STAR TREK BEYOND Review – by James Mandell

The thing about all those overblown special effects blockbusters is there’s only so much real estate you can appropriate when battling super villains and destroying multiple metropolises on Earth. So the folks at Bad Robot, after what can only have been exhaustive rounds of gathering focus group data, have moved the action to outer space, where a galaxy-class spaceship can breathe a little.

Everybody’s back in this latest iteration, but tragically, for the last time, given the bizarre circumstances of Anton Yelchin’s (playing Chekov) real-life crushed-in-his-Studio City-driveway death just a few weeks ago. Recent word is the producers have vowed never to replicate him again.

This good vs evil story begins awkwardly, but quickly evolves into a more winning gait. And what we witness is not only the kind of affectionate characterizations we expect, but significantly, a new level of CG rendering that sets the bar for sophistication and detailed splendor, both inside, and way out There.

Our screening of Star Trek Beyond was in IMAX 3D (good balance, not headachy) and the scope and the detail is pretty damn fabulous. Ships passing through cities displaying minute detail, leaving you wishing there was more time to enjoy each location. Wildly spinning camera follows, chasing battles and strafing utopian build-outs with scurrying citizen hoards. Pullback perspectives following dense light-speed action against the deep black beyond.

The actors deliver, the creature get-ups are impressively cool, a hot Sophia Boutella is an intrepid scene stealer and everyone is in Trekie Hero mode. Which is what it’s going to take to prevail in light of some very foreboding mean-ass circumstances, no’m sayin’?

If there’s one misfire, it’s in Michael Giacchino’s score, who tries to put on his John Williams but keeps getting drowned out by a galactic load of SFX and missing opportunities to explore new worlds other than with old copyrighted themes. All the better to enjoy a very entertaining family-rated story, peppered with a couple generation’s worth of virtually trademarked quips and all-around behavior befitting a proper Federation crew.

Rated PG-13

2 Hours

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STAR TREK BEYOND Review — Pretty Damn Fabulous

by James Mandell