Star Trek: The New Frontier, the New Franchise

Last night, Star Trek opened in Lansing, IL to a sparse crowd. I mean sparse...like 25 people. However, the area is not known for being receptive to this sort of movie.

J.J. Abrams has taken over the Enterprise (NCC-1701) and the franchise that is Star Trek. With that weighty responsibility (for the Trekkies) Abrams exploits the one fundamental ingredient in Sci-Fi that is the most malleable to all these adeventures: Time.

Copious amounts of stories can be written, and undone, with the modification of the space-time line. Change of events, change of results. Like rolling a 1,000,000 sided dice to get a different outcome.

The Enterprise crew is everyone from the original series launched in the 1960s. This is an origin story, at first, but soon sets up the future events for the new director of the course of the Enterprise's adventures.

Cast

John Cho as Hikaru Sulu
Ben Cross as Sarek
Bruce Greenwood as Capt. Christopher Pike
Simon Pegg as Scotty
Chris Pine as James T. Kirk
Zachary Quinto as a young Spock
Winona Ryder as Amanda Grayson
Zoe Saldana as Nyota Uhura
Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy
Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov
Eric Bana as villian Nero
Leonard Nimoy as Old Spock

Now, everything can be seen as far-fetched and difficult to understand in this origination story line. Roger Ebert, not always in his right mind, was playing his critiquing games on this classic. Which is always why it is annoying to please critics. They pick. They look for gaffs. They conjecture about what is wrong instead of what is RIGHT.

The cast pulled off an admirable job in framing this close enough to the 1960s characters while adding in the small amount of personal lives and new ticks that can be explored and elaborated on in future films.

And that is what I liked.

Technology is catching up to the Star Trek dream. Even the gritty scenes of the inside of the Enterprise seem a bit out of step with what is suppose to be happening in the 23rd century.

But it is the adventure of movies that makes a place like a Star Trek movie go where no movie has gone before...we hope.

A Star Trek: A New Frontier on the horizon

I just saw the new Star Trek trailer (yeah, I know its old news - November 18th) and I am thrilled to say it looks, and sounds, like a winner. The version begins at the most appropriate time - from their youth - and with the wild days of the early space conquests and battles.

Director J.J. Abrams takes over this incarnation of the 11th movie in the historic franchise. While using the Star Wars formula, going back in time to fill in the details (and make more Hollywood cash), this looks more visually stunning (as well it should) and with a wild streak that may turn this character line into a 3-5 movie arch.

Zachary Quinto (Heroes' Gabriel) plays Spock and looks very much like Mr. Nemoy's younger self. But it also seems this Spock will be an action-filled role, with a maturing Vulcan that we can find appealing on many, many levels.

Zoë Saldana (Drumline beauty and Ashton Kucher's girl in Guess Who with the late Bernie Mac) plays Uhura and will definitely spice up the role as a sexy lady on the set...(the trailer gives you a peak of that.)

For James T. Kirk, a relative newcomer, Chris Pine, may be the wildcard, though his credentials on an array of differing projects gives one hope that he can be many faces on a classic character.

To the side, I grew up a Star Trek fanatic. The original movie with V-ger (Voyager, that now fabled satellite the U.S.A. sent up, as the quest), Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home with the call of the whales needed to save Earth. (Not necessarily considered a very good movie, but it had its moments, like Mr. Scott talking to the computer, and then having to type really fast to come up with the formula for clear plexiglass made out of titanium or some such item.)

It is my hope that all Star Treks will turn out well. We need a new frontier to roam in these unsettling times.