After the two inaugural films of the now-called "Kelvin timeline" brought the stale "Star Trek" franchise back to life with a vengeance, this third episode slowly but surely sets the course towards calmer, safer waters.
The subtitle "Beyond" is somewhat misleading because it promises some epic journey into unknown, something seen in "The Motion Picture", where the characters really had no idea what they were getting into and where some ambitious issues are raised. Here it's kind of like what the TV series used to be: The Enterprise floats around the space as it's its own playground and the crew gets into danger, alright, but you just know they will be fine by the end.
The plot outline doesn't much differ from J.J.Abrams' entries, as it's basically another story of Federation cleaning up its own mess. The stakes are unbelievably high, again, in form of a villain bent on a wholesale destruction and the nearly indestructible super-weapon as a means to do it. However, the antagonist is disposed of in an almost cheesy, cowboy fashion by Capt.Kirk & Co. just the way typical villains-of-the-week were, in the old series. So I guess the "Star Trek" spirit is really back, for better or worse. Many of those who were unhappy with the "new" Star Trek will be much happier now, but I preferred the gloomy and costly resolutions of the first two films.
The cast is now completely at ease with their roles, each one making their respective characters their own. Only Karl Urban as Bones seems to still be trying, unwisely, to emulate hammy mannerisms of his predecessor, DeForest Kelley. The director, Justin Lin, nearly matches his style to that of J.J.Abrams. He somewhat lacks elegance in camera angles and editing, but the pacing is adequate and set-pieces are really effective. Visuals are, in general, stunning and are probably the richest and the most detailed in the whole series.
When it comes to verdict on "Beyond", it's a mixed bag for me. I admire the ambition and the impetus of the "new" Star Trek as much as I resent the cheese and safety of the "old" one. Some sort of convergence between the two seems to be in the making in the future and I'm afraid to glance "beyond" that point.
The subtitle "Beyond" is somewhat misleading because it promises some epic journey into unknown, something seen in "The Motion Picture", where the characters really had no idea what they were getting into and where some ambitious issues are raised. Here it's kind of like what the TV series used to be: The Enterprise floats around the space as it's its own playground and the crew gets into danger, alright, but you just know they will be fine by the end.
The plot outline doesn't much differ from J.J.Abrams' entries, as it's basically another story of Federation cleaning up its own mess. The stakes are unbelievably high, again, in form of a villain bent on a wholesale destruction and the nearly indestructible super-weapon as a means to do it. However, the antagonist is disposed of in an almost cheesy, cowboy fashion by Capt.Kirk & Co. just the way typical villains-of-the-week were, in the old series. So I guess the "Star Trek" spirit is really back, for better or worse. Many of those who were unhappy with the "new" Star Trek will be much happier now, but I preferred the gloomy and costly resolutions of the first two films.
The cast is now completely at ease with their roles, each one making their respective characters their own. Only Karl Urban as Bones seems to still be trying, unwisely, to emulate hammy mannerisms of his predecessor, DeForest Kelley. The director, Justin Lin, nearly matches his style to that of J.J.Abrams. He somewhat lacks elegance in camera angles and editing, but the pacing is adequate and set-pieces are really effective. Visuals are, in general, stunning and are probably the richest and the most detailed in the whole series.
When it comes to verdict on "Beyond", it's a mixed bag for me. I admire the ambition and the impetus of the "new" Star Trek as much as I resent the cheese and safety of the "old" one. Some sort of convergence between the two seems to be in the making in the future and I'm afraid to glance "beyond" that point.
