THE 21st century reboot of Star Trek bought itself a lot of goodwill from die-hard fans.

Yes, the 2009 reimagining of the galactic adventures of Kirk and Spock aboard the USS Enterprise was a lot more brash and special effects laden than the TV and film series.

But it was well cast, J.J. Abrams proved himself a dab hand behind the camera and there were plenty of references and lore lovingly connecting it to the 50-year-old franchise.

Similarly, the follow-up Into Darkness was enjoyed by most but was criticised for having too much of a Hollywood polish and simply not feeling like a Star Trek movie.

But standards have slipped fast with Star Trek Beyond, the first in the new series not directed by Abrams.

Justin Lin takes the helm this time, best known for his Fast and The Furious films.

A rubbish joke at the beginning about an alien race being small and pesky rather than big and noble sets the tone for this dumbed down film full of nonsense science like ‘gravity slipstreams’.

It culminates with the use of a Beastie Boys track (yes, really) to ‘sabotage’ robotic foes.

There was a lot of excitement for Star Trek Beyond originally because British icon Simon Pegg, who plays Scotty, was writing the script.

He throws in geeky, obscure, self-aware references but it feels at odds with Lin’s approach.

Pegg does manage to get one sneaky reference to his beloved sitcom, Spaced, in there though so there is that.

The disjointed plot sees Kirk confront Krall (Idris Elba), a ruthless enemy with a deep hatred of the Federation and a secret.

But Krall’s dealings with the Enterprise’s crew seems weird at best.

He has no problem disintegrating people but Uhura (Zoe Saldana) basically follows him around nonplussed with no fear for her safety.

There are some brilliant special effects, particularly the robotic attack on the Enterprise, but that is about all Beyond has going for it.

RATING: 5/10

DAVID MORGAN