star Trek: Beyond

Director: Justin Lin
Running time: 122 minutes

Much like its predecessors, Beyond is a good Sci-Fi blockbuster, but nothing much else.

Beyond is the third film in the rebooted Star trek timeline, J.J Abrams has gone and in comes Justin Lin. And the result is more or less the same.

The story follows a familiar beat, with the Enterprise assigned on a rescue mission into an uncharted nebula, on the way they're attacked by a fleet of drones led by the film's villain Krall (Idris Elba). With the Enterprise eventually destroyed, the crew are forced into making a crash landing on a mysterious and hostile planet.

From there the film switches between the various groups of crew members as the plot unfolds. Which is to the film's credit as all of the characters share the same sense of struggle and intrigue. Only helped by the wonderful chemistry between each of them, because unlike most big tentpole blockbusters, Beyond is successful in showcasing the friendship and humanity in its character interactions.

I liked the introduction of Jaylah (Sofia Boutella), a physically strong female character who isn't just there as a token addition but whose role is central to the plot. But it's the scenes between Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Bones (Karl Urban) that are a particular highlight, not only are their scenes the funniest but they're also the ones in which we have the most emotional investment in.

Because without the characters fine collective chemistry, the film would fall under the weight of what is very much a by the numbers script.

The story doesn't venture into any new territory, there are a few twists here and there, but for the most part it's serviceable at best. The action scenes are visually splendid and frantic, but feel a little unimaginatively executed, a bike scene from the trailer is as good as it gets. And while there is certainly a lot at stake, it all feels a bit weightless and just going through the motions.

There is a hint of exploration, and the locations are immersive enough to feel as though you're on the same journey as the crew of the Enterprise. But there is only a hint of it, the use of 'Yorktown' (a Tomorrowland type city space station that the crew visit, and in which Krall tries to destroy) looks elegant but feels like a waste in a series about the unknowns of space.

Krall is a mixed bag, he's a strong villain but not really menacing enough, his screen presence doesn't really bring out any great tension or fear. While Elba is a fantastic actor, he's layered in a heft of make up, of which the final design is very generic and uninspired. The character's arc changes at the end as a twist unravels about his true identity, of which was a nice surprise but wholly unsatisfying.

Beyond is a good and fun blockbuster film that's entertaining for the time that you're in its company, but it doesn't offer much more. If you liked the previous two movies in the rebooted series, then you're on familiar ground here. If you didn't think much of the previous two films, then Beyond will not give you much that's different or change your mind.

Verdict: 7/10