As far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason that the world of “Star Trek” can’t find room for a big dumb action movie, and I wish that the new streaming feature film “Star Trek: Section 31” were a bit bigger and a bit dumber, which would probably make it more fun to watch.
Even so, the Paramount Plus spin-off starring Michelle Yeoh as her “Star Trek: Discovery” character Emperor Philippa Georgiou has its entertaining moments. It's mainly constrained by being stuck in an awkward middle ground between current “Star Trek” TV and the franchise’s tradition of expansive theatrical releases.
Technically, “Section 31” is the first “Star Trek” movie since 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond,” and it’s clearly designed to continue in the tradition of the J.J. Abrams-produced films and “Beyond” in particular. It’s also indebted to a lot of popcorn-movie source material that would probably horrify traditionalist “Star Trek” fans, including the “Mission: Impossible” franchise, “Suicide Squad” and Zack Snyder’s much-maligned “Rebel Moon” Netflix movies.
At best, it integrates those influences into the existing “Star Trek” universe, finding clever ways to tweak familiar “Star Trek” elements in service of a fast-paced, action-packed espionage story. At worst, it comes off as a try-hard pretender, full of stale quips and faux-edgy characters.
‘Section 31’ explores a neglected area of ‘Star Trek’ continuity
When Georgiou was last seen during the third season of “Star Trek: Discovery” back in 2020, she was being whisked away from that show’s far-future timeline to some indeterminate place and time. But it’s not necessary to have watched “Discovery” in order to follow “Section 31,” which follows its opening prologue with an expository mission brief giving the lowdown on Georgiou’s history.
Georgiou was once the evil ruler of the Terran Empire, in an alternate universe where humans have conquered and subjugated the galaxy. Brought to the main “Star Trek” universe, she became an agent of Section 31, the covert-ops division of Starfleet, before being transported hundreds of years ahead in time, then back again to the era set between the original “Star Trek” and “Star Trek: The Next Generation.” As the movie begins, she’s living under the alias Madame Du Franc and running an illicit nightclub/casino/brothel outside the jurisdiction of the Federation.
In other words, she’s an unpredictable outlaw from another dimension; that’s why Section 31 wants to keep an eye on her. They send a team led by Alok (Omari Hardwick) to disrupt a weapons deal at Georgiou’s outpost, and she immediately sees through their cover and takes over the mission herself. The weapon turns out to be a doomsday device from Georgiou’s home universe, connected to her past as a ruthless warlord.
Michelle Yeoh makes ‘Star Trek: Section 31’ worth watching
The plot is just an excuse to throw together a “Guardians of the Galaxy”-style team of misfits to banter and bicker with Georgiou, and none of the new characters are nearly as appealing as Yeoh’s sarcastic, sadistic badass.
Most of them are played for laughs, with Alok and Starfleet liaison Lt. Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl) taking on the more serious roles. Garrett represents a “Star Trek” deep cut — a character seen in one “The Next Generation” episode whose future is thus set in stone — and other team members come from obscure “Star Trek” alien races, including Sam Richardson as a shapeshifting Chameloid named Quasi and Humberly Gonzalez as a sexually irresistible Deltan.
Just like Georgiou’s past on “Star Trek: Discovery,” those continuity points aren’t essential knowledge for understanding the movie, but they offer some fun bonuses for longtime “Star Trek” aficionados. The characters themselves are slightly less appealing, although comedy mainstay Richardson (“Veep") gives Quasi an amusing mix of bravado and insecurity, and Rohl finds some depth to a character who was previously defined in relation to far more famous “Star Trek” figures. Sven Ruygrok is annoying as an apparent Vulcan with an inexplicable (and terrible) Irish accent, and the other team members make even less of an impression.
“Section 31” is all about Yeoh, then, as well it should be, and she proves why she’s been an action-movie icon for 40 years. An early fight scene between Georgiou and a mysterious masked attacker, with both of them using devices to turn intangible, shows the inventiveness of veteran “Star Trek” TV director Olatunde Osunsanmi, and Yeoh does her best to sell Georgiou’s connection to the underwritten villain once he’s finally revealed.
There’s still room to make a great ‘Star Trek’ action movie
While Osunsanmi steps up to give “Section 31” as much of a cinematic feel as possible within its streaming-level budget, the script by fellow “Star Trek” TV alum Craig Sweeny falls short, with modern-sounding dialogue that fails to replicate the snark of James Gunn or the intensity of Christopher McQuarrie. “Section 31” is under-plotted and overly gimmicky, but it has the right idea in taking a new approach to a “Star Trek” story.
While “Section 31” thankfully avoids seeming like an overgrown TV pilot — since it was shifted away from an initially planned ongoing series — it does set up the possibility of future adventures for Georgiou and her team. I may not be entirely sold on “Section 31,” but I still think there’s plenty of potential in the idea of a “Star Trek” action movie starring Michelle Yeoh. With more ambition (and possibly a theatrical release), the next one might realize that potential.
“Star Trek: Section 31” premieres January 24 on Paramount Plus.
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