Star Trek Beyond: 10 Things It Did Better Than J.J. Abrams

The Starship Enterprise has been destroyed exactly three times, discounting alternate realities and various incidents involving time travel. It was destroyed in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, and it was destroyed in Star Trek: Generations, and in both cases, the destruction itself was something of a disappointment. In Beyond, everything humanly possible is done to prevent the destruction of the Enterprise, and the destruction itself is handled excellently.

Clearly, the ship means something to the crew, as well as to the Captain. As it descends towards to the ground, there’s a certain degree of magnitude, almost as though we’re witnessing the death of an actual character, rather than the obliteration of some easily replaceable, meaningless scrap of metal. In fact, the image of Kirk reflected across the ship pretty much says it all, and is symbolic of how much of himself is tied to the Enterprise.

Maybe I’m reading too much into it, but at the very least, this was the first time the destruction of the Enterprise was handled correctly. It felt as though a genuine loss, rather than a simple inconvenience. And I only cried for maybe fifteen minutes.

Were you a fan of Star Trek Beyond? Share your own reflections below in the comments thread.