Phil Roberts 
Sadly, Olatunde Osunsanmi’s Star Trek: Section 31 amounts to little more than disposable bargain bin fare. Its clichéd backstory and lack of character development prevent it from becoming anything more than the franchise’s embarrassing black sheep.
Expanding a tapestry as rich and vibrant as Star Trek is daunting. The franchise cut its teeth and became a cultural icon on the small screen, but as its popularity grew, so did its ambitions – and soon, Gene Roddenberry’s space adventure conquered the big screen. From the beautifully conceptualized Star Trek: The Motion Picture to the dark and poignant Star Trek: Nemesis, the franchise enjoyed mixed experiences on the big stage. But after the mixed response to Star Trek Beyond, the franchise returned to the small screen and propagated a string of brilliant shows that breathed new life into the IP.
Star Trek: Discovery pioneered this new era of small-screen Trek, and although Strange New Worlds took the franchise back to its roots, fans adored the crew of the U.S.S Discovery. But with the series being recalled to be decommissioned, it seemed that the adventures of the characters we know and love would be retired for good. One such character was Philippa Georgiou. The infamous tyrant from the Mirror Universe swiftly became an integral part of Discovery’s adventures. But her involvement with the nefarious Federation Black Ops unit Section 31 truly gave her relevance.
NEW TREK
After the character was returned to the traditional timeline in Star Trek: Discovery, Paramount Plus is eager to expand the sandbox and follow her adventures as they cut a new pathway into franchise lore. The result is a feature-length streaming movie titled Section 31 that debuts on the streamer on January 24. But can Michelle Yeoh carry this ambitious project across the finish line on her broad shoulders? Or is the feature-length Star Trek: Section 31 an adventure too many?
REVIEW
Sadly, Olatunde Osunsanmi’s Star Trek: Section 31 amounts to little more than disposable bargain bin fare. By moving away from the franchise’s traditional formula, the movie lacks the depth and quality to become more than the sum of its parts. Although Michelle Yeoh turns in an admirable performance and works wonders with the material, its clichéd backstory and lack of character development prevent it from becoming anything more than the franchise’s black sheep.
The supporting characters are one-dimensional and frustratingly disposable, while the score by the typically dependable Jeff Russo quickly fades from memory. Additionally, the screenplay represents a low point for the franchise. That said, there are some redeeming features worth noting. Michelle Yeoh delivers yet another outstanding performance; the set design impresses for a streaming production, and the visual effects are surprisingly rich and well-executed, given the budget constraints. But sadly, these positives aren’t enough to save the film from hitting the asteroids.
A NEW CHAPTER
For the most part, the film aims to uphold the signature elements of contemporary Trek by introducing a high-stakes weapon. Indeed, every season of Discovery relied on the enticing galaxy-ending scenario, and Section 31 follows that tradition. This time, however, the weapon is intricately linked to Georgiou’s oppressive rule in the Mirror Universe. With this new threat endangering all life in the galaxy, Starfleet turns to Section 31, assigning its specially chosen team the daunting task of capturing Georgiou and compelling her to help avert universal disaster. This is where the film hits the rocks.
After returning to the traditional timeline, we find Georgiou running a seedy intergalactic nightclub outside regulated Federation space. It’s here that we meet the new Section 31 task force. For a black ops unit, one might expect the Federation to assemble an elite team of experts to handle the risky missions they face. However, this unit features some of the most poorly developed, lackluster, and forgettable characters in Star Trek history.
AN ELITE TEAM?
The strike force, led by the increasingly intriguing Alok, portrayed by Omari Hardwick, is populated by a ragtag group of intergalactic misfits. Unfortunately, they come off as just as clichéd as the characters from last year’s widely criticized Borderlands movie. Among them is Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), an uptight future Captain of the Enterprise-C who strictly adheres to the Federation’s rulebook.
Then there’s Quasi, played by Sam Richardson, a vocal shapeshifter with plenty of opinions to share. Melle (Humberly Gonzalez), a Deltan, knows how to wield her charm to her advantage, while Zeph (Robert Kazinsky) is a human equipped with a mechanical exoskeleton. Rounding out this motley crew is the cringe-worthy Fuzz, played by James Hiroyuki Liao. With his dreadful Irish accent, cringe-worthy dialogue, and increasingly irritating antics, fans are bound to start disliking him. While I find the character’s conception quite intriguing, his distasteful qualities overshadow any unique elements being introduced.
Rob Kazinsky as Zeph in Star Trek: Section 31, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+
TREK OFF
Sadly, the film fails to give these new characters enough time to develop their backstories, making them feel entirely disposable – and we soon discover why. By the halfway mark, many of these characters have gone their separate ways, and their absence hardly registers. Their involvement in the story has little or no relevance other than to make up the numbers, and that speaks volumes. Thankfully, Michelle Yeoh is on hand to offer a safe pair of hands at the wheel, and her involvement is a shining light in the gloom. Omari Hardwick helps her shoulder the burden. In his role as Alok, Hardwick brings to life a character that finds his origins in The Original Series and offers an insightful twist on a classic, beloved storyline. The chemistry between Yeoh and Hardwick is electric, making their partnership a standout element.
Regrettably, the other characters come across as little more than token additions to the ensemble. The highly talented Robert Kazinsky, in particular, is frustratingly underutilized. Playing Zeph, he mostly stomps around in a Borg-like exoskeleton with little to contribute. It’s disappointing to witness an actor of his skills relegated to the background; after such a promising introduction, he deserved a much bigger role than what was given here.
A CONVENIENT BACKSTORY
Equally frustrating is the convenient backstory given to Philippa Georgiou. Throughout the overarching narrative of Star Trek: Discovery, we learn quite a bit about her role in the Mirror Universe and her remarkable history. However, Section 31 takes it further by tacking on an origin story that ultimately supports a half-hearted redemption arc, which fails to resonate. While the opening sequence offers a new perspective on the character and presents some shocking images—especially for a Star Trek property—the lack of deeper story development makes the sudden plot twist feel like an afterthought.
One of the film’s most notable shortcomings is its scale. Rather than feeling like an actual feature film, it gives off the vibe of a pilot episode for a series that never made it past the initial stages. The project carries the hallmarks of something never intended to be fully realized, and that sensation lingers throughout the viewing experience. Jeff Russo’s score, while a highlight in his work on Discovery, only deepens this impression here. Instead of enhancing the imagery on screen, the score comes across as lifeless and fails to inject any much-needed energy into the film.
POSITIVES
Fortunately, the film does have some redeeming qualities. Given its budget, the visual effects are nothing short of spectacular. The sequences in space and the beautifully rendered nebula are genuinely breathtaking, fitting seamlessly into the franchise’s rich legacy. The set design and production value also deserve commendation, particularly the opening scenes in Georgiou’s intergalactic cantina, which are visually stunning and even feature the familiar lens flare last seen in J.J. Abrams’ Trek films. While these moments represent small victories that help mitigate the overflowing nonsense throughout the film, they aren’t enough to prevent it from fading into obscurity as a massive missed opportunity.
VERDICT
Overall, Star Trek: Section 31 amounts to little more than a poorly conceived attempt to expand the franchise beyond its original formula. While it may be virgin territory for the franchise, its clichéd backstory and lack of character development prevent it from becoming bigger than a token small-screen adventure. The lack of the traditional Trek tropes leaves you with the sense you’ve been watching one of those poor Star Trek rip-off shows from the 90s. With its woeful dialogue, generic and disposable characters, and wafer-thin, convenient redemption backstory, the film is little more than bargain-bin fluff.
Sure, it may entertain for a while. But in the rich tapestry of Star Trek, the film is destined to be banished as the embarrassing black sheep. If this is Paramount’s attempt to expand the Trek sandbox, they need to go back to the drawing board because, on the strength of Section 31, they deserve to be sectioned for greenlighting this replicated hogwash.
It’s time to run a diagnostic on the EPS conduits.
Star Trek: Section 31 launches globally on Paramount+ on January 24.
Will you be entering the Neutral Zone for this one? Has the trailer convinced you to sign up for Starfleet? Let us know in the comments below.
Meet Phil Roberts! He’s the dedicated owner, daily content manager, and editor-in-chief of The Future of the Force. Phil is a budding novelist who turned his passion toward writing about the franchises he loves back in 2016. He’s a huge fan of all things Star Wars, Batman, DC, Marvel, Star Trek, Indiana Jones, Ghostbusters, King Kong, and the Ray Harryhausen movies. Phil is a BFI-accredited journalist and a distinguished member of the Film Critics Association UK.
If he’s not catching a movie at the cinema, you can bet he’s streaming something just as awesome!
