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Star Trek: Section 31 (2025) - Film Review

Writer's picture: christophermizerakchristophermizerak

Knowing full well what a dedicated fanbase the "Star Trek" community is, it's important to note that my experience with the franchise thus far is rather limited. I've at least seen all three films from J.J. Abrams' reboot trilogy with Chris Pine as Captain Kirk. Anything else I know about the lore was obtained from select videos online. I've heard of how ridiculous "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" is with its cast singing "Row Your Boat". No one in their right mind could make something like that up, yet William Shatner did. But I digress.


You're not here for my knowledge of the series. You're here to see how "Star Trek: Section 31" from Paramount+ sits with fellow rookies like myself. It's crystal clear this film is being obliterated online, by critics and audiences alike. Apparently, it matters not if you have knowledge of the "Star Trek" universe. The quality is the same regardless. As for where I stand, I expected to be lost with what was happening going into this. After all, no one should have to do so much homework for a newly released film, since it's becoming a tired obligation.


From what I've been able to piece together though, "Section 31" ultimately amounts to a whole bunch of nothing. It goes in and out of your brain similarly to how spaceships travel to and fro at the speed of light. It's not as bad as "Back in Action" was over on Netflix recently, but it does serve as further evidence that Hollywood can only rely on the same filmmaking formulas for so long. In this case, relying on an IP that's been around since the 1960's will no longer prove to be enough in targeting new audiences anymore. Good filmmaking is always key.


What we have with "Section 31" is a clear case of a major film studio attempting to replicate the success of the MCU with their existing IP. A plot description would prove unnecessary as the writing is such that you'll be lost in the plotholes and lapses in logic throughout. To sum it in one sentence, a galactic emperor (Michelle Yeoh) with a shady past is recruited to a crew of random members in retrieving a bomb and halting its activation. Why she agrees to support this crew given the many casualties she's responsible for, I couldn't say.


Nor can I comprehend why the film's visual presentation is largely restricted to three primary colors: yellow, orange and brown. Correct me if I'm wrong, "Star Trek" fans, but isn't this universe literally supposed to be more colorful than "Section 31" made it out to be? I'm pretty sure your average toddler would say "yes" in a heartbeat. None of the advanced technology on board these ships matter when the other colors on them are so muted and overshadowed by the unappealing yellow, orange and brown lighting for the majority of the film.


The makeup and wardrobe in general fare a little better as you can see the time and effort put into them at least. I also noticed that "Section 31" is largely restricted to two settings: the inside of a nightclub in space and one specific section of a planet. If memory serves correct, your average film or episode of a show in the "Star Trek" universe had more diversity than this. For a franchise that sort of celebrates exploring the unknown, "Section 31" seems much more restrictive with what it shows on screen than it should be.


To be fair, the central narrative and script don't help matters either. Even when action and violence ensue, it's largely meaningless because the characters and their primary motivations are so disinteresting and undistinctive. It's hard to believe some of their MCU-style riffs and exchanges, they're that out of place. At the risk of spoiling what this film deems a plot twist, one of the main antagonists is microscopic in size, yet can control an emergency launch ship from a bigger mothership. It's embarrassing in more ways than one.


There's maybe a nugget of potential in Yeoh's past relationship with a former lover/friend. Unfortunately, it hardly matters since the narrative feels unfinished. We never comprehend Yeoh's motivation for redeeming herself to her newfound allies of convenience. We don't understand the true nature of the primary threat nor the consequences that will ensue if they don't stop them. It feels like this group is just making quips at each other's expense and not making any progress. At less than 100 minutes, I felt like nothing happened.


Yet even at the end, the possibility of this story still continuing is alluded to. But how are you going to justify more sequels to this when there was hardly anything done here? The ongoing train of countless sequels has been growing tired for many years now in this industry. If you took away the "Star Trek" IP and all its trademark elements away from "Section 31", you'd be hard pressed to notice that much of a difference afterwards. Between a poor presentation and nonexistent story, the bottom line is that it's a blatantly flimsy excuse for a film.


Final Verdict: 3/10

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