by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor
Space: the final frontier. After a very Earth-centric adventure in Star Trek Into Darkness, the crew of the USS Enterprise finally embarked on their historic five-year mission into the unknown. With Director Justin Lin (Fast 5) taking over the reigns from J.J. Abrams (Star Trek, Star Wars: The Force Awakens), fans have been unsure what to expect from this new Trek installment. What does the universe hold in store for our beloved explorers this time around? Get ready for an epic adventure, because Star Trek Beyond hits theaters this week!
Minor Spoilers Ahead
After spending nearly three years in the depths of space, Captain James T. Kirk begins to question his place in the universe. Having surpassed the age of his father (the late George Kirk, who died in the opening of Star Trek 2009), Kirk is unsure if his fate is to remain in the stars, or move on to new adventures. While resupplying at the Yorktown, the Federation’s newest space station, the crew receives a distress request and sets out on a mission of mercy to retrieve survivors of a stranded vessel. All is not what it seems, and the Enterprise is quickly attacked by a mysterious swarm of ships, which quickly obliterates a large portion of the ship. Their enemy stands revealed, as the being known as Krall searches for an alien artifact that the Enterprise has stored within its vaults. With extreme reluctance, the crew abandons ship, only to find themselves in the clutches of their attackers. With some help from the mysterious Jaylah, Captain Kirk must now attempt a last ditch effort to rescue his crew and stop Krall before he launches a surprise attack on Yorktown and the Federation.
Star Trek Beyond features the return of the Enterprise Crew, including: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, John Cho, and Anton Yelchin. The film also introduces audiences to Sofia Boutella (Monsters: Dark Continent) as Jaylah, and Idris Elba (Thor) as Krall. It is hard to say that the film has a single MVP, because it is extremely well balanced in terms of chances for the cast to shine. Jaylah is a fantastic new addition to the Star Trek franchise, and Boutella really does add a fun new dynamic to crew. I would be shocked if we don’t see her again in the next iteration. Elba’s Krall is definitely the most developed villain that Kirk has ever been faced with, and it is exciting to see a new and imposing threat added to the Trek universe. The pairing of Spock and McCoy lends to some of the films best moments, demonstrating a new depth to their friendship that we previously hadn’t seen in the Abrams films. Anton Yelchin (who sadly passed away recently) delivers a touching final performance as Chekov, and his presence will surely be missed in future iterations.
Simon Pegg and Doug Jung deliver one of the best Trek stories ever, and they have managed to include something for everyone on this 50th Anniversary outing. Star Trek Beyond is a true testament to the franchise. Star Trek has always been a mirror for society, and this new release is no exception. Diversity abounds in this adventure, and the future is bright and hopeful. Fans will also love the countless homages to Trek mythology and history, including a touching tribute to the original crew, a few visual throwbacks to Star Trek: The Next Generation, and a historical reference to Enterprise (pay close attention to the USS Franklin).
Overall
For those of you who were worried about the tone of the film after seeing the trailers, don’t worry. This is absolutely a Star Trek movie. It is filled with action, adventure, exploration, humor, compassion, and everything that truly makes this franchise great. Gene Roddenberry would be very proud of the final product that the cast and crew have assembled. I think audiences will get a thrill out of Star Trek Beyond, and I would highly recommend seeing the release in IMAX if possible.
Rating: 
ComicsOnline gives Star Trek Beyond 5 out of 5 missions in deep space.
