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STAR TREK BEYOND

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(Fair sequel)

We love the characters in the “Star Trek” saga, just as we love the “Ice Age” characters.

Why can’t the writers give them a better story?

The movie opens with a bang. Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) is on another planet addressing a group of frightening characters who turn out to be not that frightening.

The scene shifts to our Enterprise crew who are well into their five-year stint but getting a bit complacent. Both Spock and Kirk are thinking early retirement.

But wait. Another planet is in trouble. The Enterprise crew is needed to save it. They are lured into a trap set by the evil Krall (Idris Elba), who is looking for a secret artifact and will destroy anything in his search to obtain it.

Krall destroys the Enterprise after one long, dark battle. The crew escapes in a number of pods, landing all over the rocky planet. Much of the plot revolves around them finding each other and being chased by Krall’s army. There’s lots of running around until the final battle – nothing much new there.

The best features of the Star Trek series are the interactions among the characters, which we could have used more of. Spock remains the most interesting, coming from a completely different culture that shows no feelings. It is always fascinating, and hilarious, when he bends a bit.

Hopefully, in the next sequel, we’ll see more of the intellectual and emotional side of the characters, and less of the dark, endless battles.

Rated PG-13 for violence.

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