I was never a Trekkie, but I do love the films since JJ Abrams 2009 reboot, and especially Star Trek Into Darkness - which I totally adore. Star Trek Beyond, for me, delivers an entirely different feeling & story, but quite in the same vein in terms of quality and the excitement I had. I cannot speak as a Trekkie, but as a huge science-fiction fantasy fan, I thought this film was great...and while it is not perfect all the way, it had some very brilliant moments.
The first act of the film (the first 30 minutes or so) was brilliant. It had some nice character moments, especially when it comes to Kirk and Spock. And then, the encounter with the villain was very much excellent and terrifying at the same time. It really set the stage as to how powerful the enemy is and immediately puts our heroes in a messy situation all around.
The middle act was where it slowed down for me a little - not from an action perspective, though, but more from a plot perspective. There was still a ton of action, but in terms of plot, there isn't much happening. But what it did have are some great characters and some brilliant character interactions. And I suppose, for me, the best thing about the Star Trek films are indeed the characters. And characters are what made the story (no matter how simple) mattered.
The final act of the film may feel a bit generic - but there was a lot of fun to be had. As expected, the action sequences are excellent, and there was a nice moment of music that I appreciate. Meanwhile, the closing (resolution) scenes hit hard again. I don't want to spoil anything, but there were just moments in the closing scenes that were just excellent.
By the way, the visual effects were brilliant - especially that Starfleet Base - it looked beautiful. The action sequences were good and there was a good mix of humour, too. There were also some dramatic moments, although not as powerful as the ones in Into Darkness. Also, the score by Michael Giacchino....loved it!
Finally, while this film is a film of characters, there is one that I feel lacked the presence - and that is the villain. For most of the film, the antagonist Krall didn't have that presence that keeps you on edge. And that is a let down, especially when you consider Idris Elba played the character. Fortunately, we do get one excellent new character in Jaylah (Sofia Boutella). She was a great new character and had excellent banter with Simon Pegg's Scotty.
Overall, this film is mainly a film about characters that is stranded in this uncharted planet and needs to find their way out of there. The film delivers on a lot of fronts, and while didn't quite hit the mark here and there (including the villain), remains a very good science-fiction film. And the team behind the production (including director Justin Lin and writer Simon Pegg) did proudly for Star Trek's 50th anniversary. And I'm sure the late Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin would be proud as well.
VERDICT: 8.0
I can't speak for the Trekkies, although I'm pretty sure they don't need convincing, anyway. But for the rest of you, yes, I do recommend this film, especially if you enjoy science-fiction fantasy films.
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