has very little in the way of motivation, and when he explains his purpose it's quite disappointing. Nothing in this movie is there to provoke thought, and I'm not entirely convinced that anything in the movie really makes sense, although there's nothing at the time that hit me as too absurd to live with (unlike the previous movie).
If you expect this movie, like the series, to explore racism and war culture, well, you're not going to be happy. But if you just want some old-fashioned action with some familiar characters, this totally hits the spot.
- planktonrules
- Jul 21, 2016
- Permalink
- amaskedman
- Jul 24, 2016
- Permalink
With two great movies under it's belt, the latest installment in the Star Trek reboot has some big boots to fill. I was skeptic when I heart J.J. Abrams was not directing it and the writing was done by Simon Pegg and Doug Jong. Fortunately, it turned out to be a solid trek film.
Star Trek Beyond begins with the Enterprise and it's crew on a five year research mission in uncharted space which was assigned to them at the end of the previous movie. Kirk is struggling staying focused as captain of a starship and he is doubting himself if this is the life he wants to live. The Enterprise takes a break from exploring in a massive star base called Yorktown. The star base receives a distress call from an alien woman who lost it's crew on a distant planet. Of course the Enterprise is the best ship to help the alien woman and search for the crew. But this search and rescue mission turns very ugly when they encounter one of the most ruthless villains who's hatred of the Federation puts the whole enterprise crew to the test.
I think they did a marvelous job again and made a Star Trek movie just as great as the previous two installments. The villain was not as interesting as Kahn but the movie makes up for it by focusing on the characters. The story lays more focus on new development like the bond that grows between Bones and Spock and the new female alien character Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, who did a marvelous job) which Scotty encounters. The third act of the movie is the best (with an excellent soundtrack, Beastie Boys and Star Trek mixes very well!) and they once again pull out all the stops with visual and sound effects.
The only caveat I have with this film is the slow start and the main plot being a bit simplistic. Sometimes it feels just like a regular Star Trek episode, but then again that is also one of it's strengths.
So definitely check this one out if you liked the previous two Star Trek films, it's a solid and very entertaining journey.
Star Trek Beyond begins with the Enterprise and it's crew on a five year research mission in uncharted space which was assigned to them at the end of the previous movie. Kirk is struggling staying focused as captain of a starship and he is doubting himself if this is the life he wants to live. The Enterprise takes a break from exploring in a massive star base called Yorktown. The star base receives a distress call from an alien woman who lost it's crew on a distant planet. Of course the Enterprise is the best ship to help the alien woman and search for the crew. But this search and rescue mission turns very ugly when they encounter one of the most ruthless villains who's hatred of the Federation puts the whole enterprise crew to the test.
I think they did a marvelous job again and made a Star Trek movie just as great as the previous two installments. The villain was not as interesting as Kahn but the movie makes up for it by focusing on the characters. The story lays more focus on new development like the bond that grows between Bones and Spock and the new female alien character Jaylah (Sofia Boutella, who did a marvelous job) which Scotty encounters. The third act of the movie is the best (with an excellent soundtrack, Beastie Boys and Star Trek mixes very well!) and they once again pull out all the stops with visual and sound effects.
The only caveat I have with this film is the slow start and the main plot being a bit simplistic. Sometimes it feels just like a regular Star Trek episode, but then again that is also one of it's strengths.
So definitely check this one out if you liked the previous two Star Trek films, it's a solid and very entertaining journey.
- Marthian80
- Oct 26, 2016
- Permalink
OK, so I'm a Star Trek fan being old enough to have watched the original series BEFORE it was in re-runs! But Star Trek Beyond just plain disappoints. It's not terrible
but it's not great either.
It's Star Date 2263.2 and Kirk (Chris Pine) is into the third year of their "5 year mission" (which seems to somehow throw away a lot of potential sequel opportunities already doesn't it?). Less buoyant and confident than he used to be, Kirk is feeling a little emotionally 'Lost in Space': after all, as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy put it "Space is big REALLY big". Spock (Zachary Quinto) also receives some news of a personal nature that unsettles him. They are both in need of a vacation, and Starbase Yorktown (queue some spectacular special effects and an operatic Michael Giacchino track) appears to be able to offer them that. The crew disperse for a bit of R and R: Sulu (John Cho) goes off to spend time with his family (after the big internet furore, the gay aspect of this is very subtle); Kirk gets career advice from the Admiral; and Spock and Uhuru (Zoe Saldana) go their separate ways since – like Ross and Rachael – they are "on a break".
The reverie is rudely interrupted by the arrival of a frantic alien called Kalara (Lydia Wilson) from the other side of a dense nebula. She needs help to rescue her crew, stranded on a planet there. Kirk's rescue mission however goes far from to-plan, and he and his crew are caught in the clutches of the warlord Krall (Idris Elba).
What's nice about this film is that the core crew of Kirk, Spock, Uhuru, Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu and Chekov (the tragically departed Anton Yelchin) gel together really nicely as an ensemble cast. The traditional by-play between the characters feels unforced, comedic and provides a warmth at the heart of the film. There is also a touching tribute to Leonard Nimoy, who died while the film was in pre-production, woven into the story of which I'm sure he would have approved.
Supporting the crew as a potential new character is the strikingly attractive and kick-ass Jaylah played by Sofia Boutella (the evil amputee Gazelle from "Kingsman").
There's also some fine and innovative alien technology on display with the 'swarm-like' alien fleet harking back (in an expanded scale) to the invulnerability of the nanites from an original episode.
Unfortunately, all of these positives are severely offset by a largely planet-bound Simon Pegg and Doug Jung story (didn't the woeful "Insurrection" teach writers that this tends not to be a good idea?) and action sequences that are so manically fast-moving that it is almost impossible to keep track of what exactly is happening. (Perversely, this is a film that might actually make more sense on the small screen than the big one, which is just BAD CINEMA!). There was even one point in a final fight scene where I seriously feared Kirk and Krall might have a 'sharing of mother's names' moment (if you know what I mean) but fortunately this script apocalypse is avoided.
At the conclusion the story actually makes no sense to me at all: without spoilers, it is difficult to discern exactly what the motivations of Krall actually were. Throw in a graphic in the final reel that looks like Krall is attacking the Death Star (no, seriously – watch for it!) and the concoction just doesn't hang together very well. I know Simon Pegg and director Justin ("Fast and Furious") Lin are huge Trekkers, but – sorry guys – this was a C- for me.
It's a mildly diverting popcorn movie, but with (for me at least) yet another disappointing film, its getting to the point where the best 'summer blockbuster' is likely to be Deadpool and that was released in February!
(Please visit http://bob-the-movie-man.com for the graphical version of this review. You can enter your email address there to automatically receive my future reviews. Thanks).
It's Star Date 2263.2 and Kirk (Chris Pine) is into the third year of their "5 year mission" (which seems to somehow throw away a lot of potential sequel opportunities already doesn't it?). Less buoyant and confident than he used to be, Kirk is feeling a little emotionally 'Lost in Space': after all, as the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy put it "Space is big REALLY big". Spock (Zachary Quinto) also receives some news of a personal nature that unsettles him. They are both in need of a vacation, and Starbase Yorktown (queue some spectacular special effects and an operatic Michael Giacchino track) appears to be able to offer them that. The crew disperse for a bit of R and R: Sulu (John Cho) goes off to spend time with his family (after the big internet furore, the gay aspect of this is very subtle); Kirk gets career advice from the Admiral; and Spock and Uhuru (Zoe Saldana) go their separate ways since – like Ross and Rachael – they are "on a break".
The reverie is rudely interrupted by the arrival of a frantic alien called Kalara (Lydia Wilson) from the other side of a dense nebula. She needs help to rescue her crew, stranded on a planet there. Kirk's rescue mission however goes far from to-plan, and he and his crew are caught in the clutches of the warlord Krall (Idris Elba).
What's nice about this film is that the core crew of Kirk, Spock, Uhuru, Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Sulu and Chekov (the tragically departed Anton Yelchin) gel together really nicely as an ensemble cast. The traditional by-play between the characters feels unforced, comedic and provides a warmth at the heart of the film. There is also a touching tribute to Leonard Nimoy, who died while the film was in pre-production, woven into the story of which I'm sure he would have approved.
Supporting the crew as a potential new character is the strikingly attractive and kick-ass Jaylah played by Sofia Boutella (the evil amputee Gazelle from "Kingsman").
There's also some fine and innovative alien technology on display with the 'swarm-like' alien fleet harking back (in an expanded scale) to the invulnerability of the nanites from an original episode.
Unfortunately, all of these positives are severely offset by a largely planet-bound Simon Pegg and Doug Jung story (didn't the woeful "Insurrection" teach writers that this tends not to be a good idea?) and action sequences that are so manically fast-moving that it is almost impossible to keep track of what exactly is happening. (Perversely, this is a film that might actually make more sense on the small screen than the big one, which is just BAD CINEMA!). There was even one point in a final fight scene where I seriously feared Kirk and Krall might have a 'sharing of mother's names' moment (if you know what I mean) but fortunately this script apocalypse is avoided.
At the conclusion the story actually makes no sense to me at all: without spoilers, it is difficult to discern exactly what the motivations of Krall actually were. Throw in a graphic in the final reel that looks like Krall is attacking the Death Star (no, seriously – watch for it!) and the concoction just doesn't hang together very well. I know Simon Pegg and director Justin ("Fast and Furious") Lin are huge Trekkers, but – sorry guys – this was a C- for me.
It's a mildly diverting popcorn movie, but with (for me at least) yet another disappointing film, its getting to the point where the best 'summer blockbuster' is likely to be Deadpool and that was released in February!
(Please visit http://bob-the-movie-man.com for the graphical version of this review. You can enter your email address there to automatically receive my future reviews. Thanks).
- bob-the-movie-man
- Jul 30, 2016
- Permalink
- HealthyLove
- Jul 24, 2016
- Permalink
If you want a movie that has a lot of action, fighting and graphics, this is the movie for you. If you want a well developed plot and good acting, it just doesn't deliver. The acting is uneven. The Spock character seems to do the best job and is believable. Some of the others seem like they are at times still reading from the script. The old original Star Trek movies had well defined relationship stories in them but in this, it seems like the characters are secondary to the graphic presentations and fighting scenes. I would even say they don't click together like the original cast. So, to me it was entertaining to a certain extent, but disappointing in that the plot was not as developed as it could have been. The actress who played the "helper" in the end did seem to be very strong and believable.
- sunbreak7-1
- Aug 24, 2016
- Permalink
This ain't your daddy's Star Trek (and the 3D is so unnecessary that it is NOT worth the extra cost):
(1) The plot is close to incomprehensible (2) The directing is mediocre (okay, that is a characteristic in common with the original series) (3) The audience manipulation is palpable (4) The action is overblown (5) And did I mention the plot is close to incomprehensible?
Don't get me wrong. The film is generally fun. But it lacked the heart and soul present in all five television series (ain't counting no cartoons). The "Spock Prime" character is about as confusing as it gets. And while the homages to Leonard Nimoy were touching, they were a bit heavy handed.
But worst of all was the loss of any subtlety and heart. This reboot increasing seems to be solely about the money.
And the negative reaction to Zulu being gay -- which was handled with taste and, unlike the rest of the film, subtlety -- was just plain crazy. I would think that fans would have been a lot more upset about the Uhura-Spock romantic relationship given the nature of Vulcans, even half-human, half-Vulcan ones -- now that's moving away from the Roddenberry playbook far more than making Zulu gay.
All in all, Star Trek Beyond is a pleasant, but not very satisfying addition to the Star Trek compendium.
(1) The plot is close to incomprehensible (2) The directing is mediocre (okay, that is a characteristic in common with the original series) (3) The audience manipulation is palpable (4) The action is overblown (5) And did I mention the plot is close to incomprehensible?
Don't get me wrong. The film is generally fun. But it lacked the heart and soul present in all five television series (ain't counting no cartoons). The "Spock Prime" character is about as confusing as it gets. And while the homages to Leonard Nimoy were touching, they were a bit heavy handed.
But worst of all was the loss of any subtlety and heart. This reboot increasing seems to be solely about the money.
And the negative reaction to Zulu being gay -- which was handled with taste and, unlike the rest of the film, subtlety -- was just plain crazy. I would think that fans would have been a lot more upset about the Uhura-Spock romantic relationship given the nature of Vulcans, even half-human, half-Vulcan ones -- now that's moving away from the Roddenberry playbook far more than making Zulu gay.
All in all, Star Trek Beyond is a pleasant, but not very satisfying addition to the Star Trek compendium.
- claudio_carvalho
- Oct 2, 2016
- Permalink
Boldly going where no man (or woman or non-bianry) has gone before, climb aboard the Enterprise and let it fly and soar, as old friends gather, reunite, off to battle and to fight, strange new worlds, civilisations to explore.
There's a square Pegg in a large round hole, without any passion or any vision and without soul, a ridiculous accent, leaving nothing but lament, a veritable irritant, annoyance and own goal.
That aside, failing to build on the previous epic and nowhere near as enjoyable.
There's a square Pegg in a large round hole, without any passion or any vision and without soul, a ridiculous accent, leaving nothing but lament, a veritable irritant, annoyance and own goal.
That aside, failing to build on the previous epic and nowhere near as enjoyable.
*At first i have to apologize: Sorry for the bad English, I am not a native speaker.*
I am a big fan of the Star Trek Series and when I was young I loved the old series and movies. When in 2009 the first "new" Star Trek movie arrived I was excited about the good cast and the intelligent Plot. The second one doesn't have this tricky intelligent story the first film has, but was also a good movie. The Third one with the sub title "Beyond" is unfortunately more like the second movie, but pro's first and here we go. Star Trek Beyond from director Justin Lin, who is known for Fast and Furious, bring some good action on the big screen. In "loud" moments Lin is in his element. Lin knows how to make some good dynamic action scenes. My personal Highlight is the Enterprise fighting scene with Beastie Boys – Sabotage underlaid. This part of the movie is very entertaining and in these points the movie has his great strength. Also so the Cast is very lovely and with Sofia Boutella as Jaylah there is another coherent likable character. The whole cast perfectly matched and I hope to see all of these guys back in Star Trek 4 (a silent minute for Anton Yelchin, Rest in Piece!). So the action is strong, the cast is strong, whats wrong with the movie? Why it is not a 10/10 for me? So I think the story is the first problem for me. I can't help me, but the whole story is for me more a reason to go beyond different places, then a real continuation of the Star Trek saga. The hole film feels like a episode of the series but in a negative way. There is a bad guy who is bad and good guys who are good. Lin just manages not quite the whole to give it more depth and make the plot more interesting. I don't want to Spoil anybody, but the motivation of the antagonist is not very resourceful in my opinion. We all know why Captain Kirk and his crew do what they do, but there enemy is a little bit "flat". Maybe I don't get it right now or doesn't understand the big point and when I see this movie a second time I will find it, but for now Beyond has the weakest Plot. The second Point is very subjective, but for me the tracking shots were a bit to fast so that the motion blur make some whole scene not pleasant. Maybe the 3D supports this effect, but the many "moving the camera" in a circle about objects and characters were a bit too much. I never become Motion sick in any Movie. I saw the movie "Hardcore Henry" without motion sickness, but in Beyond there were some moments I have to close my eyes. With 48 frames per second I think this problem would be fixed, but with cinematic 24 frames a second it was not perfect in my opinion. Otherwise you become a typical Star Trek movie and it is fun to watch it. I think it is a Cinema Cinema Film, so watch it on the Big screen with good sound. So guys please don't hate me, but in my opinion this is the weakest one of all 3 Movies. Please don't get me wrong. "Beyond" is not a bad movie, but it stands like "into darkness" in the shadow of the brilliant first "new" Star Trek movie. So the "genre-rating" for fans is around 8. For everybody else it is a solid 7 out of 10.
I am a big fan of the Star Trek Series and when I was young I loved the old series and movies. When in 2009 the first "new" Star Trek movie arrived I was excited about the good cast and the intelligent Plot. The second one doesn't have this tricky intelligent story the first film has, but was also a good movie. The Third one with the sub title "Beyond" is unfortunately more like the second movie, but pro's first and here we go. Star Trek Beyond from director Justin Lin, who is known for Fast and Furious, bring some good action on the big screen. In "loud" moments Lin is in his element. Lin knows how to make some good dynamic action scenes. My personal Highlight is the Enterprise fighting scene with Beastie Boys – Sabotage underlaid. This part of the movie is very entertaining and in these points the movie has his great strength. Also so the Cast is very lovely and with Sofia Boutella as Jaylah there is another coherent likable character. The whole cast perfectly matched and I hope to see all of these guys back in Star Trek 4 (a silent minute for Anton Yelchin, Rest in Piece!). So the action is strong, the cast is strong, whats wrong with the movie? Why it is not a 10/10 for me? So I think the story is the first problem for me. I can't help me, but the whole story is for me more a reason to go beyond different places, then a real continuation of the Star Trek saga. The hole film feels like a episode of the series but in a negative way. There is a bad guy who is bad and good guys who are good. Lin just manages not quite the whole to give it more depth and make the plot more interesting. I don't want to Spoil anybody, but the motivation of the antagonist is not very resourceful in my opinion. We all know why Captain Kirk and his crew do what they do, but there enemy is a little bit "flat". Maybe I don't get it right now or doesn't understand the big point and when I see this movie a second time I will find it, but for now Beyond has the weakest Plot. The second Point is very subjective, but for me the tracking shots were a bit to fast so that the motion blur make some whole scene not pleasant. Maybe the 3D supports this effect, but the many "moving the camera" in a circle about objects and characters were a bit too much. I never become Motion sick in any Movie. I saw the movie "Hardcore Henry" without motion sickness, but in Beyond there were some moments I have to close my eyes. With 48 frames per second I think this problem would be fixed, but with cinematic 24 frames a second it was not perfect in my opinion. Otherwise you become a typical Star Trek movie and it is fun to watch it. I think it is a Cinema Cinema Film, so watch it on the Big screen with good sound. So guys please don't hate me, but in my opinion this is the weakest one of all 3 Movies. Please don't get me wrong. "Beyond" is not a bad movie, but it stands like "into darkness" in the shadow of the brilliant first "new" Star Trek movie. So the "genre-rating" for fans is around 8. For everybody else it is a solid 7 out of 10.
I am a trekkie who has watched everything Star Trek related from the past 50 years including every film and TV show. Although I've enjoyed the rebooted films, they never quite had the same magic as the originals. Until Star Trek Beyond, that is! Star Trek Beyond is the third installment in what is being called the "Kelvin timeline" of Star Trek with the rebooted universe of Kirk's storyline. Compared to Star Trek 2009 and "Into Darkness", this film felt astronomically more like a Star Trek film. I was absolutely blown away; what I thought was going to be a mindless, action-oriented Star Trek movie, was actually a brilliantly written and directed Star Trek film that felt more than fitting in the Star Trek universe.
The spoiler-free storyline; the Enterprise is sent to investigate the disappearance of an alien race's crew in a nebula. The Enterprise (per the trailers...) ends up getting destroyed and the crew held hostage on an alien world that is used as a "booby trap" for countless other species that have also been tricked into exploring the nebula in one way or another. Throughout the story, we are not only introduced to new alien races, but also are introduced to past elements of Star Trek, included a desolate/abandoned NX-class starship! This film pays enormous tribute to not only "Star Trek Enterprise" and it's story-arch, but other Star Trek films/shows as well. For the die- hard trekkies, there is plenty to think and talk about after seeing the movie, as there are tons of references and connections made to the rest of the Star Trek universe (including ancestors of Star Trek characters seen in later series...).
Furthermore, the movies makes a touching tribute to the death of Leonard Nimoy, by announcing the death of Spock Prime. It was done in a very tasteful and respectful way, and I believe most trekkies and die-hard fans would agree that it was only fitting to announce the death of his character in the film. Simon Pegg and the new director did a phenomenal job on this film. It felt so much more like a Star Trek film, at least to me, than the previous ones. The storyline was much more original than the retelling of the "wrath of Khan" events. Chris Pine is also really starting to hone-in on his role of Captain Kirk. Not only was the acting better, but the script this time around made him much more into the masterful Captain Kirk we grew up with in TOS and less of a party-boy.
Overall, Star Trek Beyond fantastic Star Trek film. I can't believe I am endorsing and praising it as much as I am, but in my opinion, they got it right this time. After seeing this, I am starting to have more faith/confidence in the new cast continuing the Star Trek legacy and I look forward to the new films that come out in the series. If you're an old-school fan, give this one a try. It's a fun adventure and feels appropriate in the Star Trek universe.
The spoiler-free storyline; the Enterprise is sent to investigate the disappearance of an alien race's crew in a nebula. The Enterprise (per the trailers...) ends up getting destroyed and the crew held hostage on an alien world that is used as a "booby trap" for countless other species that have also been tricked into exploring the nebula in one way or another. Throughout the story, we are not only introduced to new alien races, but also are introduced to past elements of Star Trek, included a desolate/abandoned NX-class starship! This film pays enormous tribute to not only "Star Trek Enterprise" and it's story-arch, but other Star Trek films/shows as well. For the die- hard trekkies, there is plenty to think and talk about after seeing the movie, as there are tons of references and connections made to the rest of the Star Trek universe (including ancestors of Star Trek characters seen in later series...).
Furthermore, the movies makes a touching tribute to the death of Leonard Nimoy, by announcing the death of Spock Prime. It was done in a very tasteful and respectful way, and I believe most trekkies and die-hard fans would agree that it was only fitting to announce the death of his character in the film. Simon Pegg and the new director did a phenomenal job on this film. It felt so much more like a Star Trek film, at least to me, than the previous ones. The storyline was much more original than the retelling of the "wrath of Khan" events. Chris Pine is also really starting to hone-in on his role of Captain Kirk. Not only was the acting better, but the script this time around made him much more into the masterful Captain Kirk we grew up with in TOS and less of a party-boy.
Overall, Star Trek Beyond fantastic Star Trek film. I can't believe I am endorsing and praising it as much as I am, but in my opinion, they got it right this time. After seeing this, I am starting to have more faith/confidence in the new cast continuing the Star Trek legacy and I look forward to the new films that come out in the series. If you're an old-school fan, give this one a try. It's a fun adventure and feels appropriate in the Star Trek universe.
- sedativchunk
- Jul 21, 2016
- Permalink
Add to the list of clichés destroying whichever Enterprise is the latest one. Each death of the ship is more realistic and detailed, and in this newest Enterprise we learn the the ship is made of about 1/2 escape pods.
It's stuff like that and transporting people jumping off of flying motorcycles, and the slapstick humor that passes for a plot that forces me to give this movie a 4/10.
It was watchable, but where the last movies were bright white on the deck the whole interior of this Enterprise was dark and gloomy.
My problem, and it really is my problem because it is plain that someone is liking these new movies, is that I want my science fiction to be science fiction, and Star Trek and Star Wars are both really SF fantasy. There is no real element of science fiction except that these stories take place in space, which, believe it or not, is not really a prerequisite for science fiction.
Science fiction should be about challenging the imagination and provoking new ideas, but Star Trek now leaves nothing to the imagination and makes it impossible to think.
It is sad. I keep going to see these movies, but the ultimately disappoint me, thought the pace gets faster and faster and the effects do get better. It is just not what I am looking for in a Star Trek movie, nor what I think you should be looking for. I just don't mind me or you looking at a little eye candy now and then since there is such a small amount of real science fiction.
It's stuff like that and transporting people jumping off of flying motorcycles, and the slapstick humor that passes for a plot that forces me to give this movie a 4/10.
It was watchable, but where the last movies were bright white on the deck the whole interior of this Enterprise was dark and gloomy.
My problem, and it really is my problem because it is plain that someone is liking these new movies, is that I want my science fiction to be science fiction, and Star Trek and Star Wars are both really SF fantasy. There is no real element of science fiction except that these stories take place in space, which, believe it or not, is not really a prerequisite for science fiction.
Science fiction should be about challenging the imagination and provoking new ideas, but Star Trek now leaves nothing to the imagination and makes it impossible to think.
It is sad. I keep going to see these movies, but the ultimately disappoint me, thought the pace gets faster and faster and the effects do get better. It is just not what I am looking for in a Star Trek movie, nor what I think you should be looking for. I just don't mind me or you looking at a little eye candy now and then since there is such a small amount of real science fiction.
The Good: Visuals were nice and the CGI were top notch. The Bad: The story, the plot holes, the forced acting of dumb lines and the amount of times I rolled my eyes, epic. The Ugly: The entire story was just ugly, void of making a bit of sense or enough back story on the villain to understand his motivation. His entire short back story felt contrived. There were way too many "lucky" unexplained coincidences and plot holes. It was like the writes wanted to show off CGI and cool special effects and threw a bunch of stuff together to force a story instead of writing a good story first. I was a kid when the first Star Trek came out and was/am a huge fan, but I would rather re-watch the Star Trek movie about saving the whales than re-watch this abomination again. So glad I did not spend a penny to see it...
- davemfawcett
- Dec 18, 2016
- Permalink
- jrarichards
- Aug 17, 2016
- Permalink
- awpkiller2
- Jul 19, 2016
- Permalink
Before I write a review I like to browse through the other comments posted first. To surmise, many have got it quite right, this is not the best Star Trek movie, but it is a good one. The story is reasonable, although there are plenty of plot holes that you have to overlook and not delve into them too deeply. I also think that the size of that deep space station is just OTT even for that century, it is far too advanced! Anyway, get over the minor flaws and you will begin to notice that they are starting to focus more on character development and interaction of the personalities within the crew. It is what real fans enjoy the most, including the odd bit of humour.
As for the highly negative reviews on here, please start to put your rankings in perspective, this is by no means a shocking movie and definitely is fit to join the Star Trek Universe. It really winds me up when people rank this movie in the same breath as some of the real shockers we have seen in the last few years!
As for the highly negative reviews on here, please start to put your rankings in perspective, this is by no means a shocking movie and definitely is fit to join the Star Trek Universe. It really winds me up when people rank this movie in the same breath as some of the real shockers we have seen in the last few years!
Where do I begin? As a lifelong Star Trek fan I had an uneasy feeling while watching this movie. I could not shake the sense that I was just looking at another mediocre summer popcorn flick; an experience that would evaporate from my brain just hours after I leave the theater.
I remember sitting in the cinema with my head low embarrassed by the movie, although I wanted it to prove me wrong ever since I saw the "Beastie Boys" trailer back in 2015. Instead, it dragged along with that "proven" Hollywood formula of what a summer hit should look like. Constricted by its own creative limitations I was looking at a product that was not a science fiction in its core, but a creation that had only one intention since its birth: to milk as much money as possible.
Star Trek Beyond was so devoid of the primordial concepts set up by Mr. Gene Roddenberry that it contributed to the confused identity of the picture. The plot of the movie is so "light" in its essence that it lacks the moral dilemmas, the exploration (inner and outer) and the development usually present in the Star Trek universe. There was neither message nor any character evolution and we did not learn more about anything really. Instead of Kirk, Spock and Scotty you could stick just any name over the protagonists and nobody would have noticed. The story was atrocious and full with plot holes patched up by unnecessary although flashy looking CGI.
Star Trek Beyond also has one of the weakest villains in its history. It was definitely not the actors fault and such a shame to waste the opportunity of having a strong artist like Idris Elba. It was the fault of the writer and the director who missed the opportunity to take Star Trek back on its track. Instead they created a cute flick full with needless CGI scenes, explosions and dialogue written for "dumb" audiences. Everything had to be explained to the viewers, nothing was left to the imagination. There was nothing to debate with your friends after the movie or something to stir your imagination or to push you to prod its meaning. Nothing like that at all, everything was given on a run-of-the-mill plate for the audience to consume in a shortest possible time frame.
The movie had its moments, so not everything was complete rubbish. I liked the character of Jaylah and some of the humor, but that was it. Some of the scenes were of course visually impressive though sometimes things would fly around too much and contaminate the image. Of course this movie was done by people, who know their job, but I am not pondering the execution and the skill of the artists, I am merely concerned about the soul of this thing we love so much.
This thing we used to know of as Star Trek.
I remember sitting in the cinema with my head low embarrassed by the movie, although I wanted it to prove me wrong ever since I saw the "Beastie Boys" trailer back in 2015. Instead, it dragged along with that "proven" Hollywood formula of what a summer hit should look like. Constricted by its own creative limitations I was looking at a product that was not a science fiction in its core, but a creation that had only one intention since its birth: to milk as much money as possible.
Star Trek Beyond was so devoid of the primordial concepts set up by Mr. Gene Roddenberry that it contributed to the confused identity of the picture. The plot of the movie is so "light" in its essence that it lacks the moral dilemmas, the exploration (inner and outer) and the development usually present in the Star Trek universe. There was neither message nor any character evolution and we did not learn more about anything really. Instead of Kirk, Spock and Scotty you could stick just any name over the protagonists and nobody would have noticed. The story was atrocious and full with plot holes patched up by unnecessary although flashy looking CGI.
Star Trek Beyond also has one of the weakest villains in its history. It was definitely not the actors fault and such a shame to waste the opportunity of having a strong artist like Idris Elba. It was the fault of the writer and the director who missed the opportunity to take Star Trek back on its track. Instead they created a cute flick full with needless CGI scenes, explosions and dialogue written for "dumb" audiences. Everything had to be explained to the viewers, nothing was left to the imagination. There was nothing to debate with your friends after the movie or something to stir your imagination or to push you to prod its meaning. Nothing like that at all, everything was given on a run-of-the-mill plate for the audience to consume in a shortest possible time frame.
The movie had its moments, so not everything was complete rubbish. I liked the character of Jaylah and some of the humor, but that was it. Some of the scenes were of course visually impressive though sometimes things would fly around too much and contaminate the image. Of course this movie was done by people, who know their job, but I am not pondering the execution and the skill of the artists, I am merely concerned about the soul of this thing we love so much.
This thing we used to know of as Star Trek.
This film tells the story of a spaceship called Enterprise, which receives a distress signal from another spaceship. As Enterprise starts a rescue mission, they approach danger and discovers a plot of apocalyptic magnitude.
The plot of "Star Trek Beyond" is a simple one, it tells a story of good battling the evil. There is a lot of impressive visual effects, mainly involving objects flying in formation. The plot doesn't draw me in, and I often feel detached from the story. I don't really care about the characters or what happens to them. I remember that I liked the last one, but this one doesn't have the same effect. Perhaps it lacks humour or something?
The plot of "Star Trek Beyond" is a simple one, it tells a story of good battling the evil. There is a lot of impressive visual effects, mainly involving objects flying in formation. The plot doesn't draw me in, and I often feel detached from the story. I don't really care about the characters or what happens to them. I remember that I liked the last one, but this one doesn't have the same effect. Perhaps it lacks humour or something?