How To Prep For 'Star Trek Beyond'

Like many other people, I appreciate hunky space captains, and Chris Pine as Captain Kirk is no exception. It's been awhile since he last graced the silver screen as the indubitably headstrong captain of the Starship Enterprise but luckily for fans, Pine and the rest of the extraordinary Star Trek cast return to us in Star Trek Beyond. This film is the third in the revamped Star Trek franchise, following Star Trek and Star Trek Into Darkness. But do you have to see the first two Star Trek movies to see Star Trek Beyond? Or does this latest film actually work as a standalone film?

The truth is, seeing the first two films will probably help you enjoy and understand what's happening in the upcoming Stark Trek Beyond more than if you go in blind. Like most franchises, it always behooves the viewer to go into the film knowing, exactly, what's happened in the past films, or at least having a pretty good recollection. Things like being familiar with the characters, past plot points, and more always come in handy when seeing another franchise addition. Of course, one can absolutely see Star Trek Beyond without having seen the other two, but they just might be a bit lost.

"But what if I've seen every single episode of Star Trek and all of its other remakes and spinoffs, just not these movies!?" You ask. "Can I still see it then?" Of course you can still see it, but like I said before, you just might be a bit confused while watching. Why? Well, for one, these newest Star Trek movies (helmed by brilliant mind JJ Abrams) exist in a completely alternate universe and timeline than the other Star Trek iterations. So, with that in mind, having seen every other Star Trek show and movie is a super cool thing and definitely makes you a Trekkie, but won't really help with understanding this particular franchise. The characters might remain the same, but this new series isn't afraid of playing with their backgrounds and origin stories and introducing new Star Trek characters that have never appeared before.

Yet regardless of what you choose to do, Star Trek Beyond does manage to remain a fun, engaging, summer movie that truly, anyone can enjoy — if you don't mind missing a few easter eggs or slight in-jokes. Whether you're a supreme Trekkie who has seen everything or you're a newbie in the world of the Trek, one thing is for sure: Star Trek Beyond is a summer blockbuster than any person can love.

Images: Paramount Pictures; Giphy