The Michelle Yeoh Star Trek TV Movie Just Doesn’t Have the Juice

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Michelle Yeoh‘s stardom, at first glance, seems like an ideal fit for the Star Trek universe. With her roots tracing back to Hong Kong action films such as Police Story 3 (1995) and Yes, Madam! (1985), and more recently acclaimed works like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000), she has mastered the art of portraying strength, intelligence, and badassery. Her command over her physical presence and piercing gaze have only grown stronger over time, culminating in her Best Actress win at the Academy Awards for Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022).

It’s unfortunate that an actress of such depth continues to portray Philippa Georgiou, a character whose actions, including extreme genocidal violence, clash starkly with the core values of the long-standing Star Trek franchise. This franchise has always been built on a foundation of hope for the future, which seems at odds with such violent acts.

Having recently garnered an Oscar, it’s evident that Paramount can no longer afford her for a full “Star Trek” series. Instead, we have “Section 31,” a spinoff film from “Star Trek: Discovery” currently streaming on Paramount+. This film is disorganized, misguided, and repetitive, filled with ideas it only scratches the surface of. Despite its brief 80-minute runtime, I found it difficult to finish within days, which is telling given my deep affection for “Star Trek” and the series that spawned Section 31 – “Deep Space Nine,” which ran for seven seasons from 1993. Led by the captivating Avery Brooks as Captain Benjamin Sisko, the franchise’s first African American lead, “Deep Space Nine” was a groundbreaking show. Sisko was a complex Starfleet officer, a religious figure for the Bajoran people, a single father, and one of the most intricate characters in the franchise.

“Deep Space Nine” challenged the boundaries of the franchise, at times shattering them completely, making “Star Trek” more alien, thought-provoking, and blissful in its offerings. The concept of Section 31 was introduced in later seasons. They were a covert group who believed they were safeguarding Earth and the United Federation of Planets through extrajudicial means such as mind-wipes, political assassinations, and espionage. However, most of Starfleet remains unaware of their existence, and those who do know are simply complicit in overlooking them.

Deep Space Nine brought a more intricate moral landscape to Star Trek, as exemplified by the emergence of Section 31. A formidable figure named Sloan, portrayed superbly by William Sadler, attempted to enlist the chief medical officer of DS9, Julian Bashir, played by Alexander Siddig. However, Bashir declined, appalled by Section 31’s brutality and lack of transparency. Bashir was one of the kindest and most principled characters in the series, making his rejection a potent critique of this organization. Far from being slick spies, they were revealed as dangerous entities who cloak their heinous actions behind the guise of preserving peace. As Odo, the shrewd and enigmatic constable portrayed by the late René Auberjonois, astutely stated in the seventh season: “It’s fascinating really. The Federation professes to detest Section 31’s methods, but when they require unsavory deeds, they turn a blind eye. It’s a neat arrangement, isn’t it?” Despite Deep Space Nine’s devoted fanbase within the franchise, it appears that those creating Star Trek today may be taking the wrong lessons from it, embracing its darkness while neglecting its heart and thought-provoking contradictions.

Instead of directly comparing the new Section 31 TV movie to the series it spawned, one might say that while the film inevitably invites such comparisons, it also raises significant questions about its intended audience. The movie starts with a recap for those unacquainted with Yeoh’s character from Discovery, but it’s doubtful that viewers who didn’t watch her on Discovery would be drawn to this film in the first place. However, despite the detailed introduction of the storyline, the film is rich with Star Trek inside jokes and allusions, even going so far as to mention Turkana IV in its climax, a reference only die-hard fans of The Next Generation would recognize.

Despite her impressive skills, Yeoh finds it challenging to bring the character Philippa Georgiou to life effectively. To elaborate: Georgiou hails from an alternate universe where the Federation does not exist, instead there’s the ruthless Terran Empire. In this universe, she was the emperor, overseeing genocidal acts, slaughtering millions, and destroying planets without hesitation. She showed little remorse for her cruel actions, even after transitioning to the seemingly more peaceful prime universe.

In the mirror universe, Georgiou ascended to power by killing her parents and younger brother in a brutal battle royale. Her childhood friend and lover, San, was forced to serve her following this event, as she branded him with an iron. These early scenes of Section 31 depict this pivotal moment in Georgiou’s life. The reasons for her settlement in the early 24th century are complex but not central to our discussion here.

Currently, I manage a chic establishment, a bar with questionable dealings, orbiting high above Federation territory in a gleaming space station. Draped in elegant gowns, I occasionally indulge in a martini, savoring its taste amidst the intrigue. My path crosses with Section 31 again when I notice their operatives within my establishment, including Alok, a stern leader whose demeanor exudes an intent to intimidate, though his role lacks the depth needed to truly strike fear. He poses a question that echoes the film’s underlying message: “Do you believe in fate? The past always catches up with you.”

Reluctantly, I join their mission to locate and neutralize a lethal bioweapon; a task that forces me to confront the past I believed was buried within the Terran Empire. This becomes especially apparent when I encounter the weapon, realizing it is my own creation. However, I had issued orders for its destruction when I was emperor. The bioweapon sets off a chain reaction, causing mass destruction and obliterating an entire quadrant of space.

Section 31 strives to present this story as a humorous heist, a profound journey towards redemption, and a thrilling action film, providing me with the chance to display my combat skills in a series of striking outfits. Yet, these attempts are lackluster and inconsistent, except for my own performance.

Upon joining the Section 31 team early in the game, I quickly discerned the main challenge that would hinder the film’s progress: These characters are extremely annoying. Georgiou bluntly says, “Let’s cut the crap. What is Section 31 doing on my space station?” This forces Alok to abandon his undercover drug dealing operation. As she makes her way through, Georgiou accurately identifies each spy in her bar by presenting the supporting cast: Melle (Humberly González), a sleek Deltan who can charm almost every species regardless of their own preferences; Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), a boisterous human whose strength doesn’t enhance his lack of intelligence; Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), a microscopic, octopus-like creature inhabiting a robot body designed to look like a Vulcan male but consistently displays emotions and speaks with an Irish accent that would likely undermine his espionage efforts; Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), a character previously introduced in the The Next Generation episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” here portrayed as the captain of an alternative version of the Enterprise who speaks with no charm, saying things like “Chaos is my friends with benefits” without any flair; and Quasi, the character most effectively brought to life (performed by Sam Richardson, who skillfully balances his humor), a shape-shifting Chameloid who tends to overthink.

The main plot’s credibility is somewhat dubious. How can a narrative rationalize such an approach when the character’s violence results in casualties numbering in the millions? The film, much like Discovery before it, seems more focused on portraying Georgiou as cool rather than critically examining her and delving into why she’s managed to endure for so long despite accumulating countless adversaries.

The romantic relationship between Georgiou and San (portrayed by James Hiroyuki Liao as an adult) shares the same flaw, failing to evoke the necessary emotional responses due to a lack of development time. The film races through a series of disasters—losing the bioweapon in the initial heist, becoming stranded on a barren planet, discovering one of the Section 31 crew is a mole for the Terran Empire—which gives the impression of an entire first season squeezed into a 100-minute movie. This rapid pace leaves the story with an open ending that seems designed to encourage a series continuation on Paramount+.

The film’s issues are compounded by excessive editing, which includes unnecessary rewinds and flashbacks, making it seem as if the audience has a short memory. Furthermore, the overall presentation is overly busy, striving for coolness but coming off as cluttered and cheesy instead. This approach serves no purpose, especially when it comes to Yeoh’s character. She clearly enjoys playing her role and delivers lines like “Let’s get messy” with enthusiasm before Georgiou makes another bold move. I admire the intention to make Star Trek more alien, with bizarre creatures that don’t conform to human sensibilities, glittering drugs in the air, and advanced technology. However, the film’s slick visual style makes it generic. With a little effort, you can spot how the writers and director are borrowing from other sci-fi franchises in an attempt to modernize Star Trek, though this only results in creating a gravitational pull that isn’t unique to the franchise itself.

In simpler terms, it seems that the Star Trek franchise, once driven by genuine curiosity, now appears to imitate other popular series like the Battlestar Galactica reboot. This is particularly evident in Section 31 and the films directed by J.J. Abrams, which tried to emulate the action-packed style of Star Wars. However, this approach detracts from what makes Star Trek unique. While shows like Lower Decks and Strange New Worlds offer heartfelt absurdity and awe-inspiring wonder, there are several questionable decisions that some argue stem from Abrams’s films and the Discovery series. Although franchises need to evolve to stay relevant, it seems they’ve taken this evolution a step too far towards becoming overly simplistic.

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2025-02-07 19:54