A group of morally dubious misfits embark on a top-secret mission to save the galaxy in Olatunde Osunsanmi’s Star Trek: Section 31.

The last feature-length Star Trek project was 2016’s Star Trek Beyond. Since then, Paramount has failed to get another Star Trek movie in cinemas but they have succeeded in getting one on streaming. Section 31 could perhaps only thrive in that medium as it’s a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery so it likely has a far smaller audience than a theatrically released movie would be expected to attract. Michelle Yeoh’s inclusion in Discovery was celebrated by fans so the prospect of her leading her own project is an attractive one and she represents an excellent pedigree for the franchise following her Oscar win in 2023.

Section 31 is a covert organisation in the Star Trek universe that was heavily featured in season 2 of Star Trek: Discovery. Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou was a member of the organisation until circumstances steered her very far away from her affiliation with them. This movie chronicles Georgiou’s return to the fold to deal with a galaxy-threatening situation while she faces aspects of her past that she had tried to move beyond.

Right away, Section 31 is fighting uphill because there is a considerable amount of lore associated with the character that must be summarised in some way so that newcomers can follow along without being totally lost. This happens through a video game-style mission briefing screen that quickly covers the highlights of Georgiou’s colourful history before detailing what needs to be done to get the plot started. It’s quick and unsophisticated but it does accomplish the goal of supplying the required information even if it’s in a sterile and uninteresting manner. The plot itself is paper thin and can be added to the ever-growing list of narratives containing apocalyptic stakes.

The mission briefing proves prophetic as Section 31 isn’t interested in assigning depth to its characters. Georgiou’s arc involves reckoning with her past and making a definitive choice regarding her future but it’s handled so ineptly. It technically hits the expected beats but the context is sloppily delivered and there is no opportunity to connect emotionally with what is supposed to be a personal story for her because numerous other things are fighting for attention. The ingredients for a compelling Georgiou story are there but never combine properly. Michelle Yeoh does well with the limited material she is given. Georgiou certainly has a defined personality that does shine through on rare occasions and her physicality is impressive during hand-to-hand combat sequences.

Other characters don’t fare any better. Georgiou is part of a team of morally dubious agents who may betray each other at any moment. This seems like a reasonable setup for a film about a covert organisation working on the fringes of a utopian society carrying out questionable actions to protect it. In reality, it amounts to a collection of one-dimensional expendables that are a teenage boy’s idea of edgy. Each of them embodies one defining character trait which does make them somewhat memorable but most of them are irritating to the point that viewers will celebrate should they come to a bad end. None of them rise above their singular trait and any attempt to create a group or one-on-one dynamic falls flat.

Ultimately, Section 31 is nothing more than a generic sci-fi action movie that identifies itself as part of the Star Trek universe. If all Star Trek references were removed then very little about this outing would be altered. That in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing as a less esoteric approach may provide an on-ramp to new viewers but in this case the end result is something that fails to appeal to anyone. It’s a film with nothing to say that strips away what appeals to people about the franchise. There is certainly room for action stories in a property as rich and varied as Star Trek but this is a painfully bad example of one. The plot is structured like a video game complete with animated mission briefings, set pieces are sloppily executed and none of them have any creative ideas at play. It has all been done before and done far better elsewhere. Frankly, there is no need for either fans or newcomers to trouble themselves with this as it doesn’t do anything to merit attention among a glut of similarly generic sci-fi action movies out there. This one should remain classified.

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Verdict

A bland and generic sci-fi action movie that fails to deliver creative set pieces or engaging characterisation. This one should remain classified.

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