“star Trek Beyond” Brings A Fast And Furious Aesthetic To A Familiar Franchise

To any connoisseur of the original “Star Trek” television series, the sight of Captain James T. Kirk in a torn shirt will feel as familiar as family. (The character had a bad habit of ruining gold uniform tunics in his frequent fights.) So when the actor Chris Pine —  who plays Kirk in the current series of rebooted movies —  says, “I ripped my shirt, again,” after his peace offering to a delegation of tiny, gargoyle-like aliens goes anticly awry, the in-joke, which opens “Star Trek Beyond,” hits on all cylinders: aliens; good intentions thwarted; violent conflict; and, perhaps most importantly, a sense of winking, self-aware humor. The cutaway, which shows Kirk staring into a closet hung with several identical replacement tops, is priceless. That opening rimshot sets the tone for what follows: an action-packed, fun and funny thrill ride into a cinematic nebula that may be uncharted for the crew of the starship Enterprise, but that will be comfortably recognizable to both diehard Trekkers and those who only beamed on board once producer J.J.