# Star Trek Section 31 (The movie, not the general concept.) (Or, okay, the general concept too if you want the thread to go that way—I'm easy.) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies, star-trek-paramount\ **Created:** [January 24, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347 "2025-01-24T18:17:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2025, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/1 "2025-01-24T18:17:45Z")
So very, incredibly bad. It reminds me a lot of the _Rick and Morty_ episode parodying the Avengers, except it takes itself seriously. Or maybe it should be called _Plan Oceans 11 From Outer Space_? Early on during the character introductions it reminded me a little of _Battle Beyond the Stars_ except that I _like_ _Battle Beyond the Stars_. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/2 "2025-01-25T00:30:22Z")
Inspired by your glowing recommendation I just gave it shot. Made it 21 minutes. WOW. That is painful. Not so bad as to be funny but when trying to be funny it is so bad. Not sure very many will make it through enough to have a conversation about it. I actually was looking forward to this too. Ah well. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/3 "2025-01-25T01:07:51Z")
I’m reading [a reddit thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/comments/1i8pqbm/movie_discussion_star_trek_section_31/) about it right now. So far I haven’t noticed any defenders. My favorite line so far: > An emotionally unstable Vulcan with an Irish accent is the worse disguise of all time. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/4 "2025-01-25T05:34:26Z")
Is this a spinoff of ST: Discovery? I gave up on that show so I don’t have much motivation to see this. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/5 "2025-01-25T05:56:05Z")
Yes. Starring Mirror Universe Michelle Yeoh. It was originally supposed to be a series. ---
**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/6 "2025-01-25T11:58:13Z")
Technically Section 31 was introduced in Deep Space 9, and there were a few episodes that dealt with it. > **[Section 31 (Star Trek)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Section_31_(Star_Trek))** > > Section 31, in the fictional universe of Star Trek, is an autonomous intelligence and defense organization that carries out covert operations for the United Federation of Planets. Created by Ira Steven Behr for the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Inquisition", the organization was intended to act as a counterbalance to the utopian portrayal of the Federation. > Section 31 settings and characters have appeared in dozens of episodes, novels and comics.: 551  In 2019, CBS announced a new serie... Brian ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/7 "2025-01-25T15:27:31Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Technically Section 31 was introduced in Deep Space 9, and there were a few episodes that dealt with it. But this movie is specifically about Mirror Universe Michelle Yeoh. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/8 "2025-01-25T15:38:17Z")
Put me in the group that finds Section 31 to be antithetical to the Star Trek ethos. “I, Borg” is more like the ST ethos I support: “We don’t commit genocide just because it’s easy.” Now maybe in the real world having someone to do the dirty work is necessary, but I don’t have to like it. And I enjoyed contemplating the moral ambiguity of “In the Pale Moonlight”, I just am not sure it was right. Or as I read in one of the earlier ST novels (that I hate, but this idea was good), to wit, “In the old days, it was acceptable to sacrifice one to save many. Maybe now, we should be past that. We should be able to save them all.” This is section 31, as quoted by Cliff Robertson in _Three Days of the Condor_ - [Higgins](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0731772/?ref_=ttqu_qu): It’s simple economics. Today it’s oil, right? In ten or fifteen years, food. Plutonium. Maybe even sooner. Now, what do you think the people are gonna want us to do then? - [Joe Turner](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000602/?ref_=ttqu_qu): Ask them? - [Higgins](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0731772/?ref_=ttqu_qu): Not now - then! Ask 'em when they’re running out. Ask 'em when there’s no heat in their homes and they’re cold. Ask 'em when their engines stop. Ask 'em when people who have never known hunger start going hungry. You wanna know something? They won’t want us to ask 'em. They’ll just want us to get it for 'em! ---
**Author:** ![FinsToTheLeft](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/finstotheleft/32/2930_2.png) [@FinsToTheLeft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FinsToTheLeft)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/9 "2025-01-25T16:44:35Z")
I watched it. Bad, bad, bad. “We have no weapons, only garbage. Let me look through literal tons of it to find a discarded toy using technology we have banned because it is so dangerous!” ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2025, 11:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/10 "2025-01-25T23:22:59Z")
> [@FinsToTheLeft](#): > > I watched it. Bad, bad, bad. I endorse this message. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/11 "2025-01-26T04:30:46Z")
Section 31:We do the things The Federation “Doesn’t Do” ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2025, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/12 "2025-01-26T17:50:10Z")
Star Trek finally had it’s very own holiday special! ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/13 "2025-01-27T15:59:46Z")
I don’t know about the show itself, but this reference to it is funny. > **[Dirty One - Penny Arcade](https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2025/01/24/dirty-one)** > > Videogaming-related online strip by Mike Krahulik and Jerry Holkins. Includes news and commentary. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/14 "2025-01-27T21:23:01Z")
It was very meh and the reviews online are really slapping it around. From what I understand, this was supposed to be a series and had production difficulties before getting trimmed down into one movie-length story. Because of that, characters are introduced and then not really developed very well (and one of the more intriguing ones, imo, gets killed rather quickly), the antagonist is pretty obvious, and much of the goings-on is silly. Still, it’s neat to see Michelle Yeoh and the other characters are kind of interesting. There’s a bit too much “remember this from other Star Treks?” occurring, the movie doesn’t exactly work as a Dirty Dozen But Star Trek! that it wants to be, and some of the CGI is silly - namely an endless fight in a speeding underground transport - but it’s not the terriblest, imo. But yeah, a super-secret covert intelligence organization designed to carry out the dirtiest stuff that a utopian society “needs done” as secretly and covertly as possible shouldn’t be walking around announcing their name for most of the movie. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/15 "2025-01-27T21:33:35Z")
I liked the fight scene where they had they were ‘out of phase’ - they could go thru walls, but the floors were surprisingly solid. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/16 "2025-01-27T21:35:43Z")
“Remember that from” the TNG episode The Next Phase? 🙂 Funny they have no trouble with air passing through them and not suffocating. ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/17 "2025-01-27T21:37:05Z")
The more I think about it - the less I like it - I thought the choreography on the fight itself was good - but sheesh. So much promise - so little delivery. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/18 "2025-01-27T22:02:49Z")
The fact it was supposed to be a series, but got turned into a movie, reminds me of _Mulholland Drive_. What a mess of a film, with entire plot arcs removed or cut up so much it doesn’t make any sense. Or, to be fair, doesn’t make the sense Lynch intended when he started. ---
**Author:** ![Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/intergalactic_gladiator/32/112_2.png) [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)\ **Post date:** [January 27, 2025, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/19 "2025-01-27T22:06:10Z")
I find it hard to nitpick the phase fight because of the science of being in a different phase because TNG did it in a pretty good episode with LaForge and Ro. If you have to, just remember the MST3K mantra. That being said, the fight featured so many quick cuts and whip zooms that it was hard for me to appreciate. I imagine Michelle Yeoh can’t go like she did in _Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon_ or _Supercop_ but not every fight scene should be super kinetic. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2025, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347/20 "2025-01-28T03:19:33Z")
In a movie about Section 31 the Section 31 agents don’t really do anything that would be unacceptable for Starfleet Intelligence. The closest they came was slapping around Dada Noe. Fuzz was whatever the Irish equivalent of blackface is and having the Deltan honeypot die first carries some really unfortunate implications. And the most unforgivable of unforgivable sins? Lt Garrett’s tricorder looks exactly like a smartphone. 😉 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-section-31-the-movie-not-the-general-concept-or-okay-the-general-concept-too-if-you-want-the-thread-to-go-that-way-im-easy/1013347.md?page=2)