Liverpool Sound and Vision *

Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson, Robert Kazinsky, Kacey Rohl, Sven Ruygrok, James Hiroyuki Liao, Humberly González, Joe Pingue, Miku Martineau, James Huang, Nikita Kim, Cindy Goh, Houstan Wong, Sonja Smits, Emily Mei, Adam Kenneth Wilson, Augusto Bitter, Jamie Lee Curtis.

There is a palpable disappointment to the expectant fan when it comes to the hyped-up talk to which the unexpected addition to a long running and remarkably influential television series falls foul of storyline, action, and cohesive interaction to the world in which it was conceived.

The issues with Paramount’s Section 31 are legion, the opportunity to add to the overall arc of the Star Trek world were there for the taking, and yet, despite having the excellent Michelle Yeoh reprising her role of Philippa Georgiou from Discovery leading the way, there is very little else to give the audience a reason to care about the television film.

A problem that soon reveals itself is that lack of connection, an entire film with no association for the fans to bond with, no direct, or even indirect suggestion for the structure to follow; for all intents and purposes what comes across on screen is just another science fiction action film that if attempting to have time at the cinema screen would be understandably upset to find its way, in previous generations speak, languishing on the straight to video list in Blockbusters.

Another difficulty comes from the illusion, the sense that what is portrayed on screen depends too much on the CGI available rather than pushing the narrative; and whilst the effects are a huge part of Star Trek lore, it has never interfered with as much casual despair as it does in Section 31, every moment on screen is ungainly, a caricature, an initiative of good fortune lost.

There is in anything redemption to be found, even in struggle of disdain or disillusionment of the offering, it is in that it will surely be a one-off, that like the finale of Discovery it will soon be forgotten, that it will be allowed to fade and disappear from memory. It seems harsh, but sometimes some films do not work for good reasons, not for the judgement of those paid to be critical, but by the opinion of the overall fandom that pays with a heavy heart when the love they have is misused.

Section 31 is a misplaced opportunity for expansion, to renew the greatness of the mirror universe that has been part of the franchise since the days of the original series, to develop a bond between Ms. Yeoh’s Georgiou and the wider view of the Star Trek universe; and it unfortunately shows on screen in every possible way.

Ian D. Hall