Star Trek, Galaxy Quest

Hello again!!!

I watched the new DVD "Star Trek," and I really enjoyed it.  I always liked the original TV series with William Shatner and the crew, but I wouldn't say I am a Trekkie. To my way of thinking, a Trekkie is someone who knows a lot of trivia as well and stats-- facts and figures about the ship (USS Enterprise) the planets, the populations of said planets, and on and on.

I enjoyed the story- telling of the TV show.  It was low-budget, but that didn't matter to me.  I loved the banter among the cast members.  It was never a concern whether a cast member would die in their peril of the week, or even how they would escape. It was the relationships they forged-- the laughter and tears they shared-- that I enjoyed so much, and they probably shaped my view of the world.  And I daresay we have cellular  flip-phones because we saw them in action on TV every week (Kirk out).

You probably know by now, that I am not a fan of remakes.  I never watched any of the new versions of TV Star Trek-- Voyager, NG, DS9,  or SVU (Oh wait, that was a different show altogether).  But that fact aside, I enjoyed the new story of "Star Trek."  I think it holds its own for those who grew up with the TV original or those who have never heard of the TV original-- and all those in between.

Sitting down to watch this movie was akin to going to a concert by "The Who," or "The Rolling Stones," in that, their task is to fit so much into so little.  Have you ever walked out of a, "(pick your group here)," concert and said,-- to yourself or to someone out loud-- "but they didn't play, '(insert one of your favorite songs by that band here)!'"

I have so many favorite lines from the show.  I couldn't help but wonder how they would include all of them and keep the story fresh.  I will have to go back to see just how many were referenced or used.  But the point is, the story gives due homage to the past and yet stays fresh. Kudos to them all.

BTW (a tangent here), a great spoof of the Star Trek shows/ movies is a movie from a while back, called "Galaxy Quest." I saw it on VHS, so I'm guessing it's from 2000 or so. This comedy/ parody starred Tim Allen as William Shatner-- I mean a fictional actor who starred in a cult sci-fi series-- who goes on tour with the rest of the cast of the long-discontinued show.  At one such cult gathering, Tim is approached by real aliens who recruit him to save the real universe from disaster.

Of course, with all the miscommunications (which I love as a plot device), the story continues to be a wonderful joyride. "Galaxy Quest" has an awesome cast, and, just as with the TV show, it isn't as much about the story as it is the banter. The guy who plays Monk on TV (Tony Shaloub, I think) plays the fictional Scotty.  His portrayal alone is worth my price of admission.

The common thread in all these works is that story and banter override the technical stuff of science fiction.  I do not delve into quantum physics or believability of the stories.  I just let the stories unfold and enjoy them immensely.


Unless you are a Trekkie puritan (and even then I don't think you'd be disappointed with this version) or just can't stand the Science-Fiction genre (hmmm, even then I don't think you'd be disappointed), I think you'll enjoy, "Star Trek."

Check out "Star Trek" and "Galaxy Quest" and let me know what you think.

Live long and prosper, my friend.

Warm regards,
Fred T Wyrick