I’ve Just seen Star Trek: Beyond and I was very impressed. I left it feeling satisfied, entertained, moved and uplifted, despite all the tragedy and controversy leading up to its release that cast something of a pall over it (especially the untimely loss of Anton Yelchin, who was a promising talent and particularly great in Odd Thomas). I urge any long standing sci-fi and ‘Trek fans to see it.
There’s one particular action sequence scored with a very well known and thematically appropriate Beastie Boy’s song (that put a huge grin on my face) that’s worth seeing it for alone, regardless of all the other great stuff (Spaced references that have been snuck in by co-writer Simon Pegg) including ‘York Town’; which is an astonishing bit of design and visual effects work.
The Sulu being gay stuff is sweet and handled well, with no heavy handed fuss made of it in the story, which is how they should’ve let it be revealed to the audience, rather than making a huge deal out of it, because what does it matter (though I agree with George Takei’s argument). We should be beyond this shit now, in keeping with Roddenberry’s vision.
My only complaints are in how director Justin Lin has handled some of the action set pieces. There’s some real confusing transitions, disorienting choreography and jumpy editing going on! He clearly comes from the Michael Bay school of filmmaking; and it’s a bad fit in places. Plus, the light balance was way out in certain night-time sequences, being unnecessarily murky and desaturated. It felt like you were watching it with the brightness set to minimum.
Regardless of these quibbles, it was an engaging and original story that had a classic Trek feel, without lifting material from previous, well established, iconic instalments (which was really the only bad thing about the previous movie – it should’ve been another of the genetically engineered super-soldiers from the Botany Bay; who rose to prominence instead of Kahn in this alternate timeline!); and nicely sets up the next film to boldly go into new and unexplored territory, where no previous ‘Trek enterprise has gone before.
Long may you live and prosper, you magnificent bastards!
THE VIEW FROM THE MOON 