Mustrum_Ridcully
Legend
I think the high high-action thing isn't really Star Trek, at least not as the various series go, but it is very Starfleet. My general understanding has always been that Starfleet is supposed to take only the best. When exposed to an action-intense scenario, I don't see any reason why at least some of them wouldn't default to an action-hero type of character. With Kirk's audacity and general disregard for the rules, I think him being more of an action-hero makes some sense.
It's definitely not the deep, thought-provoking Trek that we're used to, but I'm okay with it. I would just hope that the franchise makes room for both action-adventure Trek films and introspective sci-fi Trek films.
I am not convinced that Star Trek movies were ever as deep and thought-provoking as people make them out to be. The fan favorite often seems to be Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan, and that's a pretty simple revenge story with some heavy sci-fi gimmicks in the mix.
My favorites might have been more IV and VI (from the originals cast) and VIII (from the new ones).
I'd say Undiscovered Country had some depths in trying to discuss people feeling "old" and no longer fit for the changes in the world, and a neat parable to the end of the COld War - but was that deeper than Kirk and Spock debating whether they can just play judge and executor (all while risking a war with the Klingon Empire), or whether one should provoke a war between two nations just because one considers it inevitable?