Star Trek Beyond (Rated T)
Cast: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Idris Elba, Karl Urban
Genre: Fantasy/Science fiction, Action
Dwight's Rating: 2 Stars

"Much Ado About Nothing!"
That title from one of William Shakespeare's famous stage comedies also seems like a fitting way to describe the new film, "Star Trek Beyond".
This third installment in the rebooted "Star Trek" franchise has a lot going on -- non-stop action, vibrant visual effects and art direction, and the loudest sound and score of the year (possibly the loudest in many years!).
We see the return of the same cast that brilliantly resuscitated this series with the exuberant "Star Trek" in 2009, and again with its slightly less-rollicking follow-up "Star Trek Into Darkness" in 2013. The movie pays great homage to the rich history of this beloved franchise, especially the original NBC TV series from 1966 to 1969; it includes pictures of that cast, and there's a special tribute to the original Spock -- the late Leonard Nimoy, who passed away early last year.
Yet despite all the familiarity and nostalgia, "Beyond" feels very different from its predecessors. And for far too much of the film it is merely just another action movie, straying far from the spirit of the series.
"Beyond" begins with the starship Enterprise under surprise attack in outer space. The crew is forced to crash-land on a mysterious world. The assault came from Krall (an unrecognizable Idris Elba), a lizard-like dictator who derives his energy by sucking the life out of his victims. Krall needs an ancient and valuable artifact that's aboard the badly damaged starship. Left stranded in a rugged wilderness, Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto) and the rest of the crew must now battle a deadly alien race while trying to find a way off their hostile planet.
That doesn't necessarily sound so bad. In fact, there are some interesting and fun elements, like the new character Jaylah (played by Sofia Boutella) -- a no-nonsense alien and a scavenger with a sharp tongue and indomitable spirit. Also, as has been the case with previous editions of the reboot franchise, the biggest scene-stealer continues to be New Zealander Karl Urban as the acerbic Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. His snappy and sarcastic comments, along with Bones' characteristic exaggerated staccato delivery, make him a delight to watch. (Somebody please give Bones his own movie -- perhaps a prequel!)
The film does well in the brief moments in which we see real conversations and interactions between the core cast, especially with Bones and Spock, or whenever Captain Kirk is not required to be a hero. Otherwise, most of the dialogue is someone barking out mechanical orders or some scientific-sounding jargon gibberish.
But, did I mention that this film is loud? It's really, really loud! And the score is pervasive, almost intrusive. It's meant, of course, to reflect the ever-present danger facing the crew. And the exceptionally dramatic background music must surely mean this is finally the end for the Enterprise.
The incessant "drama" will be great news for lovers of full-fledged summer action flicks. They'll likely be enthralled as at any minute something is exploding, or people are being chased by aliens, or a spaceship is crash-landing or struggling to take off. When the crew and Krall's lizard friends aren't shooting each other, they're involved in hand-to-scaly-hand combat.
The challenge is that the original TV and movie series -- and especially the exceptional TV series sequel "Star Trek: The Next Generation" -- were always known for being quite cerebral, and for surreptitiously tackling topical issues. That's largely lacking here until at least well into the third half of the movie, when the mystery as to what's been motivating Krall, and to why the Enterprise was being attacked, is finally cleared up. By then, unfortunately, it was too late for me to care.
Also of concern more than ever before, the cast seems like a caricature of the original TV series. The performances of Simon Pegg (who actually co-wrote the script along with Doug Jung) as Montgomery Scott -- better known as Scotty, with that exaggerated Scottish accent (though much less-exaggerated than that from the TV show) -- and to a lesser extent Quinto, as the rather emotion-less Spock (and even the wonderful Urban as Bones), create an impression of a parody of the show.
Most egregious is the late Anton Yelchin (who sadly died last month following a freak accident) as Chekov, the Enterprises' navigator. Chekov's "Russian" accent is distracting and even annoying. (Surprisingly, Yelchin was actually born in the former Soviet Union, and his parents are actually Russian). It seems only Pine goes his own way in his portrayal of Kirk, and thankfully spares us from a parody of the often over-the-top performance of original portrayer William Shatner.
It's interesting to note that the original in this reboot film series was directed and produced by J.J. Abrams, who has become a magician at revitalizing long-running film franchises, including "Mission: Impossible" and most recently "Star Wars". He and Damon Lindelof (they were co-creators of the TV show "Lost") were involved in the writing and/or producing of the first two films, with Abrams directing "Into Darkness" as well.
While Abrams is again listed among the producers for "Beyond" this film is directed by Justin Lin who directed the third through sixth installments in "The Fast and the Furious" franchise. That might explain the heavy emphasis on action. Abrams is said to be busy focusing on his "Star Wars" work.
Ironically, even without Abrams, "Beyond" is much more like a "Star Wars" film than what one would expect from "Star Trek". But it's still not enough like the former to be truly compelling. There's never a sense that the core characters are in any real danger. There's no real tension either, just lot of that noise.
Even last year's latest "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" had some real surprises and even cliffhangers. (There are many questions to be answered in next year's "Episode VIII".)
On the other hand, "Beyond" is another shameful example of the cinematic experience being watered down to viewing procedural television shows in a theater. After three years since the last "Star Trek" film, I guess I was expecting much more about something.

o Dwight Strachan is the host/producer of " Morning Blend" on Guardian Radio. He is a television producer and writer, and an avid TV history and film buff. Email dwight@nasguard.com and follow him on twitter@morningblend969.

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