This is the second sequel for the crew of the Enterprise. This time three years have passed and they are trekking through the stars to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before. But unfortunately like any deep space mission, the universe can be treacherous and unpredictable. Kirk and his crew experience firsthand the unforgiving, cold, unrelenting forces in the blackness of space.
Director Justin Lin takes the reins from J.J. Abrams and delivers a great Star Trek film. He impresses upon us that whatever situation you walk into, your survival depends on the people around you. He also uses the “black” to show us that it can be lonely and emotionless, and can make you doubt your importance in the universe. Chris Pine who reprises his role as James Kirk, delivers another great performance. This time he is tackling his inner conscious about his decision on taking a mission this long and whether it is worth the effort. Lin does a very good job balancing Kirk’s moral decisions and his duty toward Starfleet. When we first saw Kirk, his desire to command a starship is pretty evident to everyone around him. Now that he’s had a full seven course meal from all his adventures, his desire has somewhat diminished. Lin lets us see life outside the Enterprise through the eyes of Kirk and his crew when they take shore leave at a star base called the Yorktown. Their leave is cut short when they receive a distress call from an alien damaged ship that seeks help at the Yorktown star base. From there, things turn from bad to WTF (What The Frak!!). The battle scene between the enemy and the Enterprise is epic and cool to watch. The Enterprise get ripped apart and its debris spreads all over the nearby planet.
Everything is thrown into chaos for the crew. Lin takes advantage of this disaster scenario to heighten the survival mode within each member of the crew. I like the fact that they give Simon Pegg’s character, Scotty, a meatier role in this film (it may also have something to do with Pegg writing the script ;)) where he befriends an albino-esque Amazonian alien, named Jaylah play by Sofia Boutella. Their banter is funny and refreshing. 
Zachary Quinto and Karl Urban who reprise their role as Spock and Mccoy and take this opportunity to continue their love/hate bro-mance while trying to find their shipmates. Sulu and Uhura and the rest of the crew are taken hostage by the enemy while discovering secrets about their captors that are both terrifying and historical.
Idris Elba who plays the main villain, Kraal, is cool. His alien makeup and his demeanor can frighten even the mightiest of Klingons. His acting skills have always been spot on and terrific in his past films, and he again delivers a great performance. But he is not as powerful and chilling as Benedict Cumberbatch’s performance as Khan in the previous film.
This film delivers great special effects both in space and on the ground. You would probably think that a second sequel is stretching it when it comes to telling a good story, but this is Star Trek. This film definitely told a good story, but I don’t think we have scratched the surface with this young crew and its many adventures. The new Starfleet uniforms are nice, and the Yorktown star base is very impressive. It looks more the Deep Space Nine base, only more intertwined and complex. The continuing storyline with Spock and his struggle to do what’s right for his people and his loyalty towards Starfleet and his strong friendship with Kirk is nice, but it can get old very fast.
The unfortunate departure of Nimoy and Yelchin will leave a sad note in Star Trek history, but they left us unforgettable moments and cherished memories. I’m glad Lin was able to pay tribute to Nimoy in the film and that Yelchin was able to play Chekov one last time. In the next film I want to see Kirk and Spock solidify their position in the universe and start kicking some alien ass. We need to see the crew of the Enterprise go up against the Klingons, possibly the Borg, or maybe the Romulans. I need classic villains to satisfy my nerd addiction. I think we have waited long enough. Star Trek Beyond is a very good film, great special effects, good villain, but I need more. It is a film worthy enough to see on the big screen, but I need more.
I give this film three and a half movie stubs out of five.
