No J.J. Abrams? No problem. That’s what Chris Pine and company are hoping for with the third film in the rebooted Star Trek franchise, and by the looks of the new trailer, they may not need the famed director.
Star Trek: Beyond finds the embattled Enterprise crew going toe to toe with a mysterious alien, played by an unrecognizable Idris Elba. The new trailer is short on time and dialogue, but long on explosions and fight sequences. Set to Rihanna’s powerful new anthem “Sledgehammer”, the third Beyond preview looks and sounds like the kind of film that new director Justin Lin has gradually perfected over the years.
Lin, best known for the Fast and Furious franchise, may not posses the eye for storytelling like his predecessor, but his eye-popping set pieces and expertly crafted action scenes may make this threequel the most exciting of the crop thus far. Furthermore, it appears that the Trek series has moved on from Kirk-Spock drama, and is now focusing on the Federation’s relations with other species.
Newcomers Elba and Sofia Boutella (Kingsman: The Secret Service) bolster an already impressive cast, and, if Rihanna’s new track is any indication, Star Trek: Beyond will be both beautiful and thrilling.
Star Trek: Beyond hits theaters July 22, 2016
