New Star Trek Beyond trailer shreds the Enterprise

Star Trek Beyond is looking every bit as bombastic, edgy, and action-packed as the first two films in the new, rebooted series.

Well… say what you want about this series, but it has drawn in a bunch of new Trek fans. I know people who’ve run the spectrum from not caring at all about the franchise, to hating it – and they love what’s happening in the new films.

Part of that of course, is that there’s nothing to know in terms of history as this is a brand new timeline that we’re seeing, separate from the classic Trek universe (which is still going, getting a TV show soon on CBS). Nothing to know as to a fictional history, obviously leads pretty easily to new fans ‘jumping on’, which is why you see so many #1 issues from comic book publishers like Marvel these days. New fans are always a good thing.

And the second part, is that this is mainly an action series. Earlier Trek efforts, and really the elements that built the franchise to the heights that it hit in the 90s, focused on slower and more thought-provoking stories. Sure there was action, and plenty of it at times, but a good number of the original series, Next Generation, and Deep Space 9 episodes had deep societal commentary and a heavier tilt towards showing the diplomacy and politics of the future. That hasn’t been much of that in the soon-to-be trilogy of films.

As much as I might not like them as much as the classics though, there’s really no denying that these new movies are fun action/sci-fi flicks. And hey, at least they’re keeping the franchise going till fans can get a ‘real’ Trek back on TV again… *ahem* ‘Scuse me, that’s a little personal soapboxing there.

Anyway, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and all the rest of the first two movies’ crew, Star Trek Beyond hits theaters on July 22nd.