Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Idris Elba, Sofia Boutella, Joe Taslim, Lydia Wilson, Deep Roy, Melissa Roxburgh, Anita Brown, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Greg Grunberg.
As the 50th anniversary of Star Trek looms closer on the horizon, it is fitting that the latest instalment of the rebooted storyline harks back to a day when the heroes of the piece were fighting not only an unknown enemy but also their own conscious and aspirations.
Star Trek Beyond reunites this new classic team and takes them into new uncharted waters, into a time when the fate of the Federation hung in the balance because of the way it treated its past war heroes, the allusion to the war that finally united the people of Earth that had not been alluded to since The Next Generation film First Contact and the change it can bring in a person, the ugly side of war, of battle and neglect, perfectly represented by Idris Elba’s performance as the maniacal and bitter Krall.
Like two other iconic programmes and films that have recently celebrated their 50th anniversary, Doctor Who and the James Bond franchise, Star Trek continues to be endearing to its fans because it allows the notion of consistency to be equal to revolution. The game may change, the faces altered and the personal lives of those involved, explored and felt with ease, yet underneath the comfortable twists and turns comes rebellion, comes the chance for growth and mutiny and it is in these qualities that Star Trek Beyond is as enjoyable and entertaining as any of the classic episodes and the better half of the longer film scripts.
Scripted by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, the film relies on the growing friendship and respect of Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Karl Urban’s faultless performance as Doctor McCoy and the superb Chris Pine as Captain Kirk, it is to these three actors that brings the warmth of brotherhood in relationships outside of the family to the very front of the film’s demanding aura.
Special effects that seem so plausible, the regret of Time’s acid like touch with the memory of Leonard Nimoy being a huge and compassionate hug to the fans, the whisper of something bigger to come and the memory of what made the show stand out so much, even after being cancelled after three initial series, all combine to keep Star Trek a franchise worth holding on to. It is in the message of hope that we can aspire to be something greater than ourselves that underpins the film, that intolerance should not just frowned upon but openly discussed and seen for the ridiculous and absurd notion that it is, that makes space an adventure, even in the confines of celluloid.
Ian D. Hall