Trek is a Wreck: Alex Kurtzman’s ‘Section 31’ Boldly Goes Nowhere

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Over a long span as a dedicated fan of Star Trek, I’ve found myself progressively disheartened by Alex Kurtzman’s leadership within the franchise. The latest production, “Star Trek: Section 31,” sadly aligns with the underwhelming trajectory established by recent projects such as Discovery, Lower Decks, Strange New Worlds, and Prodigy. Michelle Yeoh headlines this film, but its opening, a problematic Mirror Universe prologue, sets a tone that disappointingly strays from Star Trek’s optimistic essence. Georgiou becomes part of Section 31, a covert Starfleet unit tasked with unconventional methods to protect the United Federation of Planets. The narrative that unfolds is a tedious and visually unexciting display that falls short in evoking even a spark of what makes Star Trek unique.

From a devoted Star Trek enthusiast’s perspective, Kurtzman’s “NuTrek” has repeatedly strayed from the core essence of what made Star Trek iconic – its hopeful portrayal of humanity’s future. The grimdark, “realistic” universe they’ve created, where Starfleet is riddled with corruption and heroes are deeply flawed, seems to miss the mark entirely. The latest installment, “Section 31,” unfortunately continues down this misguided path, offering a “spyfy” escapade that feels more like a poorly executed video game adaptation than a genuine Star Trek production. The dialogue is painfully cheesy, with characters uttering outdated catchphrases that land with a thud. Even the remarkable Michelle Yeoh’s acting skills can’t rescue this misfire.

The action scenes fall short of expectations, even with Yeoh’s experience in Hong Kong cinema and her impressive portrayal in “Everything Everywhere All at Once.” However, the film doesn’t fully utilize her talents as the plot seems to be too demanding for her age. Similar to many of Kurtzman’s productions, this movie places more emphasis on entertaining fans with superficial references than crafting a deep and engaging story. The Trek references appear insubstantial and merely serve as shallow Easter eggs, lacking depth in contributing to the overall narrative.

Essentially, “Star Trek: Section 31” embodies the missteps that have occurred under Kurtzman’s leadership in the Star Trek franchise. It’s quite different from the intellectually stimulating and optimistic science fiction that Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek was known for over the decades. If you’re interested, you can check it out on Paramount+; however, I suspect even devoted fans may find themselves grappling to justify this recent departure.

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2025-01-24 21:30