'Star Trek Beyond' Movie Review

Hello, fellow moviegoers!
   With the return of such beloved franchises Star Trek and Star Wars in the past few years, it's a good time to be a fan of sci-fi. With the Star Trek franchise having been rebooted with direction from J.J. Abrams in 2009 and Star Wars Episode VII hitting theaters last December, also from J.J. Abrams, these franchises are both back in full swing. To the dismay of many fans, J.J. Abrams left the director's chair of this third Star Trek film for the spot in Star War VII. While J.J.'s departure set the film back a bit, Star Trek Beyond is now in theaters with Fast & Furious director Justin Lin at the helm. 
   Star Trek Beyond stars Chris Pine, Simon Pegg, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Idris Elba, and Sofia Boutella. When the crew of the Enterprise crash-lands on an unknown planet, they start to be hunted by a mysterious enemy known as Krall. With the help of the once-captive Jaylah, Kirk and a few members of his crew must track down everyone else and discover what it is Krall is really after. So does this movie boldly go where no film has gone before?

   I am by no means a "Trekkie", however, I have enjoyed the recent films from J.J. Abrams (Yes, even Into Darkness). I was optimistic when they announced that Justin Lin was taking over, and I'm glad to say that he did a great job with this film.
   Star Trek Beyond is a very entertaining film, that doesn't necessarily push the boundaries of cinema, but it didn't need to. The best thing about this film is that it was simply fun. This is the type of film that you don't need to prepare to watch; you can just watch it on a whim and have a good time. 
   The overall story was pretty good, although it's not going to win any Oscars. There was one plot twist concerning the villain in the film that would've worked really well had it not been spoiled by the advertisements. If you know what that twist is ahead of time, it does detract from the film a bit. 
   The cast of this new Star Trek series is part of what makes it so great. Each member fits so well into their individual roles, and the dynamics between them make for some really interesting conversations. Star Trek Beyond is no exception to that. Chris Pine, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, and the rest of the returning cast is just as great as they were in the previous films. Newcomers Idris Elba and Sofia Boutella were each fantastic in their roles. Idris Elba as the villain in pretty much any film guarantees a terrifying villain. His performance as Krall in Star Trek Beyond made for  a great villain to make this already pretty good film into a great one. Sofia Boutella (who you might recognize from Kingsman) is an actress to keep your eye on. She was really good in Kingsman, and she brings that same talent to the character of Jaylah in this film. Hopefully, they bring her back for the next film because she's definitely a character that would work well in the crew of the Enterprise. 
   Star Trek Beyond is, in my opinion, another great chapter in this rebooted Star Trek universe. It's funny, it's action-packed, it's got heart, and it is just a really good time at the movies. The entire cast gives great performances, especially Elba and Boutella, and the dynamics between all of these characters never made the film boring. I would recommend Star Trek Beyond if you're ever just looking for a fun film to watch. If you're a fan of Sci-Fi, then I believe you'll have a really good time with this film. This is definitely one I'm planning to buy on Blu-Ray when it comes out.
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8/10

   So what'd you think of Star Trek Beyond? Are you a fan of this rebooted Star Trek universe? Let me know by commenting on this post! Also, if you enjoyed this review, share it on Facebook and Twitter. It really helps! Don't forget, I post every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, so check back then for more movie reviews and miscellaneous movie thoughts!

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