The Enterprise is back! Kirk & Co! Ready for another clash between him and the Vulcan? And an encounter with a new breed that threatens the future of life as we know it, in this particular case threatening Starbase Yorktown, a glass capsule with a small civilization within, floating around in close-to-uncharted space.

It's into this uncharted space they venture, Kirk & Co, and the best is saved for the start - they're attacked, straight of the bat, and nearly annihilated by a vicious squad of small enemy ships that rip through their hull in a matter of minutes. Though it's over within a matter of minutes this is just the beginning! They crash land on a foreign planet, split up, in enemy territory, without a vessel to bring them back home, and without yet a way to stop the threat that looms. How does it end? Watch and find out!

It was a good movie. If you liked previous segments of the Star Trek franchise (the new ones in particular), then you'll love this, even if the overall plotline doesn't seem to progress notably, and there are few notable changes in character presence or Star Trek realm on offer.

Most of the changes here seem to have happened between this and the prequel, or be bound to happen before the next. It feels very cut-off in regard to plot-progressing context concerning the whole realm, but it does provide all the action and intrigue we love about this series, and they put it together in a good way, along with a bit of comedy, punchline and inventive weaponry. That's really all I can ask for. And I do like the oldskool poster art.

They also bring in an interesting effect I'm not sure they've used before - voices fading in and out of focus according to character movement. It felt different. Good, though. I can't imagine it not having been like this earlier, but since I noticed it here... maybe it usually isn't? Feels both strange and natural somehow. Just a note. Rating?

 rated 4/5: fo shizzle

March, 2022

They got that magic back! And the contemplation - with the first and last logs at least. I like how unexpectedly full-circle that bit went. Journeying off into two new worlds in search of something they may never find in a lifetime... I really love the beginning. Unfortunately didn't understand everything Idris said at the end. Accent + intensity = certain difficulty in picking up all words. At least for me...

Didn't realize Idris Elba or Sofia Boutella (confused her with Salma Hayek at first) were in this one last time I watched it either!

And I love how they never have one-dimensional villains here, or a one-dimensional understanding of the world, of struggle and progress and unity and love and all those things that make us human.

It ends like it starts on those notes. Well. Satisfyingly dimensional. And the intergalactic end credits were a step up since the last one too - from destroyed and cold worlds to wonders of color, life and mystery.

A little wreckage too, of course. But just a little.

Really liking Jayla too. Hope she's around for the sequels.

Wish the science officer Carol Marcus would've been around more for this one too, it's like there just wasn't any place in the plotline for her this time. Or like she was just an unintended remnant of the previous that we glimpse briefly here only for the sake of continuity. But it's still more so about the captain finding himself and his place in the universe. And his purpose. Maybe there'll be more sideline relation room with the next one?

That outro message with all crew voices abridged btw: nice touch.

And Leonard Nimoy. RIP. The last of the original cast...

 rated 4.5/5: almost awesome