Star Trek: Section 31, the first-ever streamingTrek movie, comes out on Paramount+ tomorrow, but is it going to be worth your time? Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh returns to her iconic role of Emperor Philippa Georgiou fromStar Trek: Discoveryas she navigates through Section 31, the “dark side” of the Federation given the greenlight to do bad things to keep the galaxy safe.
Critics have now seen the film and haven’t been kind, calling it a waste of Yeoh’s electric talents that struggles to feel like Star Trek, despite its namesake. But is it really that bad?
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Section 31 Was First Introduced In Star Trek: Deep Space 9
Section 31 has always been a controversial aspect of the Trek universe since it was first introduced inStar Trek: Deep Space 9. A black ops outfit operated by Starfleet that doesn’t have to follow the rules doesn’t necessarily match the utopian ideals of Star Trek lore. But having an organization like this exist also allows Trek to do what Trek does best: explore the politics of the future to shed light on the world of today.
With the relaunch of Star Trek on TV withDiscovery, Section 31 has become a mainstay of “modern Trek.” And now withStar Trek: Section 31, it’s fully in the spotlight, with Michelle Yeoh in the captain’s seat for a concept that was originally developed as a streaming show, before being repurposed into a streaming movie.
That reworking appears to have played a factor in what went wrong.
Star Trek: Section 31 Is The Worst Trek Movie, According To Critics
When you ask a Star Trek fan what the worst Trek movie is,The Final FrontierandNemesisare usually battling it out for the worst of the worst, withInsurrectioncoming up right behind.With the release ofStar Trek: Section 31, there’s a new worst champion, with critics not holding back at how shockingly disjointed the latest feature-length Trek effort is.
Jeannette Catsoulis of theNew York Timesthought the whole affair was a mess:
“Set in 2333… this everything-and-the-kitchen-sink movie is stuffed with so many neurotic mutants and hidden motives that even the unflappable Jean-Luc would struggle to keep them straight.”
Samantha Coley ofColliderfelt the movie would have been better as multiple episodes, as originally intended:
“With the potential in its concepts and its cast, Section 31 might have made a perfectly fine two-part episode of a television series that doesn’t exist. However, as a film, it’s both forgettable and disappointing…”
Clint Worthington ofRogerEbert.comfelt like it was an easy cash grab:
“At best, it’s an olive branch to its contractually obligated megastar; at worst, it’s a “Rebel Moon“-level fiasco that doesn’t get why people watch “Trek” in the first place.”
Not everyone saw only negatives, though. Despite its flaws, Rachel Hulshult ofScreen Rantwas still entertained by the sci-fi adventure:
“Star Trek: Section 31 goes where no Star Trek has gone before with a fun sci-fi spy adventure led by Michelle Yeoh’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou.”
Star Trek: Section 31hits streaming on January 24, where you can decide for yourself whether it’s an interesting new take on Trek lore or a lost opportunity that should have never been made.
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