Gene Roddenberry’s space opera Star Trek is arguably amongst one of the most influential creative commentaries of modern times. Few, if most, television franchises demonstrate the awe-inspiring power to create morbid rifts between groups of people, highly polarized and opinionated — in this case: ardent fans or Trekkies and non-Trekkies.
Web 2.0 is abuzz with this new phenomenon termed Star Trek XI seemingly heralding a much awaited rebirth of the dawdling franchise which appeared doomed to a cabalistic following of Direct-to-DVD B-budget offerings. For some, this J.J.Abrams-helmed sci-fi drama is a travesty that is cheekily irreverent of all the mythology and lore that they hold dear, while others herald this as the second coming of the Enterprise.
In a nutshell, this is Star Trek on Botox, young, pretty and wrinkle-free. But, is it just as numbing and bereft of the ethos that characterized the voyages of the Enterprise where no man (or more PC, one) has gone before? Is the new motion picture bravely traversing uncharted territories, or is it but a stricken reimagining of legends better left untouched?
The original televised franchise is considered seditiously engaging for dealing with complex social and political issues of the period in a covert fashion. Pointy-ears and green-skin were all that stood between the broadcasting authorities allowing or disallowing a given episode. And Star Trek managed to achieve this without coming across as too preachy or condescending.
But the series ended and was not picked up by networks for a fourth season. Star Trek, for all its intelligent and clever commentary, seemed relegated to graveyard shift reruns. Many considered its approach too cerebral and less punchy when Star Wars blasted onto the scene with reckless chutzpah.
And suddenly, space-drama became a lucrative franchise again.
Paramount struck back with Star Trek: The Motion Picture, a cerebral hotchpotch which could not be salvaged in spite of Robert Wise’s marathon efforts. Though the movie was a commercial success (if not losing money is a success), it did not augur well for the franchise — seemingly rejected by an audience now weaned on the widescreen pyrotechnics heralded by Star Wars.
However, director Nicholas Meyer struck gold with the second installment Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, a movie that went on to defy all expectations and become a darling at the box-office.
And so the story goes on for ten installments and the franchise comes to a cold-stop.
After Star Trek: Nemesis, the franchise appeared dated and seemed to be in need of a serious face-lift.
Next: Star Trek on Botox: 2/2: We Have Incoming
The next installment in this series discusses whether the new movie is accessible for viewers as a general cinematic experience.
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