How I Feel About Star Trek Beyond
I read a review the other day saying Star Trek Beyond was almost a good Trek film. The reviewer praised the cast and the writing, in particular the second act and the McCoy-Spock bits ... then went on to trash the climax. I was a bit concerned on reading the review, as I hadn't seen the film yet. Then I saw a trusted friend post his reaction to the film:
Star Trek Beyond might be my 4th favorite Star Trek movie, which is actually incredibly high praise.
That places it behind, if you were wondering, Undiscovered Country, Wrath of Khan, and First Contact. So yes, it is high praise. I felt better having read this, because I trust my friend's opinion on all things Trek. Today I went to see the movie.
Here's my Spoiler-Free Review: Yes. Yes. Fuck yes. Dear Paramount, please make more movies like this and fewer - far, far fewer - like Into Darkness.
P.S. Please stop killing the Enterprise.
There ends the spoiler-free review. I will go on in a moment, and I usually try to avoid major spoilers, but I make no promises. I seriously advise against reading further if you wish to avoid spoilers, particularly if you're one of those uptight people who hate all spoilers, no matter how minor.
So. Still with me?
Beyond starts out much like its predecessor, with Kirk in the middle of a mission to some weird planet. The aliens are much better this time, in the sense that they are not just normal people painted funky colors. They are, in fact, super weird. And there's this great moment when your perspective shifts and you kind of want to laugh, but you don't laugh because it's still a dramatic moment. A funny, funny, serious moment.
Moving on, we learn that the Enterprise is some three years into its Historic Five Year Mission. And Kirk is like, so totally over it. Omigod, for reals. This isn't fun anymore you guys. Which is lame, but it's not as bad as the review linked above makes it out to be.
Our fearless and in at least one case ennui-stricken explorers soon arrive at the Federation's fanciest Christmas tree ornament - er, space station. And it's pretty fantastic. As they arrive, I experienced one of those too-rare moments of wonder and spectacle. The specifics of the configuration are probably absurd - in fact, you'll see later on that they definitely ARE absurd - but it still looks amazing and has clearly taken something that hard science fiction might do and extrapolated it into a realm of absurdity which is nevertheless jaw-droppingly beautiful.
I do have one complaint I'd like to register at this point. Greg Grunberg? He will forever be Matt Parkman to me, which sucks because I hated Parkman on Heroes and it prejudices me against any character he will ever play. Why does Matt Parkman get to be in Star Trek and Star Wars??
Also, up to this point we've seen quite a few shots of Enterprise. From a distance instead of eye-straining closeups half blotted out by lens flare. And from a variety of angles. I have hated the reboot-version of Enterprise for 7 years. I never liked its lines. The previous two movies never quite gave it a chance to grow on me. Twenty minutes into Beyond, I actually like the new Enterprise.
Which is why I thoroughly disagree with that other reviewer saying they didn't care when the ship got destroyed. What, because Kirk had a weak moment, wondering if this is truly the life for him? (Also, their complaint that this was a very different Kirk from the Shatner is ridiculous. How many times do they need to explain that this is a different time line? The original Kirk knew his father. The original Kirk had a completely different life. Nu-Kirk not being the same all-I've-ever-wanted-is-that-captain's-chair guy is the most believable aspect of any Trek film ever.)
It was more painful than watching that scene in Star Trek III. It was much worse than that bit in Generations. As I watched the lengthy and brutal piece-by-piece destruction of the Enterprise, I kept thinking "no! I've only just grown to like her!"
Also, that whole sequence was glorious and kick-started the competence-porn section of the film. Guys, if you didn't already know, here's an interesting fact about the crew of the Enterprise. Everyone's a badass.
We're treated to Uhura saving Kirk's biscuits, Scotty spur-of-the-moment creating an escape pod from what is most definitely not an escape pod, McCoy improvising some of his hated Dark Age medicine, Spock displaying both insufferably cold-blooded logic and distinctly human warmth and humor, Chekov being basically aces at literally everything that exists, Kirk pulling a classic Kirk bait-and-switch, Sulu displaying the leadership qualities that will one day earn him (I assume) the nu-Trek Excelsior, and the entire team - even the one you've never seen before who has an Alien facehugger for a head - contributing in pivotal ways to the ongoing narrative. It's a team-effort all the way, and the plot unfolds in perfectly rationed segments that highlight each crew member's contribution while simultaneously keeping up the action-movie pacing.
Now then. Jaylah's "house." I love that she kept calling it that. Her scenes with Scotty are really great.
I do wonder about the logistics of fitting the entire surviving crew of Enterprise on the Franklin. Since it's described as an early Warp 4 vessel, making it a bit older than the NX-01 Enterprise which it more-than-a-little resembles. I guess a lot of them did get blown out into space in that earlier battle, though. Hmmmm.
The connection to the pre-Federation era is a nice touch, and in fact integral to the plot. And it's a tribute to the fast pace and sheer enjoyment of the middle of the film that I actually didn't see that plot twist about who Krall really is coming. (The final reveal of the nu-nu-Enterprise I saw coming even before the first battle, when Avasarala - shit, sorry, Commodore Paris - mentioned the incomplete new ship. Who's looking forward to season 2 of The Expanse, by the way?)
OK, so the final battle. Yes, there's some silliness. It's a nod back to one of Jaylah's earlier scenes, as well as a nod to nu-Kirk's very first appearance as a joy-riding little scamp from Iowa. It is presented as "totally rad," but it's also played for humor - Chekov tapping his feet! - and the in-story explanation isn't any more ludicrous than anything else. The visuals are a little over-the-top, and its especially hard to reconcile that enormous swarm of ships with the shots we saw of the same ships docked on the ground - how are there so many of them now? Who cares? The 90s kid in me is too busy tapping my foot along with dear, departed Anton Yelchin and (silently, because I'm in a theater) screaming "oh my god, it's a mirage!"
At least, I assume that was the part the other reviewer had a problem with. It was certainly silly, but there's more to the battle. Again, like its predecessor, the ship battle isn't the real climax. We've got to have our stars whizzing through the air in populated areas. We have to have a fist fight!
The final scenes are mostly satisfying. Various remaining plot-threads are neatly tied off. The time-lapse of the new Enterprise could have come off stupid, but given my newly discovered feelings I found it rather pleasing.
As the credits rolled, no one - literally no one - moved or spoke for over a full minute.
This was a great Trek film. It made me hate Into Darkness even more for wasting our time. It made me giddy. I will see it again, and if you haven't yet then I definitely suggest you do so.
It's worth it just for the "I ripped my shirt again" joke.
