After a gap of three years, legendary 'Star Trek' franchise has returned to the theatre screens in the form of 'Star Trek Beyond.' And if you have been an ardent fan of the science-fiction franchise all these years, you would be definitely touched by its storyline and theme.
Star Trek Beyond is really about revisiting the good old times of Star Trek. And since it is also the film that features the last performances by Anton Yelchin (Pavel Chekov) and Karl Urban (Leonard McCoy), the emotional connect only gets deeper. But this is not to say that it is devoid of rough patches. They are there in the form of the chaotic early space battle and the clumsy resolution of the central mystery.
But the good points overshadow the flaws so well that one does not feel like complaining. The theme of exploration is at the heart of the film with Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Bones (Karl Urban) finding themselves stranded on a mysterious planet, trying to figure out what to do next. And the chemistry between the two is effortlessly excellent.
The bickering, bantering and strategizing; all has been beautifully captured. And with the brilliant cameos of Danny Pudi, Kim Kold and Doug Jung, things get more exciting. It is a treat to watch Pudi and Kold as masked aliens and Jung as Sulu's famous partner, who will be long remembered for the importance of his role.
Aside from the performances, it is the effort at portraying diversity that makes 'Beyond' a trek beyond the other installments. Though not very substantial, the addition of Algerian actress Sofia Boutell as Jaylah (an alien who is also stranded on the planet) and John Cho (Sulu) as a gay character is really commendable. And last but not the least, the story talks about the idealistic 'conflict-free' world, a reflection of the 60s-era liberalism.
In short, 'Star Trek Beyond' reminds us strongly of the ethos of the original series and is much better than 'Star Trek' and 'Star Trek into Darkness,' that we saw in the current century.
