The first official look at the new Star Trek film, set to be released this summer, was like a Christmas miracle to Trekkie fans overwhelmed with Star Wars hoopla. A small gift to the fans of the other Star franchise. Here is the trailer for Star Trek: Beyond.
Go ahead, it’s okay, take another look.
Here’s a small attempt to unpack what’s happening in this minute and a half of footage.
What’s Happening to the Enterprise?
As Kirk (Chris Pine) narrates, “We have no ship. No crew. How are we gonna get out of this one?” we see the Enterprise being attacked. Not only that, it begins to break apart. Something has gone wrong, terribly, terribly wrong. And it appears that the crew is stranded and separated from one another. Some appear to be injured, and other captured.
The crew appears to be just as broken as the Enterprise.
A look at the villain.
We finally get a glimpse at Idris Elba as the villain. He is unrecognizable.
In the voiceover he says, “This is where it begins, Captain. This is where the frontier pushes back.” We can assume that Elba’s villain is the one capturing the crew (and everyone else in that scene). But why?
A New Alien
Sofia Boutella plays a new alien whose name is not yet known. But based on the trailer, she plays an important role in the story.
Where’s Spock?
In one scene, Spock and Dr. McCoy are being surrounded. McCoy says, “Well, at least I won’t die alone.” As soon as he says this, Spock is beamed somewhere else. But where? McCoy’s response is typical McCoy: “Well, that’s just typical.”
Overall, it looks like a film in the same thread as the other two Star Trek films from J. J. Abrams, who is getting a lot of attention right now in light of Star Wars The Force Awakens. Perhaps the biggest clue to what may be happening in this new film is the soundtrack for the trailer. The whole thing is set to the Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage.”
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