Star Trek: Beyond

In the latest instalment of the Star Trek reboot, three years after Star Trek Into Darkness was released, the audience joins Kirk (Pine) on the USS Enterprise part-way through its 5 year mission into deep space. Unlike the original Kirk, reboot Kirk and Spock have different challenges to deal with and are considering if they want to stay on board, while the rest of the crew settles into long-term life on the Enterprise. Nevertheless, the action is quick to start as Kirk gets chased off a planet by a species not impressed with his speech and offer on behalf of another race. There’s some incredible visuals in the film, most notably Yorktown space station, and it is from there that the main plot begins: a distress call and journey into a hazardous nebula to help the crew of a stricken ship. As the following battle goes from bad to worse for the crew, who end up stranded crash-landed on a planet in the nebula, a large dose of ingenuity and engineering ambition is needed to rescue the situation. This leads to some of the most tongue-in-cheek moments of the film, not least Kirk riding around on an old motorbike to distract the enemy. An affirmation to the Fast And Furious background of Lin who has taken over as director from Abrams? Star Trek Beyond doesn’t disappoint in having an entertaining story, with plenty of action, sadness and comedy. For Trek fans this film is a must-see for the new folklore it sets and comparisons to the original series. Don’t leave early in the credits: there’s a nod to the passing of both Leonard Nimoy (Spock, original series) and Anton Yelchin (Chekov) who features heavily in the film.

Edward McCutcheon