10 Things Hotly Anticipated Films Need To Get Right In 2016
10. Star Trek Beyond Needs To Put Plot First
One of the major criticisms of J.J Abrams Star Trek Into Darkness was that its plot simply wasn't strong enough. Compared with the first entry in the rebooted series (which didn't even have a particularly complex plot to begin with) there were just too many plot holes and glaring inconsistencies. On top of that, the film was so desperate to manipulate emotions and shock that it often just came across as eye-rollingly cringe-worthy. The reveal that Benedict Cumberbatch was playing Khan (which itself attracted immense criticism, with one critic suggesting the character had been whitewashed into oblivion) was about as surprising as learning Christoph Waltz was playing Blofeld that is to say, not surprising in the slightest. The quick, Deus Ex-y resurrection of Kirk also came across as an incredibly cheap and lazy piece of writing. Though the first Star Trek film was still action-orientated, it had a rather no-frills plot that told a completely serviceable story, coupled with some great action set pieces. If Star Trek Beyond is to succeed, it needs to stop trying to be what it's not (at this point, it'll never be slow and intellectual like the TV series at its height). One of the problems with Fast & Furious director Justin Lin directing the film, however, is that though the action might be exciting and well-directed, it risks losing much of the weightiness of J.J. Abrams action set pieces. One of the scenes in the trailer, for example, sees Simon Pegg's Scotty leap from a falling escape pod and grabbing onto a cliff. The whole thing looks a bit ridiculous, which is a quality Abram's action scenes thankfully lacked. Ultimately, the film needs to commit to being a better-than-average action film with a strong story (cut the faux reveals and the Marvel-esque resurrection of characters shortly after they die). At this point, that's all fans really want and expect.
