beyond the frontier

Catching the wave

I instantly became a Trekkie when the 2009 reboot of Star Trek came out and to this point I still prefer it more over Star Wars. I wasn't too certain of what to expect with this third entry in the reboot series now that J.J. Abrams went over to another galaxy a while back. As much as I liked Justin Lin, the very same guy who brought the Fast and Furious franchise from the brink of being a direct-to-video series, I wasn't sure if he was the perfect fit for a series like Star Trek. Once again, I have to eat my words as not only does he help deliver another enjoyable sequel but also the best one yet. Star Trek Beyond begins with what we're already familiar with: the crew on the Enterprise exploring the infinite sea of space, Captain Kick (Chris Pine) monologuing over the mundanity of their expedition and Spock (Zachary Quinto) trying to make logical sense of his relationship problems with Uhura (Zoe Saldana). A wrench is thrown into the crew's venture operation as they confront a ruthless enemy in an unknown part of space where the Enterprise is instantly attacked and brought down, exiling the crew members onto an uncharted planet. With no means of communication to call for help or method of leaving the planet, the crew must fend for their lives as they uncover a secret of the enemy that connects to the history of the Federation. I won't mince words: Star Trek Beyond is the rare sequel that manages to be perfectly entertaining from beginning to end with little to no flaws. My only complaint (if any) would have to be that any future entries that will come after this will no longer feel the same for the simple reason that the films will lack two major factors: Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin. As anyone knows, Mr. Nimoy passed away last year and Anton was tragically killed a month before the film's release; the fact that these two won't be back puts a huge void in the franchise which can never be filled. In all honesty, I felt somewhat melancholic knowing this would be the last time seeing these two but it doesn't detract the film's quality. The fan favorites and series staples are still here and Lin's action expertise is an absolute marvel to watch. Overall, this is another impressive entry and is far and beyond (no pun intended) the best Star Trek film yet. Star Trek Beyond is one of the best films of the year and gets my highest recommendation.

-Reviewed by Razor, 11/9/16