The United Federation of Planets has maintained peace among
many species of the galaxy, which has allowed civilization to pursue
exploration rather than war. Halfway through their five-year mission to explore
space (the final frontier), the crew of the Enterprise is exhausted. Captain
Kirk thinks about leaving his ship and applying for a promotion to a desk job;
Spock thinks about leaving the ship to pursue other endeavors, and the rest of
the crew needs a break. The crew answers a distress call and sets off to rescue
a stranded crew, but they are surprised to be attacked by a swarm of small
ships led by the mysterious Krall. Krall wants to steal a bioweapon that is
aboard the Enterprise, and intends to use it to break up the peace created by
the Federation. **SPOILERS THE REST OF
THE WAY**
The Adoption
Connection
There is no mention of adoption. There are some aspects of
the film that might have tangential relevance to adoption for some families. One
alien character seems to take care of another alien character. One character
has lost his father and drinks to his memory. The film’s villain became a
villain because he believed he had been abandoned. Another character lost her
parents when they were killed by the villain.
Strong Points
The films’ heroes are quite brave; they refuse to abandon
their crewmates even in the face of great danger. Their actions contrast the
villain’s charges against the Federation.
Captain Kirk is frustrated when another person is slow to
get behind his plan. Another Enterprise crewmember has the empathy to
understand that she has been traumatized by the loss of her parents, and
explains this to Captain Kirk.
Kirk is brave, and is willing to do whatever is necessary to
protect the civilians from Krall’s destructive plans.
Challenges
A woman is disintegrated onscreen by a powerful weapon.
The woman who had lost her parents is threatened by the man
who killed them, “You will die here just like your father.”
The villain intends to kill many civilians at a Starfeet
base. His motivations are mixed – he wants revenge, and he seems to believe
that peace is bad for humanity. Most people in the base he targets will likely interpret
his violence as causeless and unprovoked.
Recommendations
There’s quite a bit of action in this movie, and although
some characters do talk about their parents that have died and another talks
about being abandoned, most young viewers will probably focus on the action.
This seems best suited to parents and teens ages 13 and up.
Questions for
Discussion
When people are hurt, they sometimes try to hurt other people.
What would be other ways for Krall to respond?
Have you ever felt like someone forgot you or left you on
your own? When do you feel secure and remembered?
When you become discouraged, how do you decide whether you should
continue pursuing your goal or whether you should change your goals?
Which two characters did you think were the bravest?
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