Star Trek Beyond
Fun fact: I love Star Trek.
Not so fun fact: the last two decades hadn't been too kind to Trekkies, have they? Enterprise was... well, Enterprise and while ST2009 was tremendous fun, it also had multiple issues, while Into Darkness was like falling off a horse into the pile of manure, face first.
Lo and behold, for The Pegg hath heard our cries and he descendeth from The Heavens to bless us with Beyond.
Hands down, best reboot film; hands down, one of the better Star Trek films, period; hands down my favourite film of the year so far! And honestly, with what I heard of Suicide Squad (OH MY GOD HOW DO YOU FUCK UP A CONCEPT SO BRILLIANT, SO SIMPLE?!?!?!) and given that Doctor Strange is the only film left I'm looking forward to this year, I don't think it's gonna get dethroned.
Look, if for some reason you didn't want to see it because bike, know this: this is the most Star Trek this franchise had been in decades and it's most Star Trek the rebootverse could possibly get.
I mean all the characters are in character? Gone is the two-dimensional characterisation of the previous films, gone is the fratboy Kirk and maniacal Spock and purely comic relief Scotty. I'm gonna shout it from the rooftops: They are IN CHARACTER! They are so close to the original! They are multidimensional people that you believe are capable of running a goddamn spaceship! Close your eyes, imagine the original actors in these roles and marvel how this could literally be an episode of TOS.
- CHEKOV! let's start with Anton. His death was unexpected and unwarranted and so stupid and heartbreaking. Thank god the last Star Trek film was so good to him. Into Darkness marginalised him and while I admit that of all the characters he gets the least to do, it doesn't mean he gets nothing to do. Nope, he gets a lot to do and he also gets to be CHEKOV! :D GOOD GOD, what a horndog, but not in a creepy, reboot!Kirk way. Also, that "for absent friends" bit at the end killed me a bit.
For Anton. If I wasn't weeping already, I'd weep there.
- SCOTTY! Oh my precious wee pet, oh how he knows what he's doing. Sure, Pegg wrote himself a larger part (I'd argue he's the second main character after Kirk) but how WELL he wrote it. Now, given that I live in Scotland, I can confirm that the Scots were cackling every time Scotty would say something Scottish and there was a lot of repeating of his lines.
- SULU! GAYS IN SPACE! Ok guys, listen, we've waited for this FIFTY YEARS! Gene wanted it. He pushed for it and was shut down by the networks each and every time. It's about time dammit! I've got to say, George Takei's resistance to the idea was shocking and I can't believe I'm about to say it but he's wrong. Representation is more important that faithfulness to the character - a character that's already a different character anyway. Now I want all the details about how Hiakru and Ben met, when did they get married (Sulu's wearing a wedding ring that he hadn't been previously), where did Demora come from etc. Write a book, record a podcast, I don't care! Just gimme!
- MCCOY - Urban was criminally underused; yes, it should be a crime to hire him and did to him what 2009 and STID did. He hadn't wanted to return for Beyond, he needed convincing and thank god that convince him they did! McCoy finally gets stuff to do, he is a fantastic double act with Spock, he's funny and caring and for the first time in the history of the franchise I actually loved him.
- SPOCK. Oh my god, he didn't raeg once????? He was emotional, yeah, but it was on the soft side of the spectrum, and perfectly understandable considering a) Nemoy!Spock and b) massive blood loss. This film also did the impossible of actually having me care for his relationship with Uhura - a feat that both previous films failed at completely.
- UHURA! She got stuff to do that was completely unrelated to being Spock's girlfriend! I was happy when they broke up but they actually made me root for them as a couple? Whaaaaaa? On top of that, I'd say it was her, not Kirk, that was Krall's main adversary; she was the one that spent the most time with him and she was the one that in the end solved the mystery of his origin.
- KIRK! First time ever, first reboot film ever, where I didn't spend 75% of the running time actively rooting for the villain to run him over with a MAKO. He's the guy that we know: he's level headed, he's not a jerk or a fratboy, he's mature, he's a leader, he's self-sacrificing and resourceful, he's not a dick, he's not a creep perving at unsuspecting women and he's a badass.
- Jaylah - please, for the love of god, bring her back! I love her! She's like Ray but, like, 50 times better. I was terrified she's gonna be someone's love interest but she wasn't! Scotty was treating her like a daughter and Kirk was respectful towards her (yes Chekov checked her out, but I'm ok with that, it was in background and he's Chekov). Since they already said they won't be recasting Anton, I'm hoping she joins the engineering department so she can get mentored by Scotty. (MENTORED, ABRAMS, NOT OOGLED, OK?!)
- Ensign Syl should have been Yeoman Rand? With the hair and all, minus the unnecessary death? Think about it!
- SHIPS: ALL OF THEM! ALL! OF! THEM! You like Scokov (my OTP?)? Well enjoy the hugging and the Scotch in Chekov's locker and the one-on-one time they got. You like Spones? WELL IM SURE THERE ARE FANFICS THAT ARENT HALF AS GAY LIKE THE INTERACTION THEY GOT IN THE FILM! (The necklace at the end, I don't care what Urban says, it's a gift from Spock) You like Chulu? ...oh. Ok. Never mind. Awkward.
Keenser/Scotty was also strong in this one and confirmed by Simon Pegg.
I honestly don't feel the need to talk at length about the plot or the villain or the action or the humour. It was all there and in the right proportions.
Absolutely smashing, great fun, all ships validated, GAYS!, but above all, a love letter to TOS and a love letter to all the characters: 9/10.
Not so fun fact: the last two decades hadn't been too kind to Trekkies, have they? Enterprise was... well, Enterprise and while ST2009 was tremendous fun, it also had multiple issues, while Into Darkness was like falling off a horse into the pile of manure, face first.
Lo and behold, for The Pegg hath heard our cries and he descendeth from The Heavens to bless us with Beyond.
Hands down, best reboot film; hands down, one of the better Star Trek films, period; hands down my favourite film of the year so far! And honestly, with what I heard of Suicide Squad (OH MY GOD HOW DO YOU FUCK UP A CONCEPT SO BRILLIANT, SO SIMPLE?!?!?!) and given that Doctor Strange is the only film left I'm looking forward to this year, I don't think it's gonna get dethroned.
Look, if for some reason you didn't want to see it because bike, know this: this is the most Star Trek this franchise had been in decades and it's most Star Trek the rebootverse could possibly get.
I mean all the characters are in character? Gone is the two-dimensional characterisation of the previous films, gone is the fratboy Kirk and maniacal Spock and purely comic relief Scotty. I'm gonna shout it from the rooftops: They are IN CHARACTER! They are so close to the original! They are multidimensional people that you believe are capable of running a goddamn spaceship! Close your eyes, imagine the original actors in these roles and marvel how this could literally be an episode of TOS.
- CHEKOV! let's start with Anton. His death was unexpected and unwarranted and so stupid and heartbreaking. Thank god the last Star Trek film was so good to him. Into Darkness marginalised him and while I admit that of all the characters he gets the least to do, it doesn't mean he gets nothing to do. Nope, he gets a lot to do and he also gets to be CHEKOV! :D GOOD GOD, what a horndog, but not in a creepy, reboot!Kirk way. Also, that "for absent friends" bit at the end killed me a bit.
For Anton. If I wasn't weeping already, I'd weep there.
- SCOTTY! Oh my precious wee pet, oh how he knows what he's doing. Sure, Pegg wrote himself a larger part (I'd argue he's the second main character after Kirk) but how WELL he wrote it. Now, given that I live in Scotland, I can confirm that the Scots were cackling every time Scotty would say something Scottish and there was a lot of repeating of his lines.
- SULU! GAYS IN SPACE! Ok guys, listen, we've waited for this FIFTY YEARS! Gene wanted it. He pushed for it and was shut down by the networks each and every time. It's about time dammit! I've got to say, George Takei's resistance to the idea was shocking and I can't believe I'm about to say it but he's wrong. Representation is more important that faithfulness to the character - a character that's already a different character anyway. Now I want all the details about how Hiakru and Ben met, when did they get married (Sulu's wearing a wedding ring that he hadn't been previously), where did Demora come from etc. Write a book, record a podcast, I don't care! Just gimme!
- MCCOY - Urban was criminally underused; yes, it should be a crime to hire him and did to him what 2009 and STID did. He hadn't wanted to return for Beyond, he needed convincing and thank god that convince him they did! McCoy finally gets stuff to do, he is a fantastic double act with Spock, he's funny and caring and for the first time in the history of the franchise I actually loved him.
- SPOCK. Oh my god, he didn't raeg once????? He was emotional, yeah, but it was on the soft side of the spectrum, and perfectly understandable considering a) Nemoy!Spock and b) massive blood loss. This film also did the impossible of actually having me care for his relationship with Uhura - a feat that both previous films failed at completely.
- UHURA! She got stuff to do that was completely unrelated to being Spock's girlfriend! I was happy when they broke up but they actually made me root for them as a couple? Whaaaaaa? On top of that, I'd say it was her, not Kirk, that was Krall's main adversary; she was the one that spent the most time with him and she was the one that in the end solved the mystery of his origin.
- KIRK! First time ever, first reboot film ever, where I didn't spend 75% of the running time actively rooting for the villain to run him over with a MAKO. He's the guy that we know: he's level headed, he's not a jerk or a fratboy, he's mature, he's a leader, he's self-sacrificing and resourceful, he's not a dick, he's not a creep perving at unsuspecting women and he's a badass.
- Jaylah - please, for the love of god, bring her back! I love her! She's like Ray but, like, 50 times better. I was terrified she's gonna be someone's love interest but she wasn't! Scotty was treating her like a daughter and Kirk was respectful towards her (yes Chekov checked her out, but I'm ok with that, it was in background and he's Chekov). Since they already said they won't be recasting Anton, I'm hoping she joins the engineering department so she can get mentored by Scotty. (MENTORED, ABRAMS, NOT OOGLED, OK?!)
- Ensign Syl should have been Yeoman Rand? With the hair and all, minus the unnecessary death? Think about it!
- SHIPS: ALL OF THEM! ALL! OF! THEM! You like Scokov (my OTP?)? Well enjoy the hugging and the Scotch in Chekov's locker and the one-on-one time they got. You like Spones? WELL IM SURE THERE ARE FANFICS THAT ARENT HALF AS GAY LIKE THE INTERACTION THEY GOT IN THE FILM! (The necklace at the end, I don't care what Urban says, it's a gift from Spock) You like Chulu? ...oh. Ok. Never mind. Awkward.
Keenser/Scotty was also strong in this one and confirmed by Simon Pegg.
I honestly don't feel the need to talk at length about the plot or the villain or the action or the humour. It was all there and in the right proportions.
Absolutely smashing, great fun, all ships validated, GAYS!, but above all, a love letter to TOS and a love letter to all the characters: 9/10.