‘Star Trek: Section 31’ Review: Michelle Yeoh Stars in a Franchise Tangent Too Thinly Tethered to the Mother Ship

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In the continually growing “Star Trek” universe, which will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year, there’s space for a variety of astronomical occurrences, even the occasional unimpressive red dwarf star. This title is taken by “Star Trek: Section 31,” the franchise’s first feature film since “Beyond” nearly a decade ago, and its debut on streaming platforms. A spin-off from Michelle Yeoh’s character in the “Discovery” series, with Olatunde Osunsanmi once more at the helm, this seemingly entertaining detour is too complex and inconsistently toned to make a lasting impact. With a largely negative response from fans upon its January 24th release on Paramount+, it may also veer too far from the established core principles to warrant any continuation.

“Star Trek: Section 31,” the latest addition to the Star Trek universe, was released as a streaming film and is a spin-off from Michelle Yeoh’s character in “Discovery.” However, it’s too complicated and inconsistently toned for lasting impact, and fans have had mostly negative reactions since its release. It may not be worthy of any future installments due to straying too far from the established core principles of Star Trek.

Previously known for her action roles in Hong Kong martial arts films, the agile actress has since garnered even more recognition following her appearance as Philippa Georgiou in Star Trek and her Oscar win for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” as well as her role in “Wicked.” However, while she shows great energy, Georgiou is not necessarily the main character – she’s a complex figure who can be an ally, enemy or something in between to the Federation. This allows the more conventional hero, Omari Hardwick’s Alok Sahar, to take center stage, although he never completely overshadows the other characters.

Craig Sweeny’s screenplay often adopts an overly playful stance, making lighter moments seem pretentious. Additionally, the characters frequently have hidden agendas or are mistakenly declared dead, leading to numerous twists that feel more like silliness than cleverness or significance. In the end, the story culminates in a confrontation between former lovers-turned-enemies, with the fate of the world at stake. However, this passionate conflict feels insignificant amidst excessive narrative complexity.

In my narrative, I recount my journey from a young woman (Miku Martineau) who defied lethal odds and seized the Terran Empire’s throne, leaving behind a trail of heartache, including the betrayal of San (first portrayed by James Huang, later by James Hiroyuki Liao). The tale then skips ahead to a point after I lost my empire, having since transitioned into a witty operative for the clandestine Federation intelligence unit Section 31 on “Discovery.” However, it’s essential to note that this is not my persona in the regular Star Fleet, as that Captain perished in the 2017 pilot episode of the series. Now, I have vanished, adopted a new identity, and am rumored to be dealing in illicit bio-weapons. Consequently, a fresh Section 31 team led by Alok is dispatched to locate me, with orders to eliminate the supposed threat.

This woman is at present managing and hosting a luxury dive bar, her sharp instincts allowing her to swiftly identify six newcomers as undercover agents: Strongarm Zeph (Rob Kazinsky), who behaves like a bull in a china shop, made more intimidating by his exoskeleton; Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), who appears Vulcan-like but is actually a Nanokin, or “intelligent microbe”; Quasi (Sam Richardson), capable of shifting into any physical form; initially blue-haired Garrett (Kacey Rohl), a strict Star Fleet rule enforcer; and Melle (Humberly Gonzalez), whose power essentially lies in her hypnotic attractiveness. The group also includes Alok, an enhanced human who is the only one not to be a clichéd character or constantly at odds with others. While camaraderie has been a significant aspect of “Star Trek”, it seems notably absent from this team, despite being competently portrayed.

When Georgiou chooses to align with them instead of opposing them, events take an unexpected turn during the Section’s mission to seize a lethal artifact called “the Godsend” from its visiting vendor (portrayed by Joe Pingue as Dada Noe). Following a violent altercation at a nightclub, it disappears. This development catches the former empress off guard, as she had initially commissioned and believed to have ordered its destruction during her time as an unapologetic ruler. Now, she’s merely a somewhat reformed “beast with remorse.

Trying to find and prevent the activation of an item similar to the “Hellraiser” puzzle box, suspected of causing genocide, she gets stranded on a barren planet along with other characters in the middle part of the film. This segment is dominated by the mystery, “Who among us is betraying our actions?” The story then shifts to them repairing a broken cargo ship and setting off into space, pursuing a suspect who not only possesses the Godsend, but harbors a longstanding grudge against Georgiou.

This final portion is filled with a lot of direct confrontations, yet it lacks depth and feels more predictable than tense. The characters often come across as snarky or comedic, which makes it difficult to take the climactic moments seriously since they’re missing genuine wit. While “Star Trek” has always had a touch of humor, here there’s little substance behind the jokes or any other elements to balance out the lightheartedness. Instead, it veers towards intentionally cheesy, and the drama intended for this story seems pushed aside into flashbacks, explanatory dialogue, and other awkward plot devices that hinder a clear narrative flow.

Section 31 isn’t a bore to experience – it offers enjoyable moments as you go along. The visual effects and set designs are on point. Bartholomew Burcham keeps the pace engaging, while Jeff Russo provides an exciting score. However, what makes other “Trek” projects captivating seems absent here, with characters that might not be missed if they don’t reappear, involved in storylines that seem both overly complex and shallow, lacking depth or relevance.

Ultimately, “Star Trek: Section 31” occupies an unusual territory, neither fully satisfying as a regular series episode nor completely functioning as a standalone movie. It’s too expansive to be considered one and too light-hearted for the other. Essentially, it’s a diverting show that fades from viewer consciousness, barely connecting with anything else in the legendary Star Trek universe. The late appearance of Jamie Lee Curtis as Yeoh’s “Everything” co-star in holographic form, assigning surviving characters their next mission, leaves one questioning whether such hope for the future will materialize.

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2025-01-25 09:46