I should start by simply stating that I like to think of myself as a recovering dork. That being said, we went to see the new Star Trek movie the other night.
To most of you out there who know me, this comes as no great surprise. For those of you who knew me all the way back in middle school and into high school, this seems only natural. I pretty much was that guy: the geek who liked Star Trek. I watched the television show (The Next Generation, as I didn’t see that much in the original series), read books, and even built models of the ships. I was an upstanding, church-going teenager who didn’t drink, do drugs, or have sex. What else was I supposed to do with my time? In retrospect, I have to ask myself, was my virginity and affinity to Star Trek merely coincidental or in fact causal?
I do have to defend myself somewhat however. Even though I concede that I did have Star Trek t-shirts, I never attended a convention, nor have I ever worn any Starfleet attire. In fact, even before I really knew what the word douchebag meant, I recognized what it was and what I never wanted to become when I was at the opening night of Star Trek: Generations (i.e. the first The Next Generation film) and saw some fanboys in Starfleet uniforms.
That night was not only a turning point for me (I stopped wearing the t-shirts, though it still took me quite some time to get laid), but it was a turning point for the whole Star Trek franchise. Whereas I like to think I became a better less of a dork after that debut, Star Trek just started to suck.
I am still a geek at heart and have a soft spot for Star Trek. Even though I didn’t want to admit it, I knew that Voyager was just OK and that the following films were not really worth the time to watch. And I didn’t even bother to watch whatever it was that had the guy from Quantum Leap. Therefore, I was really excited to hear about the new film under the direction of J.J. Abrams whose apparent touch turns things to solid gold.
Whatever skills he brings to the table, they worked wonders for Star Trek as I feel as though the new film is the best Star Trek film that I have seen. Ever. Like in all of time. I am not about to write an actual critique of the film. From as far as I can tell the internet certainly doesn’t need another opinion that no on cares about and does not read. Just go to Amazon’s product reviews for those.
Even if I did want to write a review praising the film, all of nerddom would probably cry out from their mothers’ basements across the globe citing inconsistencies with cannon and it not being true to Roddenberry’s vision. Sorry guys, that review has already been written. All I know is that for the first time, I enjoyed watching a Star Trek film instead of feeling like I was obligated to see it due to the fact that I am a fan of the franchise in general.
Has anyone asked J.J. Abrams to remake Star Wars episodes I-III yet?