Section 31 is a Star Trek spin off movie. It’s 95 minutes long although a standard episode length might have improved it. IMDB gave it 3.8. Hubby and I are cynical about ratings in the current environment, where movies and TV series are “review bombed” for featuring women and minorities. However, this rating is about right.
Star Trek established Section 31 in 1998
Section 31, a shadowy intelligence organisation, appeared in Deep Space 9 ‘Inquisition’ in 1998. Stories involving this section expose darker, more sinister, elements in the Federation. Often those stories remind me of Babylon 5’s darker episodes featuring Psi Corps and the rise of fascism on Earth.
However, this movie takes the formerly sinister organization and blends it with the mirror universe trope. Please stop! Those stories jumped the shark YEARS ago! Then they added the “ragtag band of heroes” trope and tried for a Suicide Squad II, failed, then face planted.
The plot
The plot is piecemeal and self contradictory. For example, Empress Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) became empress in the mirror universe. In flashbacks. Via a Hunger Games style competition where the sole survivor becomes emperor or empress. There must only be one survivor. But the final competition was not a battle to the death. The rules inexplicably changed. The other surviving competitor must serve the empress, who promptly mutilated him. It doesn’t take a PhD to figure out the plot and villain from there.
Also, stop with the “disfigured therefore evil” trope already. You’re vilifying a vulnerable minority. This short clip from Changing Faces exposes bigotry and assumptions. They’re campaigning to stop hate crimes and discrimination. Section 31 undermines their good work.
Section 31 flips between Georgiou’s flashbacks and the “present”, with a “weekend house party whodunnit” trope in the “present”. While the characters fight among themselves, it’s obvious the villain is one of two characters. The only successful confusion for viewers arises from writers cheating. Repeatedly. I want to rant about the cheat but it’s a massive spoiler.
The verdict
Section 31 has good production value. WASTED production value. My theory is the story was largely written by AI stealing components from successful stories for a slop-y soup. The final scene suggests either a movie franchise or a tv series to come in the vein of Charlie’s Angels. YAWN. Not with these writers, thanks!
The movie’s highlight was a cameo from a certain actor in the role of a holographic “Charlie”. One of the official posters hints at this direction, evoking the era of the original Charlie’s Angels.
Makers may have intended this movie to be like Picard (my review for season 2 is here), which was for the fans with references to older series and cameos from beloved actors. I enjoyed Picard season 1 more than season 2, while hubby loved season 2 for the same reasons I was bored: nostalgic wallowing overshadowed actual plot. Maybe this movie aimed in that direction. I still think it missed. This movie is so bad that hubby APOLOGISED for buying it and inflicting it upon me, lol!
Section 31 may serve a constructive purpose if used as a professional development tool to explore bad examples of characters and plot, to determine what went wrong. If you’re not writing or reviewing, this movie might be good for a hate-watch or a drinking game. Beware the rules though, alcohol poisoning is real and too much caffeine is not healthy either!
Star Trek fans may dislike my review as much as I disliked the movie.
