Star Trek: Beyond (2016)
- Thread starter Brian G Turner
- Start date
Finally watched this. It was ... interesting.
The character interactions were great, and I especially loved how the different main crew members contributed to solving problems together.
But the overall story arc was too simple and lazy: fly into an area with no communications and take no precautions; evil villain with no real motivation other than "destroy everything"; tiring Hollywood set-piece of leads slugging it out at the end to establish the alpha male ape.
And the solution to the swarm ships by playing rock music at them to destroy them was just plain ridiculous.
I would have liked to see a lot more of space in a Star Trek movie.
The character interactions were great, and I especially loved how the different main crew members contributed to solving problems together.
But the overall story arc was too simple and lazy: fly into an area with no communications and take no precautions; evil villain with no real motivation other than "destroy everything"; tiring Hollywood set-piece of leads slugging it out at the end to establish the alpha male ape.
And the solution to the swarm ships by playing rock music at them to destroy them was just plain ridiculous.
I would have liked to see a lot more of space in a Star Trek movie.
Serendipity
A Traditional Eccentric!
I too watched it for the first time yesterday. I agree with Rodders - it's the best of the three new Star Trek films to have come out. I also agree with Brian to a certain extent. The only mitigating factors are that they were led in there by that being that Krall sent back and they took her at her word. Still should've taken precautions.
Edit - it was still fun though!
Edit - it was still fun though!
Alexa
traveller space dreamer
It was't so bad. And Krall had a real motivation: revenge. He believed the Federation had deliberately abandoned them on Altamid. He's transformation from the character Krall back to Edison was an interesting twist in the end.
Those swarm ships were pretty scary, so I was happy when they were destroyed, no matter how.
This was more a rescue mission which almost killed the entire crew. And they all had to fight back to survive. I loved how they did it.
Those swarm ships were pretty scary, so I was happy when they were destroyed, no matter how.
This was more a rescue mission which almost killed the entire crew. And they all had to fight back to survive. I loved how they did it.
It was't so bad. And Krall had a real motivation: revenge. He believed the Federation had deliberately abandoned them on Altamid. He's transformation from the character Krall back to Edison was an interesting twist in the end.
Those swarm ships were pretty scary, so I was happy when they were destroyed, no matter how.
This was more a rescue mission which almost killed the entire crew. And they all had to fight back to survive. I loved how they did it.
All the Trek movies, from "Insurrection" onwards, have been about the villain getting his revenge.
Time for a change me feels.
Overread
Searching for a flower
It would be nice to have a movie without a bad-guy - several of the early films didn't actually have a bad characters; they weren't after revenge or evil or crazed by loss to the point of wanting to kill everyone else.
Alexa
traveller space dreamer
Maybe we will have one without a bad guy in the next one, if any. In Star Trek Beyond, the villain was necessary to put back the crew. Spock didn't do a good job as a captain the last time. And Kirk playing a Vice Admiral and commanding officer of Yorktown. Where is the fun in that?
clovis-man
Prehistoric Irish Cynic
- Joined
- Sep 28, 2007
- Messages
- 2,415
If memory serves, the original Star Trek movie didn't have a real villain, just a misguided space probe. And after the nostalgia factor wore off, many considered the film to be Yawnsville. So Star Trek II featured Ricardo Montalban in a reprise of his Khan role, a great villain, and the franchise gained new life. Just sayin'......
Dennis E. Taylor
Destroying Worlds Since 2015
On the other hand, I've added Sabotage to my playlist.
Yes and the poorer efforts have tried to emulate that. But what made Khan work is that there actually was prior history between him and Kirk. None of the other villains who had revenge as their primary motivation had that, they just appear out of nowhere.
Voyage Home
Undiscovered Country
First Contact
Didn't have a revenging villain and are considered the best in the franchise, despite this.
Just like destroying the Enterprise. It's been done. What. 3 times now?
Time for something else. To think the Trek movies used to known for trying things differently.
psychotick
Dangerously confused
Hi,
Just watched Beyond yesterday - Colour me disappointed. There are so many terrible plotholes in this thing it's more like a sieve than a plot!
I mean honestly - the villain wants vengeance for being abandoned so long ago - except that he was flying the first super warp four ship and was so far beyond the range of his ship that even if he was half brain dead he would have known no one could reach him to rescue him. Also he was in an area of space where there were no communications so he couldn't be found even if there were somehow ships out in the region searching. So his entire vengeance motive is obvious crap and he had to know it.
Then there's the other ship - the Franklin - hidden from the bad guy's sight by a cloaking system. Wonderful - except that oh yes - it was the villain's own ship!!! Had he somehow forgotten that his old ship was there? So what was the point in hiding it?
After that we have him stuck on this world for ages - except that he clearly wasn't stuck since he found the alien technology of mass production on the planet and it gave him warp capable travel. So why did he stay there once he found the tech? Oh that's right - to carry out his vengeance against those he knew had done him no wrong!
Next he's a MACO. Great - except that a MACO is a marine by another name - I think it even stands for Marine Assault Command. Since when do marines get command of their own ships? They don't! They are infantry!
After that, what was the point in capturing the crew? What was he going to do with them? Were they just pets he could stare at for a while? Because otherwise they were just standing around waiting to be rescued!
And then there's the whole play rock music to upset the swarm ships as Brian said. That's so corny it's sickening. And to add insult to injury the whole idea is dreamed up on the basis of bees and how they fly in formation - except that bees don't either fly in formation or have some sort of over-arching communications system to keep them from crashing into one another.
Dear lord who wrote this crap?! And I say that as a trekkie!
Cheers, Greg.
Just watched Beyond yesterday - Colour me disappointed. There are so many terrible plotholes in this thing it's more like a sieve than a plot!
I mean honestly - the villain wants vengeance for being abandoned so long ago - except that he was flying the first super warp four ship and was so far beyond the range of his ship that even if he was half brain dead he would have known no one could reach him to rescue him. Also he was in an area of space where there were no communications so he couldn't be found even if there were somehow ships out in the region searching. So his entire vengeance motive is obvious crap and he had to know it.
Then there's the other ship - the Franklin - hidden from the bad guy's sight by a cloaking system. Wonderful - except that oh yes - it was the villain's own ship!!! Had he somehow forgotten that his old ship was there? So what was the point in hiding it?
After that we have him stuck on this world for ages - except that he clearly wasn't stuck since he found the alien technology of mass production on the planet and it gave him warp capable travel. So why did he stay there once he found the tech? Oh that's right - to carry out his vengeance against those he knew had done him no wrong!
Next he's a MACO. Great - except that a MACO is a marine by another name - I think it even stands for Marine Assault Command. Since when do marines get command of their own ships? They don't! They are infantry!
After that, what was the point in capturing the crew? What was he going to do with them? Were they just pets he could stare at for a while? Because otherwise they were just standing around waiting to be rescued!
And then there's the whole play rock music to upset the swarm ships as Brian said. That's so corny it's sickening. And to add insult to injury the whole idea is dreamed up on the basis of bees and how they fly in formation - except that bees don't either fly in formation or have some sort of over-arching communications system to keep them from crashing into one another.
Dear lord who wrote this crap?! And I say that as a trekkie!
Cheers, Greg.
WaylanderToo
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jul 18, 2015
- Messages
- 2,070
on these issues I'd make the point since when has the desire for revenge or feeling wronged always been 100% rational? Look at the crime caper films where a baddie gets killed whilst trying to rob a bank/terrorise a family/etc and then said baddie's sibling/father/child swears revenge?
Anthony G Williams
Greybeard
An extract from my SFF Blog: Science Fiction & Fantasy
I read recently that the quantity and quality of dialogue in blockbuster films have been declining steadily in recent years, for the simple reason that to maximise the takings the films have to be successful around the world. So they have to be as easily understood in China as in the USA. Which means simple plots and a strongly visual, action-orientated viewing experience with a minimum of chatter. Which leads me neatly into Star Trek Beyond. Once again, the only vaguely interesting character is the villain (in this case played by Idris Elba) – and he's not all that interesting. Most of the film consists of fighting, chasing, and lots and lots of the 'splosions beloved of the target audience, but is there anything of interest to adults? Well, there's the odd flash of humour – including in the very first scene a good visual joke about relative size and perspective – but that's about it. The rest is completely forgettable and, as I indicated in my review of the first film of this series, the old TV series and films of Star Trek: The New Generation are, by comparison, positively Shakespearean.
One curiosity: the MacGuffin in this film is a supposedly civilisation-destroying secret weapon, yet on the two occasions it is deployed the effect is little more than, and significantly slower than, a typical hand grenade.
I read recently that the quantity and quality of dialogue in blockbuster films have been declining steadily in recent years, for the simple reason that to maximise the takings the films have to be successful around the world. So they have to be as easily understood in China as in the USA. Which means simple plots and a strongly visual, action-orientated viewing experience with a minimum of chatter. Which leads me neatly into Star Trek Beyond. Once again, the only vaguely interesting character is the villain (in this case played by Idris Elba) – and he's not all that interesting. Most of the film consists of fighting, chasing, and lots and lots of the 'splosions beloved of the target audience, but is there anything of interest to adults? Well, there's the odd flash of humour – including in the very first scene a good visual joke about relative size and perspective – but that's about it. The rest is completely forgettable and, as I indicated in my review of the first film of this series, the old TV series and films of Star Trek: The New Generation are, by comparison, positively Shakespearean.
One curiosity: the MacGuffin in this film is a supposedly civilisation-destroying secret weapon, yet on the two occasions it is deployed the effect is little more than, and significantly slower than, a typical hand grenade.
Enforcer Productions
Pile of Bones
- Joined
- Jul 23, 2017
- Messages
- 44
I watched it with my dad last night, and I thought it was exceptionally well done! Having not seen much Star Trek, it was easy to follow, and also had some good humor!
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