Star Trek Beyond (2016)

The Enterprise gets ripped to pieces in the first act, and it’s the best thing for this crew. With the ship gone, Justin Lin scatters everyone into odd pairs across an alien planet, and the pairings are the fun. Karl Urban’s Bones and Zachary Quinto’s Spock get stuck together, and Urban gets the best lines, most of them aimed at Spock. Simon Pegg’s Scotty finds a great new friend in Sofia Boutella’s Jaylah, a scavenger who has turned a wrecked starship into her home. The weak spot is Krall. Idris Elba is buried under heavy makeup, and his reason for hating the Federation arrives so late you’ll barely care. Some fights are cut so fast and so dark you lose track of who’s punching whom. It made $343.5 million worldwide on a reported $185M, and it holds an 86% on Rotten Tomatoes. A 7.2 because it feels like a good episode of the show, which is a compliment. $3.25 says you start sounding like Bones this week, sighing at every bit of good news like it’s a personal insult.

What works: Splitting the crew into odd pairs pays off, especially Bones and Spock, and Sofia Boutella’s Jaylah is a great addition.

What doesn’t: Krall’s motive shows up far too late to matter, and some of the fights are too dark and choppy to follow.

Who it’s for: Trekkies who missed the feel of the old show and anyone who wants a fun space adventure with a crew that likes each other.