By Ashley Brown
For 50 years, Star Trek has indeed ‘gone where no man has gone before.’ Isn’t it hard to believe that it’s lasted five decades?! The Original Series ended in the month of June 1969, and continued with movies until Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released in 1991, marked the end. Since that day, the franchise was put aside but never forgotten. In 2009, all of that changed.
In 2009, Star Trek rose once again. Director JJ Abrams introduces us old Trekkies to a new version of the characters we’ve come to know and love throughout the Original Series and movies. In the first edition, one is introduced to the history of Captain James T. Kirk, played by Chris Pine, and Commander Spock, played by Zachary Quinto. Both characters are faced with painful decisions and expectations before they enlist in the legendary StarFleet, where those very struggles get even greater. Spock has to deal with the battle between his half-human, half-vulcan side while Kirk has to live up to a larger-than-life hero: his father.
2011 marked the release of Star Trek: Into Darkness. Many critics have argued that this movie was a disappointment and a poorly re-made version of Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, but many Trekkies disagree. Yes, the movie has its faults – they all do – but to straightforwardly shame the movie is a tad overdramatic. What many critics fail to notice is the subtle message behind the movie and its plot; the film is a tribute to those who’ve been affected by and lost to the acts of terrorism.
John Harrison (“Khan”) played by Benedict Cumberbatch has been woken and seeks revenge on those in StarFleet. Sacrifices are made – comfort zones are exceeded – emotions are toyed with. The list goes on. Into Darkness wasn’t the only movie made and based around a tribute.
2016 has rolled around – the 50th anniversary of the Original Series is upon us. Star Trek: Beyond, directed by Justin Lin has arrived. Out of the previous two movies, Beyond has gone ‘beyond’ expectations. Unlike the other two, it’s almost impossible to predict events – it keeps the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the duration of the film.
Star Trek: Beyond was released on July 22, 2016, and since then, it’s received a 6.9/10 rating and sits within the 83 percentile from critics. What’s given it such a high rating and success rate? Let’s talk about that.
When the Enterprise is attacked and torn apart by a hoard of massive ships, the crew begins to separate, unintentionally of course, before the Enterprise herself malfunctions and crashes to the surface of Planet Altamid. Stranded and without their communicators, the crew must fight for their survival and attempt to set aside the concern for the rest of the officers. Each actor very beautifully delivers the difficulty of achieving such a task – the crew is a family; their relationships have grown to higher, newer levels and that’s what makes them as powerful as they are.
Kirk, alongside Chekov, begins his search for the crew. There’s something bittersweet about it; Kirk has struggled with his father’s death throughout the movie up until this point. When he comes to realize the extent of danger his crew is in, he sets it aside to reunite the family. Words simply cannot describe the emotion and intensity of the movie; it’ll leave viewers wanting and waiting for another Star Trek movie to be announced.
As we conclude here, something has to be included. A year before Beyond’s release, the original Spock, the beloved Leonard Nimoy, passed away. A beautiful tribute was put in the beginning of Star Trek: Beyond, as Zachary Quinto’s Spock is informed of Spock Prime’s death. The emotion depicted is enough to bring the audience to tears. At the very end of the movie, another name is mentioned – Anton Yelchin, who played the loveable Chekov, lost his life a month before Beyond’s release in a freak car accident. Both actors will forever be remembered by the cast and Trekkies.