I have the impression that this is generally regarded to be a dud, but I just watched it in the course of a story-order viewing marathon and it’s terrific—a very thoughtful, well-written, philosophically interesting film.

It has an emotional throughline that works, and script really knows who the characters are, especially with the central McCoy/Kirk/Spock relationships. It respects the ethos of the series in an earnestly optimistic way that’s likable. The plot and the ultimate reveal felt novel to me, outside of something you might see in—well, an episode of Star Trek, which says something about the movie’s assured identity. The effects work and art direction are gorgeous, even in a present day context.

Has time just been kind to this film? And am I late to the party and everyone’s already here, or am I an outlier?