Start Trek …. the Prequel?

Posted on July 5, 2011 
Filed Under Movies, TV

Kirk and Spock

Star Trek, the original series (TOS) was based on what they thought the future would look like back in the sixties. So a big problem in making this movie had to be what should it look like. Remember, they’re walking on Sci-Fi hallowed ground here. Change the canon, and risk the wrath of offended Trekkers? Or go old school and risk creating a nostalgia movie that will appeal only to the faithful.
The next problem was that even though there has been many Enterprises, and re-interpretations of the Star Trek Universe; no one had ever tried re-casting the original characters. When you see Nimoy, Shatner and the rest do you think of anything but Star Trek? I sure don’t, there’s a real risk to the career of any young actor stepping into those boots.

I admit I was raised on TOS, in a family that looked down on the Next Generation. So I had to watch it stealthily, and while I enjoyed it, and admittedly all the Treks to follow, you just never get over your first Enterprise. So I wasn’t sure how to feel when I heard they were doing a prequel. It was fun to imagine the hell raising Kirk swaggering his way through Star Fleet Academy, and cheating his way through the Kobayashi Maru exam. What if they botched it? What if the young Kirk was whinny or introspective? In short that would suck.

Well, let me tell you I thoroughly enjoyed it. They managed to strike a good balance between nods to the old series, and making a completely fresh and engaging movie. It was an action packed roller coaster ride from beginning to end.

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