Review: New 'Star Trek' doc boldly goes over 50 years of history
Posted Tuesday, November 1, 2016 at 5:06 PM Central
by John Couture
It's no secret that I've always found myself on the Star Wars side of the great sci-fi divide, but that doesn't mean that I don't have a certain appreciation for all things Star Trek. Heck, I worked for Paramount Home Entertainment for a couple of years, so I got really familiar with everything from a communicator to the Tribbles.
Like any great rivalry, a mutual appreciation develops below the surface tension and it is possible to be a diehard fan of one and a fan of the other. I've seen many of the Star Trek films and several episodes of each of the various TV series. For me, the biggest difference between the two franchises is the medium where they found their greatest success. While Star Wars was born and bred in theaters, the genesis (and greatest victories) of Star Trek was on television.
So, it was with a certain level of anticipation that I put in 50 Years of Star Trek. I figured that I would get a nice overview of the series and hopefully a bit of nuance what would help me to better understand the diehard Trekkers.
What I found was fifty years of love for a franchise that while I didn't consider myself an expert, I still enjoyed over the years. Yet, it was the passion of the fans and talent involved with the franchise that truly moved me.
There is plenty of room in the world for both Star Wars and Star Trek fans and I'm willing to bet that there is more overlap than people realize. While the popularity of Star Wars draws its inspiration from the fantastical, superficiality of its simple stories, Star Trek was always willing to tackle the issues of the day.
As I learned from this documentary, a lot of this franchise's spunk originated within creator Gene Roddenberry and it is his spirit that we see reflected in the franchise to this day. I always thought that Star Trek was more "grown up" and this film seemed to confirm that theory for me. As we quickly bridge the gap between Roddenberry's science fiction and today's science fact, the ethical implications of his series becomes ever more important.
A fun part of the documentary is their look at all of the technology that finds the roots of its origin in Star Trek. Things that we take for granted such as cell phones and tablets got their inspiration from the futuristic technology on display in Star Trek. Beyond the obvious, there are also several subtle advancements that the series has brought to fruition and they might surprise you.
The biggest selling point of this film, however, is that it is the last filmed interview with Leonard Nimoy. Not only was the character of Spock arguably the most endearing crew member on the Enterprise, but his rationale thought process was one that was in direct opposition to Kirk's emotionally driven leadership. Together, the duo created one of the best partnerships ever put on screen, little or big, so his loss was greatly felt both within Star Trek world and outside of it.
As someone who acted in and directed various installments of the film franchise Leonard Nimoy was more than just another actor in a TV series. His shadow was cast over the entire franchise, so much so that he was included in the recent series of rebooted films.
In the immortal words of Spock, "Live long and prosper" and this film will help get you into the right frame of mind.
