(SPOILER WARNING!!! This article does contain spoilers, if you haven’t seen the movie, just see the first paragraph to be informed without spoilers!!!)

Star Trek: Beyond is a fun popcorn flick, it may be very fast paced, but it has great action, funny lines, and doesn’t lose its focus on the mythos of Star Trek!!!

Rating: 4 Stars

I wouldn’t call myself a Trekker (that’s what they like to be called). However, Star Trek has always been around me since I was a kid. I was first exposed to the show Star Trek: The Next Generation with Patrick Stewart as Captain Jean-Luc Picard. My dad would watch it, and I would be in and out in watching this classic TV show. Since then, I haven’t really been into Star Trek. Then the J. J. Abrams movies started, and I really enjoyed both Star Trek and Star Trek: Into Darkness. They have great action, cool story, and the acting really captured the essence of the original Star Trek characters. They stayed true to the mythos of the classic Star Trek story, and it is enjoyable for all people to enjoy. So why not get excited for the third movie? There is that curse of the third movie being the worst of the trilogy, so I had that in the back of my mind especially with a new director. However, it holds its own.

What I Like: Justin Lin may have directed this film, but you can tell that producer J. J. Abrams, who directed the first two movies, had input on this third installment. It had a lot of action that looked like the classic Star Trek but with Lin’s creativity. The motorcycle action scene was obviously part of his directing style, and it was pretty cool seeing Captain James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine, ride that motorcycle saving his crew. The final battle between Captain Kirk and the main villain Krall, played by Idris Elba was fun to watch seeing the punches and them flying around trying to stop one another. The acting was great as usual, and Idris Elba as a villain was awesome to watch. He was very menacing, and the twist of him being the original Captain of the first spaceship, the USS Franklin, and going insane wanting to take over the universe. Yes, it is cliché, but Elba made it work with his great acting. The movie was also hilarious, and really raised the level of their comedy. The interaction between Leonard McCoy, played by Karl Urban, and Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, was some of the funniest chemistry. Simon Pegg was a writer for this script, and you can see his sense of humor throughout the movie. Bottom line, the story was Star Trek, and I strongly believe Trekkers will enjoy the movie.

The So So: The story was really fast paced, and it moves from one action scene to another really quick. It almost doesn’t give you time to breathe. However, it didn’t bother me and the fast pacing actually worked. The action is what keeps you engaged in this film, and you will not be disappointed. The sci-fi jargon was too much for me, it is what makes Star Trek Star Trek, and that’s why I can’t be nitpicky about it.

What I Didn’t Like: It did have an eye rolling cliché moment where Captain Kirk and Spock want to leave after their mission, but after all the events they decide to stay and continue their mission. Even though they would get a higher promotion. I thought it was lame, and not needed.

Overall: This is another good movie in this Star Trek trilogy. I still believe Star Trek: Into Darkness is the best one, but all of them are enjoyable, and it should satisfy the most hardcore Trekker out there. On one more note I just want to say rest in peace to Anton Yelchin who plays Pavel Chekov in this trilogy, and it has been fun to watch him act in these movies and other movies. I will always remember him in these movies as an innocent kid who takes tremendous responsibly in the USS Enterprise. A freak accident took his life, and that is a shame that a young talented actor is gone to soon. Once again, may he RIP. This article is dedicated to you!!!

(Sidenote: The Young Messiah- I was intrigued what this movie will have to offer. I expected a unique story of the life of Jesus as a kid. However, their take to me always seemed a little off. He was already performing miracles and helping his family avoid the Romans. Add to that it was boring. I lost focus halfway, and it is not like I missed anything, cuz we all know what happens later in Jesus’ life. It is a great potential story gone wrong, and it is shame!!!

Rating: 2 Stars)