Movie Review - Star Trek Beyond

TREKKIES have had mixed ­reactions to the rebooted Star Trek franchise films. Some purists hate them outright, while others see them as a sign of the times.
I count myself in the minority – a Trekkie who enjoys the newer films for what they are: action adventures showing a tougher side to the ­classic sci-fi characters.
This third outing in the series starts out with Kirk (Chris Pine) feeling tired by repetitive missions, and unsure of his place in Starfleet and his role in the universe.
He decides to leave his position as captain of the USS Enterprise, but not before taking the crew out on a rescue mission.
He wants Spock (Zachary Quinto) to ­replace him, but is unaware that Spock himself is also contemplating leaving Starfleet.
The ship is suddenly attacked by an alien army led by the warlord Krall (Idris Elba), and the crew find themselves stranded on an unknown planet.
Krall has captured Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and Sulu (John Cho), ­leaving Kirk, Spock, Bones (Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg) and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) having to rescue them, with the help of Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), a tough alien fighter.
They also discover that Krall is planning to attack the heart of Starfleet, and must race to get off the planet and stop him.
Beyond is helmed by Justin Lin, who directed four Fast and Furious films, and he certainly delivers on the fast-paced action, taking the ­audience from one explosive ­sequence to another, all the while delivering emotional drama in ­between.
The special effects are top notch, and the ship and location designs are amazing, with one place – the Federation starbase Yorktown – sure to leave audiences gasping.
While most of the focus is on Kirk, each member of the crew gets his or her moment to shine, and I especially enjoyed the banter between Spock and Bones, two characters famed for their abrasive relationship.
The film is far from perfect. The script is weak and full of plotholes, with logic taking a backseat to ­action. The villain ultimately has a ­confusing motivation and backstory, and the film moves from a strong first half to a climactic final battle that we’ve seen in a dozen other films.
However, if you are looking to just having a good time at the movies, this film certainly fulfils that ­criterion.
Also, look out for Star Trek fan ­service, and tributes to the late ­Leonard Nimoy (who originally played Spock) and Yelchin, who died tragically in June.
Watch the trailer here :