Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent but exciting adventure honors teamwork, diversity.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Star Trek Beyond
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 22 parent reviews
Based on 24 kid reviews
Kids say the movie is entertaining and fun, featuring strong themes of teamwork and friendship, but it also includes intense violence and occasional swearing, making it more suitable for older teens. While many appreciate the action and character development, some have concerns about the appropriateness for younger viewers due to violent scenes and language.
- entertaining adventure
- teamwork themes
- intense violence
- language concerns
- suitable for teens
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Deep into their five-year mission to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and civilizations, the crew of the starship Enterprise -- Sulu (John Cho), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Captain Kirk (Chris Pine), Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), Dr. "Bones" McCoy (Karl Urban), and Chekov (Anton Yelchin) -- is beginning to feel a bit restless and bored in STAR TREK BEYOND. Unfortunately, their next mission turns out to be a trap; the Enterprise is attacked by a swarm of man-sized ships, reducing it to smithereens and standing the crew on a nearby alien planet. There, they meet an alien named Jaylah (Sofia Boutella) and a vengeful creature known as Krall (Idris Elba). Can the team discover Krall's plan and stop him before it's too late?
Is It Any Good?
The 13th overall movie in the Star Trek franchise turns out to be good luck for everyone. It's a fresh, satisfying return to the beloved characters of the 1966-1969 TV series and to a rousing sense of teamwork. Director Justin Lin, who made four of the first seven Fast & Furious movies, somehow finds a balance between recklessness and entertainment. He provides several gargantuan action sequences that aren't exactly flawless but are exhilarating nonetheless.
It certainly helps that co-writers Pegg and Doug Jung bring nerdy goodness to the movie, with a story that's worthy of the old show and an emotionally satisfying equilibrium among the characters. Star Trek Beyond recalls Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan in that it corrects the misguided slip-ups that came before it, erasing the showboating and awkwardness of the last few movies and remembering the essence of what made these characters great in the first place.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Star Trek Beyond's violence. How intense is it? Does the relative lack of blood affect its impact? What is the impact of media violence on kids?
How do the characters show teamwork? Why is that an important character strength? In what scenes do characters help each other?
There's quite a bit of diversity in the cast, both mirroring and improving on the original series. Why does having diverse media role models matter?
Talk about revenge, which is a major theme in the film. Is it ever justified to hurt others in the name of revenge? How much of the movie's violence can be traced back to that motivation?
Why does Star Trek have such an enduring appeal? What makes people become such faithful fans? How does this installment compare to the older movies and TV shows?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 22, 2016
- On DVD or streaming : November 1, 2016
- Cast : Chris Pine , Zoe Saldana , Simon Pegg , Karl Urban , Idris Elba , Zachary Quinto
- Director : Justin Lin
- Inclusion Information : Asian Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Black Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s) , Gay Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Topics : Adventures
- Character Strengths : Teamwork
- Run time : 120 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of sci-fi action and violence
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
Did we miss something on diversity?
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