“Star Trek: Section 31” boldly explores where no other movie or TV show in the sci-fi saga has gone before. The story takes place beyond the parameters of the Federation, introducing viewers to a sleazier side of the universe. The main characters aren’t all goody two-shoes types either, as Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) is an eyeball-eating sociopath who occupies the grey area between heroic and evil. “Star Trek: Section 31” is straight-up B-movie trash, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Of course, with great change comes an army of upset critics who have their own ideas of what “Star Trek” should be. The early reactions to “Star Trek: Section 31” were brutal, with many naysayers arguing that the film barely embraces the ethos on which the franchise was built. However, during a press day for the event, producer Alex Kurtzman told /Film’s Jacob Hall that the Paramount+ film was designed to explore the sci-fi property’s core ideals through a modern lens:

“If you think of traditional ‘Star Trek,’ you think of [Gene] Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future where you wouldn’t have to have something like [Section 31]. However, Federation space is limited, and there’s area outside of Federation space. And part of the conversations we had in thinking about this was, how do you use Section 31 the same way that ‘Star Trek,’ since its inception, has used allegory and metaphor to talk about what’s going on today? And that’s what makes ‘Star Trek’ ‘Star Trek.'”

At first glance, this might not be a traditional “Star Trek” vehicle. However, Kurtzman believes that it still aligns with Roddenberry’s utopian vision for the franchise, and it’s all part of a bigger picture.

“Star Trek: Section 31” isn’t a traditional story about Starfleet and the Federation. It follows the eponymous defense operation as it carries out a covert mission in uncharted terrains of space, removing some of the dreamy-eyed idealism that defines “Star Trek.” However, Alex Kurtzman told /Film that it’s important to chronicle the darkness that leads to a brighter tomorrow, and that’s how the Paramount+ “Star Trek Discovery” spin-off film aligns with the franchise’s overarching values:

“The light cannot exist without the people in the shadow who are allowing Starfleet to do what it does. That was a very interesting idea because — it wasn’t unique to us, that was brought up when Section 31 was first introduced into the series by the writers of [‘Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’] — that feels like an extremely relevant topic to talk about today. Especially when we’re living in a world where the borders between things are becoming much more porous and invisible, where the division between people is growing wider and wider. It allows us to forget the fundamental message of ‘Star Trek,’ which is that we have to figure out how to get along, despite our differences.”

While some Trekkies might consider “Section 31” to be an outlier that takes some unpopular creative risks, Kurtzman believes that the movie’s message reinforces the core ideals of “Star Trek.” At the same time, there are also commercial reasons to consider when evaluating why the new movie is different from other entries in the franchise.

“Star Trek: Discovery” is the only series that directly connects to “Section 31,” but even viewers with zero knowledge of the franchise can enter the film knowing that it doesn’t require any prior franchise knowledge to understand and enjoy. While speaking to TrekMovie, Alex Kurtzman emphasized that “Section 31” is a movie that all audiences can enjoy, whether they’re newcomers or long-term fans of the sci-fi saga. More than anything, though, the filmmakers wanted the flick to be fun:

“If we made a very dark ‘Star Trek,’ I think people would legitimately be able to say, ‘Wow, that doesn’t feel like ‘Star Trek.” But we really tried to mitigate against the conversation by, first of all, making something that was really fun by putting in some very deliberate and specific references, obviously with Rachel Garrett being the most acute of those references, to what it means to be in the Federation and to be part of ‘Star Trek’ and Starfleet. And ultimately, to give you a fun, funny, emotional story that like ‘Wagon Train to the Stars,’ is also hewing toward a Western paradigm.”

It remains to be seen how well-received “Section 31” will be as time goes on. For now, though, it appears that the movie has more critics than fans. Still, it wouldn’t be the first “Star Trek” property to be met with initial skepticism before finding a dedicated cult fan base.

“Star Trek: Section 31” is now streaming on Paramount+.