The “Star Trek” franchise was built on the premise of boldly going where no human has gone before, and “Section 31” embodies that mantra and then some. The story takes place way beyond the Federation’s reach, in lawless, seedier corners of the universe where nightclub owners consume eyeballs with their martinis and use naughty words. Starfleet characters are also few and far between, and the story centers the action around the sociopathic Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) instead of an admirable hero. So, while the Paramount+ film technically embodies the franchise’s desire to explore new terrains, the other elements beg the question: is it really “Star Trek?”

Well, the consensus among most critics is that “Section 31” is “Star Trek” in name only — a movie that’s more reminiscent of contemporary action flicks than, well, “Star Trek.” As IGN’s Jordan Hoffman wrote, “Section 31 will infuriate ‘Star Trek’ fans and bore everyone else. It is rote and derivative and doesn’t even look good.” A similar sentiment was shared by Den of Geek’s Joe George, who opined that “‘Star Trek: Section 31’ applies a veneer of ‘Trek’ references to an ugly, forgettable TV movie.”

Those reviews sum up many opinions pertaining to “Section 31,” but they aren’t the only issues critics had with the film. With that in mind, let’s boldly explore some of the other reviews that haven’t been kind to director Olatunde Osunsanmi and writer Craig Sweeny’s movie.

Viewers only need to watch a few episodes of “Star Trek: Discovery” to fully understand “Section 31,” but general audiences and newcomers will get the gist of the story. It’s also evident that the filmmakers wanted to expand the franchise’s lore, but let’s just say their good intentions didn’t result in a good end product.

According to GamesRadar critic David Opie, “Section 31” is tonally all over the place and lacks a cohesive vision: 

“‘Star Trek: Section 31’ doesn’t know what it wants to be. Is it a serious exploration of the criminal underbelly, a camp throwback to the noughties, or a tonally off combination of the two?”

Elsewhere, some critics argued that “Section 31” fails to make the most of its excellent cast, which includes the magnificent Michelle Yeoh, Omari Hardwick, Sam Richardson, and Kacey Rohl. As Collider’s Samantha Coley noted, “Rohl also does a solid job as young Rachel Garrett, and had she been given more to do, it would’ve been fun to see her sink her teeth into the early days of one of Starfleet’s most legendary figures.”

On a more positive note, /Film’s senior news editor Jacob Hall praised “Star Trek: Section 31” for stepping out of the franchise’s idealistic comfort zone and embracing trashy B-movie qualities: 

“[H]onestly, ‘nerdy B-movie sleaze’ is a flavor of ‘Trek’ we haven’t seen before, and one that I found myself increasingly enjoying as the film’s whirlwind pace dragged me along through set piece after set piece.” 

It seems the movie might not please all Trekkies, but it’s probably going to find fans among those who appreciate some schlock and awe.

“Star Trek: Section 31” begins streaming January 24, 2025, on Paramount+.