Star Trek Beyond did the coolest thing with Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) iconic speech. Since Star Trek: The Original Series, every live-action Star Trek show about the USS Enterprise began with the famous monologue, "Space... the final frontier..." Kirk's original mantra was the mission statement of the Starship Enterprise, explaining Star Trek's core premise of the five-year mission, and boldly exploring strange new worlds and seeking out new civilizations.
One of the most pleasing aspects of Star Trek Beyond is that it's the closest of the trilogy of films produced by J.J. Abrams to recapture the spirit of Star Trek: The Original Series. Star Trek (2009) was a reboot in every way, transforming Star Trek into a thrilling, action-packed roller coaster with blockbuster special effects. Star Trek Into Darkness perhaps pushed the cinematic chaos a bit too far. However, Star Trek Beyond, written by Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, and directed by Justin Lin, touched upon the themes of friendship, trust, and teamwork that were hallmarks of 1960s Star Trek. And Star Trek Beyond gave Captain Kirk's classic mission statement a long-needed upgrade.
Star Trek Beyond’s Cast Delivered Captain Kirk’s Classic Speech
The USS Enterprise's crew finally gave the mission statement
At the end of Star Trek Beyond, the entire crew of the USS Enterprise delivered Captain Kirk's iconic "Space.... the final frontier..." speech together, transforming it from a monologue to a team effort. Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto) opened the familiar mantra, with Lt. Nyota Uhura (Zoe Saldana) delivering the all-important closing piece, "To boldly go where no one has gone before." Not only is it an electric moment to witness, but, finally, Star Trek recognized that it's the whole crew of the Starship Enterprise, not just the Captain, that makes Star Trek's mission work.
Star Trek Beyond ends with Captain Kirk gathering with his crew to celebrate their victory over the villain Krall (Idris Elba) after saving Starbase Yorktown. While Kirk and his people are licking their wounds, they are hopeful and toast to the future as they watch the construction of their new starship, the USS Enterprise-A. When the next generation of the Enterprise launches, it's beyond fitting that her entire crew announces her mission statement. Star Trek Beyond's climax is a rebirth of the USS Enterprise that warps the franchise towards the final frontier. Although, sadly, fans have waited nearly a decade for Star Trek 4 and the Starship Enterprise's continuing voyages.
How Star Trek Has Changed Captain Kirk’s Classic Speech
"Space... the final frontier..." has evolved with the times
Captain Kirk's monologue that kicked off the opening credits of every Star Trek: The Original Series episode is a succinct and propulsive mission statement that has been an iconic part of pop culture for almost 60 years. However, it has also aged and is a reflection of its era. At the end of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who died at the end of the film, delivers the Star Trek movies' inaugural version of Star Trek's mantra, with some changes. Spock refers to the "continuing voyages of the Starship Enterprise" and corrects the original reference of a "five-year mission" to "her ongoing mission". Spock also specifies seeking out "new life forms" instead of Kirk's "new life and new civilizations."
Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) is the latest to deliver the iconic monologue before the opening credits of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds .
Perhaps the most important change to Star Trek's mission statement was made by Star Trek: The Next Generation. Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) also calls the voyages of the Starship Enterprise "its continuing mission," before updating the closing line: "To boldly go where no one has gone before," instead of the original "where no man has gone before." This gender-neutral switch includes everyone, not just men. Star Trek Beyond honored that change even further by having the multi-racial and multi-species crew of the Starship Enterprise deliver their iconic mission statement together.
