STAR TREK

By Edwin Hopkins
Converse electronically with Mr. Hopkins

HUGE

Ironically, being an early lover of sci-fi, Star Trek never really appealed to me when it first premiered in 1966. In fact, the only episode I remember watching was “ Turn About Intruder,” the last one of the final season. It was not until I was in junior high school (where I had “matured” some) that I started watching syndicated reruns and realized what I had been missing. After several years of flippantly disregarding this “wagon train to the stars”(Gene Roddenberry’s description), I was hooked, consequently becoming a regular conversation piece every day with some of my other friends in the school cafeteria.

I thought after it’s glorious resurgence in the 70’s, ten feature films and 4 spin off tv series, that Star Trek had exhausted all forms of antimatter energy and it’s warp drive was now permanently offline; especially when Paramount made the egregious error of releasing Star Trek Nemesis only 5 days before The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers back in 2002.
But incomparable writer/director JJ. Abrams has managed to “cold start” Enterprise’s engines once more with a story that adheres to the action, suspense and plain fun that made the classic series so good.
Obviously I was a bit wary about Star Trek returning to the past since the final tv incarnation “Enterprise”, didn’t last long. This re-imagining should lay many Trekkies (orTrekkers) fears to rest as it focuses on what I like to refer to as Star Trek’s “magnificent seven”- Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Sulu, Chekhov and Uhura.

Working with seemingly eternal script compadres Robert Orci and Alex Kurtzman, Abrams, as he did so well in MI:3, opens the movie with eye-popping action reminiscent of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. A space anomaly (remember Vger?) has suddenly appeared out of nowhere. When the USS Kelvin investigates, it’s captain and crew are fired upon by a strange looking ship whose weapon s seem far in advance of their own. The ensuing battle draws you in directly, no pretensions as to the severity of the situation.
     We see the birth of James Tiberius Kirk amidst this horrendous conflict, already bestowing some sense of destiny. ST fans know what will happen eventually, only this time we get to see a few more stages of his life beforehand in his native Iowa.
     And what a life. Actor Chris Pine’s young Kirk is brash, seemingly undisciplined and pays homage to William Shatner, s love for the ladies. The tertiary of course takes a bad turn when he initiates a bar brawl and is nearly beaten to death by Star Fleet cadets. Fortunately Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) arrives to break up the melee. He tells this rowdy but intelligent young colt about his father and encourages him to apply all that energy to Star Fleet. Kirk refuses that night. The next morning, he’s on the recruit shuttle to the academy.
     For those who have either never seen Star Trek or know little about it, this film is an ideal start. It leads right up to the original tv series despite some “minor” variations that die-hard Trek fans will be properly disappointed in.; Eric Bana sports some previous “Hulk” attitude into Nero, an extremely pissed off Romulan from the future who has a few axes to grind, serving as the main catalyst of change. He certainly has the advantage over our protagonists. So, it was fortunate that Abrams recruited the one character who could help them out- Leonard Nimoy’s Mr.Spock.
     I believe this movie could not have been made without at least one original cast member. And Spock was the perfect choice. He has the longest lifespan besides being the most intelligent (maybe Shatner will appear in a sequel). He and his young counterpart, Zachary Quinto are quite refreshing, sparing no familiar lines from previous Trek adventures.
     Star Trek has always represented what president Obama calls, “The Audacity Hope.” ; the naïve ideal that we may someday obliterate racism and prejudice altogether, consider everyone as just human and live together in peace. J.J. Abrams and his talented “Ship’s crew” have not only regenerated a classic franchise, but also that same vision of hope and on earth peace , good will toward men, if we are all willing to achieve it.