Star Trek: Section 31
As Philippa Georgiou agrees to work with Section 31 - a secret division of Starfleet tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets - she discovers the existence of a weapon that forces her to face the sins of her own past.
Now, before I get into this review, I should probably mention that this movie acts as a spin-off to ideas introduced in Star Trek: Discovery, which is a series that I never actually watched before. I wanted to watch it, but I just never got into it. And given how the series has received mixed reactions from fans and critics alike, I figured I was never really missing out on much.
But I actively wanted to watch this movie since it technically acted as the first Star Trek film to be released since 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Meaning fans have gone without a Star Trek movie for nearly 10 years now! So, even though this movie wasn’t given a theatrical release, I’m sure fans - not unlike myself - were eager to consume any kind of film they could get.
Unfortunately, Star Trek: Section 31 is an incredibly bad movie. One that doesn’t even really feel like a movie. Instead of feeling like a full length feature film, Section 31 feels more like a three-episode television arc that has been haphazardly stitched together in order to qualify as a movie. Which may technically be the case, since it feels like Section 31 was meant to act as a backdoor pilot.
Again, I don't know how well this story connects to Star Trek: Discovery, but it definitely feels like a three-episode arc from that series. One that ended up getting deleted for some reason; and I totally understand why.
Star Trek: Section 31 is bad. The story isn't too engaging, the characters aren't really interesting, the performances aren't that great, the writing isn't too strong, and the visual effects aren't even too good. All of which made for one of the worst Star Trek films, ever.
Which is a shame, especially since Michelle Yeoh is an incredible actress; but her talents are just wasted here. The fact that she basically plays two different versions of the same character doesn't even make the film any better.
And just as I was getting interested in her character, Phillipa, the movie would spend more time focusing on the ragtag team that she was forced to work with. A team that I did not care for in the slightest, I might add. Their simplistic characterizations just made the story feel painfully predictable.
So I couldn't be more disappointed with Section 31. Because, if it turned out to be good, it could’ve sparked interest in a new theatrical film. But now, I don't see why Paramount would be interested in making a new Star Trek movie any time soon. And that really sucks.
I know diehard Trekkies have issues with the Bad Robot films and the Kelvin timeline, but I absolutely love those movies, and I would definitely love to see more of them. Hell, I would even settle for seeing movies that weren't set in the Kelvin timeline. I just want to see more Star Trek films.
But maybe Star Trek works best as a television series. After all, Discovery's mixed reception hasn't stopped fans from enjoying Lower Decks or Strange New Worlds. So maybe it's time for me to actually watch those shows. I'm sure they're good. I just miss how cinematic the Star Trek franchise can be.
I don't care what anyone has to say about it, I absolutely love Star Trek Into Darkness. And I would gladly watch that film over Section 31 any day. But if Section 31 really was made from existing television material, then maybe it was doomed from the start. Movies that have been Frankenstein'ed together usually aren't received too well. Star Wars: The Clone Wars comes to mind as an example.
But if Star Wars can bounce back from The Clone Wars, then Star Trek can definitely bounce back from Section 31. Same for Michelle Yeoh's character, Phillippa. Because, while I may not have cared much for her story in this movie, that doesn't mean I wouldn’t be interested in seeing her character appear in any future Star Trek stories. Whether that be in a movie, a TV show, or whatever else have you.
So, despite the harsh reception this movie has received, I think it would be fair to say that the Star Trek franchise is going to be fine. It may be too late to make a sequel to Star Trek Beyond, but I'm sure we will end up getting some kind of Star Trek movie in the future.
It sure would be nice to see the Kelvin crew one more time, though. After all, the Bad Robot films introduced me to the Star Trek franchise in the first place. And I saw them during a very formative time in my life; so, despite the reputation they may have with diehard Trekkies, they'll always have a special place in my heart. RIP Roberto Orci.
But getting back to the movie at hand; Section 31 is really bad. Not only is it a bad Star Trek film, but it's just a bad film in general. And it's for that exact reason that Star Trek: Section 31 would, unfortunately, not get a recommendation from me.