Star Trek: Section 31 Review: Michelle Yeoh Is a Bright Spot in Uneven, Flat Film

DISCLAIMER: Spoilers lie ahead for Paramount+’s Star Trek: Section 31. 

Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh has this preternatural ability to elevate everything she’s in. It’s almost unsettling. She’s just that good, though. Her innate onscreen charisma reels you in, holding you in place as she proceeds to steal every scene. In fact, Star Trek: Discovery dipped in quality upon her departure. Yeoh made Emperor Philippa Georgiou a singular force of nature — darkly humorous, formidable, yet altogether tragic. 

Star Trek: Section 31

Naturally, when news of Yeoh reprising Georgiou in Star Trek: Section 31 splashed across the internet, it piqued interest. At the very least, we have a solid anchor in Yeoh and a familiar face to ground us in a new Star Trek narrative. Even better, we’ll explore the titular Section 31, a dark organization that’s the antithesis of Starfleet’s moral code. 

The opening scene whisks us back to Georgiou’s roots, where she kills her family to ascend to the position of Emperor of the Terran Empire. It’s brutal and a bold starting point for any film. While it seems like this is the direction we’re going, tone-wise, for the remainder of the movie, Star Trek: Section 31 takes a hard left into, well, something else. 

Tonally, the film is all over the place. It can’t decide what it wants to be. Is it a comedy? A drama? A thought-provoking deep dive into Georgiou’s trauma with spy thriller elements? The movie messily tries to balance multiple genres without really mastering any of them. Admittedly, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, to use a modern example, does a better job of balancing its stylistic choices. Hell, even Star Trek: Lower Decks seamlessly blends humor and heart. 

Set Phasers to Chuckle (or Something)

The humor, for the most part, feels too forced and awkward. Most of the jokes fall flat. I chuckled here and there, but primarily at Yeoh. Sven Ruygrok as Fuzz is quite jarring, and while Fuzz isn’t Vulcan, it creates a bit of cognitive dissonance in almost 60 years of franchise canon. Of course, perhaps some of the fun in that situation comes from the ridiculousness of it all. At face value, we’re seeing a Vulcan be over-the-top expressive. 

Sam Richardson also serves as the comedic relief alongside Robert Kazinsky as Zeph. Richardson, who I love, feels a bit stilted here. His dialogue is derivative and tired. We’ve seen this character in genre storytelling before. As for Kazinsky, he’s so underutilized as Zeph (as is Humberly González as Melle) that his death packs no emotional punch. 

Really, all the deaths in Star Trek: Section 31, at least for the characters we’re supposed to feel for, mean nothing. We don’t know these characters, so why should we care when they die? The film struggles to cram tons of narrative and character development that it doesn’t quite excel at either. Even Georgiou, our focal point, doesn’t get the time and care she deserves. 

Performances 

Michelle Yeoh, as always, is terrific. She embodies all the characteristics of Georgiou that we love — her humor, ferocity, and aching vulnerability. That said, I would’ve loved to see this movie delve deeper into Georgiou’s trauma. Killing her family and ascending to the emperor’s throne really shaped her into a complex character with a dark ledger. It adds an intriguing layer to her cruelty as an emperor. 

Her scenes with San, played by a fantastic James Hiroyuki Liao, barely skim the surface of that trauma. However, they are a highlight, as is their big action sequence. Unfortunately, like much of the film, the emotional beats feel hollow. We should feel something for San’s death scene, but ultimately, it’s empty despite Yeoh and Liao’s solid performances. 

Omari Hardwick doesn’t do it for me as Alok. By the end of Star Trek: Section 31, we still don’t have a true read on who he is. There’s no real chemistry between Hardwick and Yeoh, either. Kacey Rohl is a fun addition as Rachel Garrett, an already-established canon character. She has a distinct arc in the movie. We see her learn to let loose a bit.

Ruygrok, while clearly a talented performer, seems to be in a different film than the rest of the cast. Fuzz doesn’t quite fit the franchise’s style, but Ruygrok playing two different characters showcases his versatility. 

Hoping for More 

All in all, this movie lacks the depth and thoughtfulness for which this franchise is known. It struggles with pacing inconsistencies, often dragging in some spots, with a rushed, jumbled conclusion. Admittedly, this would fare better as a TV series. In addition, it doesn’t flesh out the facets of Section 31 we’re not privy to, which, besides Yeoh returning, was the biggest draw for me. That said, based on the ending, the door is seemingly open for a sequel or a potential series. Maybe round two will be an improvement. 

Stray Observations: 

• Georgiou’s fashion sense is unparalleled. Her first and last scenes display the futuristic space fashion I crave. 
• A naked Andorian was not on my 2025 bingo card (nor did I want it to be). 
• I loved the Mirror Universe take on the logo. 
• The phasing in and out fight sequence in the club is a blast. 
• It’s still weird hearing “shit” and seeing sex in Star Trek. Well, unless it’s Lower Decks. 
• Dada Noe saying, “Does that come with fries?” after Georgiou rattles off her long-ass name made me laugh. 
• Fuzz sounds like Robert Sheehan. 
• Jamie Lee Curtis? Unexpected, but I’ll allow it. 
• I never thought we’d get a Weekend at Bernie‘s homage in Star Trek, but here we are. 

What did you think of Star Trek: Section 31? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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

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