‘Star Trek: Section 31’ review: It isn’t classic ‘Trek’, but the Paramount+ exclusive offers some flashy fun
“Star Trek” fans have endured some turbulent treatment over the past decade or so with the dizzying array of feature films, animated shows, and live-action TV series hopping around the franchise’s timeline with varying degrees of success. Most notable of late is the popular “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds” series about to launch into its third season sometime later this year.
But first up and warping into 2025 to kick things off for Paramount+ on Jan. 24 is “Star Trek’s” first-ever streaming movie, “Section 31,” where the “Star Trek: Discovery” season one character of Emperor Philippa Georgiou is recruited into the titular super-secret division of Starfleet while trapped back in the Discovery era to defend the United Federation of Planets and tangle with her sins of the past.
Starring Michelle Yeoh in the lead role as the ex-despot of the Mirror Universe’s Terran Empire and directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Falling Skies”) from a screenplay courtesy of Craig Sweeny, “Section 31” is an experimental enterprise for Paramount that carries with it a nervous energy as it ventures into uncharted tonal territory for lifelong Trekkies.
From the raw and raucous trailer that was dropped back in December, faithful acolytes of Gene Roddenberry’s “wagon train to the stars” have been anxiously anticipating this spinoff TV feature with guarded pockets of optimism that this project might fulfill its promise of a darker, edgier adventure within the expanding framework of the venerable sci-fi property.
Set in spaceways outside the official borders of the Federation in the nebulous gray regions of the galaxy, “Section 31’s” brash and bold style certainly does give it an unconventional distinction all its own in traveling where no “Star Trek” movie has gone before. And that’s a dual-edged saber on which Osunsanmi performs a nimble balancing act for his loud black ops space opera.
We open on a flashback scene in the Terran Empire with a young Georgiou and her family recounting a brutal selection process for the right to become Emperor — it’s a shockingly depressing start to the film. Her final trial is a testament to her iron will and the sins she’s been forged from. This somber start eventually segues into “Borderlands”-ish chaos and campy energy paired with a rebellious attitude that’s to be saluted for staying true blue to its risky concept.
“Section 31’s” Alpha Team leader is given a “Mission Impossible” message to track down a new threat on the black market, which leads them to the remote region where Georgiou has been operating a posh nightclub under an alias after going AWOL from Starfleet’s elite spy squad. Over at The Baraam, we see Georgiou lording over her cabaret bar as a sort of devil-may-care madame manipulating the gyrating masses that fill this intoxicating entertainment establishment.
Here we meet “Section 31’s” Alpha Squad unit that Georgiou has already sniffed out in her swanky venue. It’s a bit heavy on the exposition to set things up, but they pull her back in with promises of action on a “galactic scale.” The temptation is too much for a merciless monarch to resist and she’s briefed on the details of the team’s counter-terrorism assignment.
“Section 31” also stars Omari Hardwick as the commando crew’s charismatic leader Alok Sahar, Kacey Rohl as Rachel Garrett, Sam Richardson as the shapeshifting Chameloid scientist Quasi, Robert Kazinsky as the mech suit-clad Zeph, Sven Ruygrok as the Vulcan nanokin called Fuzz, and Humberly Gonzalez as the Deltan Melle.
Their target is a scumbag cyborg named Dada Noe, an illegal bioweapons dealer on his way to The Baraan to sell a new doomsday bomb to The Minosian high council. They need to make sure this transaction does not occur, but things are never that simple, and their plans get disrupted numerous times. “Section 31” is blessed with trashy “Suicide Squad”-like DNA that might repel Trek purists but it remains a captivating watch with a blizzard of cool ideas sprinkled throughout its just-right 110-minute runtime.
Yeoh chews the scenery with gusto and seems to be having a ball inhabiting this despicable talon-nailed character. Inventive camerawork and colorful production design help to adorn the film with a stylish gloss and sense of cinematic recklessness that makes up for its semi-formulaic tale.
More flashbacks to her time in the Terran Empire serve to tie together the origins of this secret superweapon called The Godsend that Georgiou recognizes from her tragic past. Things eventually go seriously sideways and Section 31’s Alpha Team finds itself scrambling to survive amid larger looming consequences.
“Section 31” is a wildly addictive addition to “Star Trek’s” legacy that does not tarnish the sci-fi property’s reputation, but could be catalogued as an enticing side note. It acts as an infinitely watchable romp in the final frontier with intriguing twists tying back to the storied Eugenics Wars and the courage to try something entirely new.
It might not feel like traditional “Star Trek” for some folks, but it works well on its own flashy merits with impressive visual effects and crazy set pieces to reward lovers of comic book-like escapades. “Star Trek’s” fanbase is a vocal temperamental bunch, but if they just simmer down and open their minds they just might be surprised!
“Section 31” streams exclusively on Paramount+ starting Jan. 24, 2025.
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