Trekkers who hoped that the third of the rebooted Star Trek films might harken back to the original series’ tenets of exploration, diplomacy and science are probably going to hate the trailer for Star Trek Beyond. One of the criticisms from longtime fans regarding J.J. Abrams’ updated movies is that they were more Star Wars than Star Trek, emphasizing action and special effects more than dialogue and ideas.
Personally, I liked amping up the action, especially in the 2009 reboot with the space jump sequence and the shootout aboard the Narada starship. Though I enjoyed the previous Trek films, the slow, lumbering starships and talking to viewscreens didn’t always make for the most compelling activity.
But Paramount appears to be doubling down on the action with Star Trek Beyond. And maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, since the studio hired Justin Lin, who has made four of the Fast and Furious movies, to direct this film. Based on the first trailer released on Monday, it sure looks like this is going to be Fast and Furious in space. Whether or not that’s a good thing likely depends on how much of a Star Trek fan you are.
There doesn’t seem to be very much “Star Trek” about that Star Trek Beyond trailer, other than the familiar cast of characters, the Enterprise, and perhaps the exploration of another planet. Though the previous two Abrams films did have scenes that took place on other worlds, notably the opening sequence of Star Trek Into Darkness, the Enterprise’s chief mission — “to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations — didn’t really seem to be the driving force behind that intergalactic travel.
Otherwise, this is action, action, action in a quick-cutting, fast-paced trailer that just feels really busy, loaded with activity and visual effects. What are all those tiny spaceships, or whatever they are, swarming at and through the Enterprise? Motorcycle jump! One thing that’s interesting, however, is a female taking a prominent action role (presumably played by Sofia Boutella from Kingsman: The Secret Service), something we haven’t seen in this overall series.
At least we get some of Karl Urban’s Dr. McCoy, who I would argue has been the highlight of these rebooted films. He portrays the character’s cranky disdain for Spock and undying loyalty to Kirk so well.
A friend of mine who’s a big Star Trek fan (I don’t think she’d like being called a Trekker) saw this and lamented the use of the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” which played in a scene involving young James Kirk racing a car in the 2009 film. Isn’t that too self-referential? Too meta? Although it certainly gives this trailer a completely different tone than what you might expect from a Star Trek film. And at least it’s not using the Inception “BRAAAHM” or any of the other tropes recent blockbuster trailers tend to lean on.
Star Trek Beyond is set for a July 22, 2016 release.
