Summary
One of my favorite things aboutStar Trek Beyondis how it fixed my biggest problem with Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) fromStar Trek Into Darkness. Released in 2016,Star Trek Beyondwas directed by Justin Lin, and written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung.Star Trek Beyondfollowed up the successful but controversialStar Trek Into Darkness,which was directed by J.J. Abrams from a screenplay by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof.Star Trek Beyondfeatures a very different - and better - Captain Kirkfrom the one Chris Pine played inStar Trek(2009) andStar Trek Into Darkness.
Star Trek(2009) told the story of how a brash but heroic James T. Kirk became Captain of the USS Enterprise and the leader of his iconic crew.Star Trek Into Darkness, set a year later, picked up the story,depicting Kirk as an even more reckless and arrogant Captain who breaks regulations whenever he sees fit.Captain Kirk goes on a revenge mission against Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) before he realizes Khan, like him, is a pawn of a greater threat, the corrupt Starfleet Admiral Alexander Marcus (Peter Weller). One of my biggestproblems with Star Trek Into Darknessis that it’s hard to root for Captain Kirk, but this is not the case withStar Trek Beyond.
Star Trek Beyond Ending & Why No Sequel 8 Years Later Explained
Star Trek Beyond set up a sequel for Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk and the Kelvin Timeline crew, but it’s 8 years later and we’ve yet to see Star Trek 4.
Star Trek Beyond Redeemed Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk After Star Trek Into Darkness
Kirk finally grew up.
Captain Kirk is a true hero, and an admirable leader, inStar Trek Beyond,andI’m heartened whenever I watch it to see how Kirk has matured from his depiction inStar Trek Into Darkness.About 4 years afterStar Trek Into Darkness, Star Trek Beyondshows Captain Kirk feeling lost and questioning his Captaincy of the Enterprise. Kirk applies for a Vice Admiral position to command Starbase Yorktown, but a trap set by new enemy aliens leads to thedestruction of the Starship Enterpriseas Kirk’s crew is kidnapped by Krall (Idris Elba) on the planet Altamid.
It’s so hard to root for Captain Kirk in Star Trek Into Darkness.
InStar Trek Into Darkness,Captain Kirk is pig-headed and self-absorbed. Yes, Jim learned he was wrong about halfway through the film, and Kirk did not follow Admiral Marcus' orders to start a war with the Klingons and kill Khan. But Kirk was also far out of his depth inStar Trek Into Darkness. Kirk literally admits to Spock (Zachary Quinto),“I have no idea what I’m supposed to do. I only know what Icando.“Ultimately, while Kirk saves the Starship Enterprise and dies heroically (albeit briefly), it’sSpock who ultimately defeats Khan. Meanwhile, it’s so hard to root for Captain Kirk inStar Trek Into Darknessthat it fatally wounds the movie.
However,Captain Kirk is his best self inStar Trek Beyond.In a crisis unlike he’s ever faced before, Kirk trusted his crew, including Spock,Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy(Karl Urban), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Chekov (Anton Yelchin), and even newcomer Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) to help him rescue the Enterprise’s crew from Krall. James emerges as a leader worth following as Kirk and his crew salvage and launch the derelict USS Franklin to stop Krall from destroying Yorktown. When Kirk and Krall are battlingmano e mano,I’m firmly and happily on Kirk’s side the way I just couldn’t be when he was facing Khan inStar Trek Into Darkness.
Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk In Star Trek Beyond Is Closest To William Shatner
Kirk becomes the Captain we’ve been waiting for
Star Trek Into Darknesswas a bizarre, funhouse mirror version ofStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khanthat swapped Kirk’s heroic sacrifice and death for Spock’s at the end.Star Trek Beyondalso evokedWilliam Shatner’s Admiral James T. KirkinStar Trek IIandStar Trek III: The Search for Spock, from Kirk’s mourning his father, Lt. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), to toasting"To absent friends"as the USS Enterprise-A is being built. But for the first time in the threeStar Trekmovies produced by J.J. Abrams,Chris Pine’s Kirk truly feels like the same character as William Shatner’s Kirk, albeit in an alternate universe.
Finally, Chris Pine’s Kirk became the Captain I waited three Star Trek movies to see.
Risk-taking is a fundamental aspect of Captain James T. Kirk’s character, butthe mistake J.J. Abrams' twoStar Trekmovies made is making risk-taking without thinking first the main trait of Chris Pine’s Kirk. I found this to be the most frustrating aspect of Kirk inStar Trek Into Darkness. William Shatner’s Captain Kirk boldly cheats death, but he also thinks through his problems, asks for help from Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), and considers the safety of his crew. Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk finally learned to do the same inStar Trek Beyond,and he emerged with a maturity that made Pine’s Kirk even more heroic. Finally, Chris Pine’s Kirk became the Captain I waited threeStar Trekmovies to see.
Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk Could Be Even Better In Star Trek 4
Pine’s Kirk is now middle-aged
It’s been almost 10 years sinceStar Trek Beyond, and it could well pass the decade mark untilStar Trek 4is made if the fourth J.J. AbramsStar Trekmovie ever does see the light of day. However, thelong wait forStar Trek 4is actually beneficial for Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk. By the timeStar Trek 4happens,Chris Pine - and his version of Captain Kirk - will be entrenched in middle age, just like William Shatner’s Admiral Kirk was in hisStar Trekmovies. This means we would see Chris Pine play an older, more experienced Kirk, which would be a fascinating about-face from the arrogant young daredevil Kirk was inStar Trek(2009) andStar Trek Into Darkness.
Star Trek 4 could explore the more mature Kirk that he was becoming in Star Trek Beyond.
Chris Pine said playing an older Captain Kirkexcites him, and I feel the same.Pine has become a more interesting actor as he gets older,such as inDungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves, where Chris played an affable rogue who was also a father.Star Trek 4could explore the more mature Kirk he was becoming inStar Trek Beyond, and it would also be a thrill to see the USS Enterprise crew portrayed with many years of experience saving the galaxy under their belts. I’d like to think Chris Pine would embody his best version of Captain Kirk audiences have ever seen inStar Trek 4, which is a big reason why I continually hopeStar Trek Beyond’s sequel will eventually happen.
