Star Trek: Is There A Place For The Kelvin Timeline Anymore?
3. Marking The 50th Anniversary
The second sequel to Star Trek 2009 premiered in 2016, Star Trek's 50th birthday. It is, to date, the last film in the Kelvin timeline, despite being a significant step forward over Into Darkness.
While the quality of the films had improved, this was not matched by the box office. It seemed as though franchise fatigue was already seeping in.
Beyond paid homage to earlier films, much as the first two had. However, it also produced enough original content to stand on its own two feet. While the destruction of the Enterprise may have been lifted somewhat from Star Trek III and Star Trek Generations, it was handled in such a way as it seemed new and interesting.
It also tried, moreso than Into Darkness had, to appeal to a contemporary audience. Specifically, the beats and shouting.
The Beastie Boys had featured in 2009's car chase scene, with a young James T. Kirk driving a car over the edge of a cliff. Here, that music returns as the way for the good guys to defeat the bad guys. Here was youth winning over the establishment, one explosion at a time. However, there were issues behind the scenes that affected the film from the get-go.