Star Trek: Section 31
Reviews
batchelorjt
I was so excited because this movie is based on two rich sources of Star Trek lore, Emperor Philippa Georgiou, and Section 31. What a let down. This movie is an insult to Star Trek fans everywhere. It fails at every level.
Brent Marchant
As a lifelong diehard “Star Trek” fan, I find it almost unfathomable to think that I would end up writing something negative about a franchise with which I have long been so deeply enamored – until now. The Paramount+ network’s first effort at creating a standalone “Trek” feature film is, to be honest, dreadful. “Section 31” is a picture with so many problems that it’s hard to know where to begin. For starters, the narrative is so convoluted that it’s difficult to follow without taking notes or constantly hitting the rewind button. In large part, that’s probably because the creators of this mess don’t appear to know what story – or what kind of story – they want to tell. There are allusions to so many different contributing influences that it’s hard to keep track of them all. The film is peppered with references to such properties as “Guardians of the Galaxy,” “Mission: Impossible” and “The Fifth Element,” among others, with precious little actually having to do with “Star Trek” (unless, of course, you count the rampant, utterly annoying silliness of the Lower Decks animated series), almost as if the finished product were designed by committee. Perhaps the most egregious sin here, however, is the picture’s drastic change in the nature of what the Section 31 storyline is all about. As introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and reintroduced in Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 has traditionally been portrayed as an enigmatic, exceedingly dark, eminently sinister presence in the world of this franchise, far different from the significantly more visible, almost goofy depiction presented here. This is such a radical departure that, realistically speaking, it can hardly carry the “Section 31” moniker (or, some might even say, the “Star Trek” label itself). That’s regrettable, given that this storyline is one that, if it had been handled differently, could have been developed into a more fully fleshed out vehicle than it has been up to this point in its legacy (including as a series of its own). As it stands now, though, if this production is any indication of where it might be headed (if anywhere), it would seem that its creators are determined to take Section 31 in an entirely different direction from where it began (and not in a good way at that). To its credit, director Olatunde Osunsanmi’s fourth feature film incorporates some fine work yet again from its protagonist, smarmy, uber-sarcastic camp queen Michelle Yeoh, as well as some genuinely impressive, visually dazzling special effects. But, as a vehicle capable of maintaining viewer interest and giving Section 31 a viable future, I don’t see it. In all truthfulness, I’m not one of those nitpicking Trekkers who mercilessly criticizes every little detail that supposedly deviates from the mythology’s elusive canon (how annoying), but this offering represents such a marked divergence from where Section 31 originated that I can barely recognize it. If Section 31 is to have any kind of life going forward, it truly needs to get back to where it came from and forget that this monstrosity was ever created.
MovieGuys
Decent sets and quality special effects, not to mention a capable actress, in the form of Michelle Yeoh, can't make up for the glaring shortcomings in this latest Trek offering. The core script of "Section 31" has been done a thousand times before, in one form or another, which is not, in and of of itself, unforgivable. Regrettably, though, on this occasion, the story lacks direction, a semblance of credibility and simple logic. Yes, sci fi is fantasy, you can go wild but the premise still needs to be believable, if the audience is to invest in it. In this instance, I found little to compel me to invest in the tale being told and the characterisations. The latter felt shallow, forcing the actors to over act, in an attempt to compensate, which only made matters worse. A dash of the usual woke nonsense, did nothing to further enamour me, to this already uninspiring production. More than that though, the dark, cynical overtones of "Section 31" didn't feel like Roddenberry's vision of "Star Trek". A vision of a technologically but also humanistic-ally enlightened future, filled with scientific and academic discovery, that overcomes all adversity In summary, I wont beat about the bush, "Section 31" is, in my estimation, "awful". It's not just the uninspiring story, populated by anaemic characterisations. No, more than that, it simply doesn't feel like "Star Trek". Enough said.
misubisu
What a load of rubbish. I can't believe that someone at Paramount said, "yes, this is worth airing". What an embarrassment!
CinemaSerf
Well I think it’s hats off to all on-screen here who must have to stand around for ages in their CGI suits waiting for the computer to insert them, hologram-style, into the artificially created scenarios that dog this drivel from start to finish. And if the title of empress was good enough for Catherine the Great and Victoria, then why not for “Philippa Georgiou” (Michelle Yeoh)? Anyway, she’s been driven from her dimension and forced to join the elite division of “Starfleet” that’s been concocted to keep us all safe from problems that were usually initiated by that self same exploratory/interfering body in the first place. So quickly we encounter our first and biggest problem here, it has nothing whatsoever to do with the original or subsequent “Star Trek” philosophies. The adventure is straight out of a book of “Stargate” storyline rejects and Yeoh simply hasn’t enough to get her teeth into. The story, for what it’s worth, sees this supposedly top secret operation randomly hook up in the pub to discuss whatever problems they have in the timeline they had just arrived from, or gone to, or that they were expecting an invasion to come from, or that maybe the erstwhile captain of the “USS Discovery” was hiding after supposedly getting the chop on her imperial order in. They’ve also got to track down the epitome of doomsday weapons that makes the “Red Matter” seem as dangerous as the “Winnie the Pooh’s” pot of honey and all of this whilst under the gaze of an Irish fellow from Vulcan (Sven Ruygrok) who at least has some cheeky dialogue and the odd go at what passes for sarcasm from this woefully verbose script. There is also very little actual action to follow here, with almost all of the adventure coming in the last fifteen minutes and not really worth the wait at that. I like my sci-fi, but just because the machines can make it look good is no reason to make it if you don’t invest in the writing or the characters and just try to substitute that with oft-seen whizzy visuals and a score that like the film itself was desperate to get something of the original Alexander Courage onto screen, but never quite dared! Paramount+ has been something of a disappointment all along but this takes it more into the realms of Amazon Prime than Optimus.
Movie Recommendation
Le Clitoris2016-06-18Women are lucky, they get to have the only organ in the human body dedicated exclusively for pleasure: the clitoris! In this humorous and instructive animated documentary, find out its unrecognized anatomy and its unknown herstory.More...
The Black Hole2025-01-31A comical triptych about residents in an apartment block district who long for a better life. When a black hole mysteriously appears in a lilac bush, they will have to face aliens, a giant spider, and an Austrian in breeches.More...
Graceland2012-04-20When a kidnapping goes wrong, a desperate father risks everything to save his daughter from the men who hold her captive.More...
Masking Threshold2022-09-30Conducting a series of experiments in his makeshift home-lab, a skeptic IT worker tries to cure his harrowing hearing impairment. But where will his research lead him? "Masking Threshold" combines a chamber play, a scientific procedural, an unpacking video, and a DIY YouTube channel while suggesting endless vistas of existential pain and decay. Glimpse the world of the nameless protagonist in this eldritch tale, which is by no means for the faint of heart.More...
In the Nguyen Kitchen2025-03-05Yvonne Nguyen, a French-Vietnamese actress, dreams of a successful career in musicals, to the great displeasure of her mother, who would like her to pursue a more serious path. When she has no choice but to move back to her mother’s, both women are strangers to each other. But in the intimacy of the Vietnamese family restaurant’s kitchen, they grow closer. Meanwhile, Yvonne is still after her dreams and finally gets the chance to audition for a big show.More...
Seedpeople1992-05-28The citizens of Comet Valley are being taken over by seeds from an alien plant that has taken root there. A sheriff investigates the strange goings-on.More...
Swimming Home2024-06-27Joe and Isabel’s marriage is dying when Kitti, a naked stranger found floating in the pool at their holiday villa in Greece, is invited to stay. Kitti collects and eats poisonous plants, and Nina, their teenage daughter, is enthralled by her. What kind of relief can Kitti provide for this family in crisis?More...
Luca Ravenna - Red Sox2023-09-29There is no descriptionMore...
All You Need Is Death2024-03-19A young couple who collect rare folk ballads discover the dark side of love when they surreptitiously record and translate an ancient, taboo folk song from the deep, forgotten past.More...
William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill2024-03-22Captain Kirk. T.J. Hooker. Denny Crane. Big Giant Head. Alexander the Great. Henry V. Priceline’s Negotiator. These are but a handful of the innumerable masks worn by William Shatner over seven extraordinary decades onstage and in front of the camera. A peerless maverick thespian, electrifying performer, and international cultural treasure, Bill (as he prefers to be called), now 91 years young, is the living embodiment of his classic line “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” In unprecedented fashion, You Can Call Me Bill strips away all the masks he has worn to embody countless characters, revealing the man behind it all.More...
Hollywood High1976-12-01Four high school girls at Hollywood High are looking for fun. Together they frolic on the beach and cavort with their guys. In their search for a little privacy they meet up with a retired movie star whose mammoth house offers 10 private bedrooms. But there's a catch...More...
You Can't Run Forever2024-05-17A teenage girl suffering from anxiety due to a tragic event from her past finds herself hunted through the woods by a sociopath on a murderous rampage.More...
The Guyver1991-03-18FBI agent Max Reed witnesses Dr. Tetsu Segawa - a researcher for the mysterious Chronos Corporation - being murdered. Dr. Segawa had stolen an alien device known as "The Guyver" from Chronos. College student Sean Barker, whose girlfriend's father was Dr. Segawa, finds the Guyver's hiding spot while watching the forensic team investigating the crime scene.More...
Werewolves2024-12-04A year after a supermoon’s light activated a dormant gene, transforming humans into bloodthirsty werewolves and causing nearly a billion deaths, the nightmare resurfaces as the supermoon rises again. Two scientists attempt to stop the mutation but fail and must now struggle to reach one of their family homes.More...
Chantal in Fairyland2024-03-28Chantal is at the beginning of her career as an influencer when she steps through a mirror and finds herself in a fairy tale. She identifies as Sleeping Beauty. Her best friend Zeynep follows her through the mirror. Chantal’s goal, naturally, is to find a man, definitely a prince. Perhaps she will marry Prince Bosco. She already has a wedding gown, but he seems more interested in men. Her friend, Aladdin (Mido Kotaini), has a magic lamp; he rubs it, and people appear. She works to finish making a flying carpet. There is a wicked witch, Sansara, who sometimes looks old but often young. Her friend Zeynep ends up in a grave but reappears. An elderly rather fat fairy pops up occasionally. Chantal must fight a dragon.More...
The Gardener2025-01-30Every year the Prime Minister has a list of all kinds of troublemakers eliminated in the name of the famous Reason of State. Serge Shuster, Special Adviser to the President of the Republic, finds himself on this list, better known as the Matignon List. Condemned to certain death and at the heart of an implacable plot and a state secret that also put his family in danger, Serge, his wife and children have only one hope left - their gardener, Léo, who hates it when « slugs » invade his garden... Especially those that want to kill innocent families.More...
Oh, Canada2024-12-06Famed Canadian-American leftist documentary filmmaker Leonard Fife was one of sixty thousand draft evaders and deserters who fled to Canada to avoid serving in Vietnam. Now in his late seventies, Fife is dying of cancer in Montreal and has agreed to a final interview in which he is determined to bare all his secrets at last, to demythologize his mythologized life.More...
Devara: Part 12024-09-26Devara, a fearless man from a coastal region, embarks on a perilous journey into the treacherous world of the sea to safeguard the lives of his people. Unbeknownst to him, his brother Bhaira is plotting a conspiracy against him. As events unfold, Devara passes on his legacy to his mild-mannered and timid son, Varada.More...
Night of the Demons1988-10-14When partygoers at a deserted funeral home decide to have a séance on Halloween night, they awaken something evil with a thirst for blood.More...
Puppet Master1989-10-12Alex Whitaker and three other gifted psychics investigate rumors that the secret of life has been discovered by master puppeteer, Andre Toulon, in the form of five killer puppets uniquely qualified for murder and mayhem.More...
Similar Movies
Southland Tales
2007-11-14Set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy.The Negotiator
1998-07-29The police try to arrest expert hostage negotiator Danny Roman, who insists he's being framed for his partner's murder in what he believes is an elaborate conspiracy. Thinking there's evidence in the Internal Affairs offices that might clear him, he takes everyone in the office hostage and demands that another well-known negotiator be brought in to handle the situation and secretly investigate the conspiracy.Casanova
2005-12-25With a reputation for seducing members of the opposite sex, regardless of their marital status, a notorious womanizer discovers a beauty who seems impervious to his charms. However, as he continues to pursue the indifferent lady, he finds himself falling in love.To Live and Die in L....
1985-11-01When his longtime partner on the force is killed, reckless U.S. Secret Service agent Richard Chance vows revenge, setting out to nab dangerous counterfeit artist Eric Masters.Déjà Vu
2006-11-22Called in to recover evidence in the aftermath of a horrific explosion on a New Orleans ferry, Federal agent Doug Carlin gets pulled away from the scene and taken to a top-secret government lab that uses a time-shifting surveillance device to help prevent crime.The Hitcher
1986-01-17On a stormy night, young Jim, who transports a luxury car from Chicago to California to deliver it to its owner, feeling tired and sleepy, picks up a mysterious hitchhiker, who has appeared out of nowhere, thinking that a good conversation will help him not to fall asleep. He will have enough time to deeply regret such an unmeditated decision.In the Line of Fire
1993-07-08Veteran Secret Service agent Frank Horrigan is a man haunted by his failure to save President Kennedy while serving protection detail in Dallas. Thirty years later, a man calling himself "Booth" threatens the life of the current President, forcing Horrigan to come back to protection detail to confront the ghosts from his past.The Fly
1986-08-15When Seth Brundle makes a huge scientific and technological breakthrough in teleportation, he decides to test it on himself. Unbeknownst to him, a common housefly manages to get inside the device and the two become one.Clear and Present Dan...
1994-08-03Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts discovering links between the man and drug dealers. As former CIA agent John Clark is sent to Colombia to kill drug cartel kingpins in retaliation, Ryan must fight through multiple cover-ups to figure out what happened and who's responsible.Friend of the World
2020-08-15After a catastrophic global war, a young filmmaker awakens in the carnage and seeks refuge in the only other survivor: an eccentric, ideologically opposed figure of the United States military. Together, they brave the toxic landscape in search of safety... and answers.Doom
2005-10-20A team of space marines known as the Rapid Response Tactical Squad, led by Sarge, is sent to a science facility on Mars after somebody reports a security breach. There, they learn that the alert came after a test subject, a mass murderer purposefully injected with alien DNA, broke free and began killing people. Dr. Grimm, who is related to team member Reaper, informs them all that the chromosome can mutate humans into monsters -- and is highly infectious.Dhruva Natchathiram: ...
No data for this movieJohn, a New York City-based undercover operative and his team, are entrusted with a secret mission to bring back their team leader, who has been missing mysteriously.Executive Decision
1996-03-15Terrorists hijack a 747 inbound to Washington D.C., demanding the release of their imprisoned leader. Intelligence expert David Grant (Kurt Russell) suspects another reason and he is soon the reluctant member of a special assault team that is assigned to intercept the plane and hijackers.The Chronicles of Rid...
2004-06-11After years of outrunning ruthless bounty hunters, escaped convict Riddick suddenly finds himself caught between opposing forces in a fight for the future of the human race. Now, waging incredible battles on fantastic and deadly worlds, this lone, reluctant hero will emerge as humanity's champion - and the last hope for a universe on the edge of annihilation.Star Trek III: The Se...
1984-06-01A surprise visit from Spock's father provides a startling revelation: McCoy is harboring Spock's living essence.Bullitt
1968-10-17Senator Walter Chalmers is aiming to take down mob boss Pete Ross with the help of testimony from the criminal's hothead brother Johnny, who is in protective custody in San Francisco under the watch of police lieutenant Frank Bullitt. When a pair of mob hitmen enter the scene, Bullitt follows their trail through a maze of complications and double-crosses. This thriller includes one of the most famous car chases ever filmed.Léon: The Professiona...
1994-09-14Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.D.E.B.S.
2004-01-22The star of a team of teenage crime fighters falls for the alluring villainess she must bring to justice.Contact
1997-07-11A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.Road of No Return
2009-11-10Road of no Return follows the final nine days in the lives of four atypical hit men who are secretly brought together in a covert operation to fight the drug trafficking epidemic in the country.