Jaylah and Scott
SPACE—outer space that is—is really vast to the extent that the minds of mere mortals simply cannot grasp the concept.
It is this vastness of space in all of its variety … being so very far from home and few, if anyone you can count as a friend, that the crew of the Starship Enterprise finds out to its peril when they take on far more they can handle in the franchise’s 13th major motion picture—“Star Trek Beyond.”
And can you believe it’s been 50 years since Captain James T. Kirk, Dr. Leonard McCoy and Commander Spock made their television debut on the NBC television network? This writer saw every one of those original and thrilling adventures as a young boy—an exciting series that lasted only three seasons but has reverberated throughout several generations as it challenges the explorer in each of us to look up at the stars and dream dreams.
That same passion of the original Star Trek is found in every scene of this latest outing which finds Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) now halfway through their five-year mission of their exploration of the cosmos.
The Enterprise is a slick spaceship and reminds this writer all too fondly of his fully-restored, candy apple red 1965 Volvo. Even with 2.5 million miles, it’s all shiny and looking sharp. So too, the Enterprise has never looked better.
Of course, we humans are an arrogant bunch and taking the Enterprise so far away from the United Federation of Planets is probably not a very good idea. New Star Trek series Director Justin Lin (“Fast and Furious”) makes this deadly clear.
After the Enterprise stops off at Starbase Earhart, a remote outpost on the fringes of Federation space and continues venturing into the unknown as they explore one planet after another. It is a risky proposition at best.
Lin’s depiction of folding space—commonly known as warp speed— is simply amazing.
When we again meet the crew of the Enterprise, all is well.
The romance between Spock and Lieutenant Uhura (Zoe Saldana) continues to grow and deepen and everything is going as it should, except when the Enterprise comes across a really beautiful, deep blue planet. No, it’s not Earth and the Enterprise, upon arrival at this seemingly innocent world, finds its crew immediately faced with an unstoppable opponent in the form of Krall, played by Idris Elba (“Thor”) whose command ship pulverizes the Enterprise with several thousand metal “pellets.”
It’s not for the squeamish.
The attack is raw, overwhelming and incredibly powerful.
It’s time for “Red Alert” when the remaining surviving crew members eject in one-person escape capsules to the planet below as the fiery hulk of the doomed Enterprise crashes onto the planet’s surface.
With no means of rescue and completely stranded, it’s the wits of the Enterprise crew, coupled with the iron will determination of Kirk, McCoy and Spock, which save the day!
In a season of really great summer films (“Captain America: Civil War”), so-so outings (“The Legend of Tarzan”) and really cruddy ones (“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice”), “Star Trek Beyond” is a welcome treat as it projects humanity with all of its collective faults, dreams and yes successes … into the void.
Lin is the perfect director to take over for J.J. Abrams who brought the Star Trek franchise back into prominence after a few mediocre outings in the 2000s, especially the dour “Star Trek Nemesis” in 2002 in which the series was just limping along.
“Beyond” is co-written by Simon Pegg who also doubles as Commander Montgomery Scott, the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise and was initially criticized for taking “Beyond” into too much of a comedic tone. Pegg wrote and starred in the zom-com, “Shaun of the Dead.”
This writer can guarantee there are no zombies in “Star Trek Beyond.”
Trust me—it is just not the case. When faced with certain doom, a few small jokes here and there to lighten the tension, which in this film, is palpable.
Lin puts the crew of the Enterprise into serious danger. If blowing up—or in this case—seriously wounding his ship is not enough, Pine’s Captain Kirk must rise to the challenge of Krall who has his own hatred of the Federation and what it stands for running through his veins.
“Star Trek Beyond” has a perfect running time of exactly two hours and although there is sci-fi “violence,” parents can feel comfortable bringing along their 15- to 17-year-olds. Toddlers need not attend as the “aliens” will be “beyond” their understanding and, yes, ray beams are fired out of phasers.
Since this is not a Disney movie and nothing is animated, I doubt even our three-year-olds Nicholas and Antoinette would sit quietly for 120 minutes of “Star Trek.”
It is bittersweet to see the final “Star Trek” role of Anton Yelchin as Commander Chekov. Yelchin was killed in a freak accident when he was crushed by his car.
Coupled with the loss in 2015 of Leonard Nimoy, the original Commander Spock, Star Trek Beyond says “farewell” to both exceptional actors. Human and Vulcan alike.
Questions, comments or travel suggestions, write me at theruffolos @readingruffolos.com.
