Movie Review - Star Trek Beyond

"I'm not a Trekkie, I'm just married to one" - my wife.

 If you read my blog (and thanks, if you do!) then you know that I am a Star Trek fan. I've been a fan since 1966. I don't have rubber pointed ears, nor am I a master of deep Star Trek trivia, but I'm a big fan just the same.

I liked the first two movies of the new series. I thought that they did a good job, with a clever premise to resurrect the series with a younger cast. I wrote in my review of Star Trek Into Darkness that the reviewers didn't seem to really get the movie.  I find that to be a problem in general with reviews of science fiction films.

I read 5-6 reviews of "Beyond" before we saw it today. I mostly agree with them and for the same reasons. There is a lot of action in this film, the Enterprise gets cut to ribbons, (not a spoiler if you've seen any of the trailers), and perhaps the rescue mission and getting a derelict starship to fly again were a little beyond (get it) belief, but the director and the writers got a lot right.

What they got right were the characters, and this was mostly what the reviewers liked. The emotional heart and soul of the original show was always the characters, not the techo-babble, not the aliens, not even the Enterprise. Gene Roddenberry knew that right from the start. The producers of this series know that as well, and they do an exceptional job with the characters here.

A lot of Roddenberry's vision of a peaceful future shows through here as well. The central bad guy, Krall (played by Idris Elba with 20 pounds of rubber on his face) hates the Federation.  He says "Your Union is what makes you weak". But Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise use their union as a crew to defeat him.

I also thought that the main story was resolved very well. Why does Krall hate the Federation so? It's not at all revealed in the trailers but it's a good, and believable, story. Also several character stories get resolved. Kirk, wondering what he's doing out in space; Spock, having to choose between his Vulcan heritage or staying with the Enterprise; the Spock-Uhura affair. Good, good, and good.

Some of the trailers show some fantastic architecture. These shots take place on Yorktown, a Federation built city in space, built into a sphere. You only get a glimpse in the trailers but the scenes of it in the movie are almost breathtaking.

Here's just one example of where the reviewers just don't get it. This is a minor spoiler if you haven't read any reviews. How did the the Enterprise crew use the Beastie Boys to destroy the alien drones? The reviewers were mystified. It was explained, with a lot of techo-babble to be sure, but it was explained. And the bit was set up much earlier in the movie. Dr. McCoy "Is that clasical music?" Spock, after a pause "I believe it is, Doctor".

Baseball cards and Star Trek

If you've been reading my blog for awhile (there's got to be one or two of you) then you know that just about my two favorite things are baseball cards and Star Trek. I was 14-years-old when Star Trek first appeared on television on September 8, 1966 and I'd already been reading science fiction for 4-5 years.

In 2013 I acquired three cards from the Topps 1976 Star Trek set on eBay. I posted them here.

So imagine my delight it finding that there was this card in 2015 Topps Heritage. A card from an actual baseball card set featuring Star Trek!

2015 Topps Heritage Baseball Flashbacks

I'm pretty sure this is a photo from that very first show, "Man Trap".

Even better, the card features Leonard Nimoy, the actor who made Mr. Spock a real character. Although Nimoy was an actor in many other plays and films, an accomplished director, and a poet, to his legions of fans he'll always be that "pointed-eared Vulcan". Leonard Nimoy passed away on February 27, 2015, between the time I ordered this card on eBay and when I received it.  

1976 Topps Star Trek Cards

I'm not the world's biggest Star Trek fan, but I am a fan of all incarnations of the show, going back to the original series first aired in 1966.  I don't collect a lot of Trek memorabilia but will buy stuff that interests me when I come across it. Plus, anything Stat Trek is a good fallback for my family (especially my daughter) when birthdays and Father's Day rolls around.

I saw an article on 1976 Topps Star Trek cards on IO9.com. I'd never heard of them before.  I had to have a few so turned to eBay. Quite a lot of them are for sale and they are not real cheap. An unopened back goes for $40-$50.

I managed to find three cards from the same seller that looked interesting. Outside of the fact that all three of them are off-center, they are in good shape with nice hard corners and no markings.

"The Trouble With Tribbles" is one of the most popular shows from the original series. Here's Captain Kirk surrounded by dead tribbles. Scotty gets the last line in this episode when he tells Kirk that he transported all the remaining live tribbles to the Klingon ship "Where they'll be no tribble at all".

There are 88 cards in the set and there were 76 original episodes. I wonder if there is a card per show.  In this episode, Kirk finally gets the upper hand on the guy in the rubber lizard suit by mixing up a batch of gunpowder from stuff laying around on the ground. As a civilized man he refused to kill the Gorn even when goaded on by the Metron.

Another very popular episode, featuring the "evil" Spock from an alternative universe.

Star Trek Cereal

My wife, daughter and I were grocery shopping the other day when I saw this on the shelf.
I said, "Can we buy this please, pretty please?" "OK, but just one box", my wife said. My daughter bravely offered to eat the cereal for me. This stuff can't be good for you. Artificially colored artificial marshmallows shaped like Star Trek badges and little sugar coated swirly wheat things. There were no goodies in the box other than the cereal itself. There are some games on the back.
The first game is a flow chart in which you chose your path to see what Star Trek career you would have. Mine led directly to Engineer. Did I ever mention that I was an engineer? The second is a maze through "linked pods". The instructions aren't real clear but the maze isn't difficult. I think this product is aimed at kids not me.

Boxes of this cereal are up on eBay for a low as $6. Some are asking up to $50.

I already have most of the Star Trek badges offered in other Kellogg's cereal.

Maybe some day I'll share my Star Trek MicroMachines collection.

Star Trek as Space Opera

I'm not real familiar with Robot Chicken but he (they?) make parody films on YouTube. I found this on Tild's blog. She doesn't post often but she has a great blog. I've mentioned before that I'm a big Star Trek fan and can hardly wait for the new movie. But until then, I think I'll just watch this over and over.

Thursday Night at the Movies - Quantum of Solice

We've always been James Bond fans and have been looking forward to this movie since we first saw the trailers months ago. My daughter, who watched the previous movie recently, really liked the movie. My wife and I, who haven't seen the last Bond flick since it was in the theaters, were disappointed. Would we have liked it better if we'd re-watched the last movie first? Who knows. Our main problem is that we had no idea what was going on. Perhaps I shouldn't expect too much plot in a big bang action movie, but at least I expect to be able to figure out at least some rational for what the characters are doing. There's a lot of action. A top-notch car chase, a top-notch foot chase, a top-notch boat chase and even a top-notch plane chase. Bond takes unbelievable punishment but doesn't slow down. Some reviews I read suggested this is a revenge movie, that Bond goes on a senseless killing spree to avenge his girlfriend who dies at the end of the last movie. I didn't think the body count was any higher than usual. And Bond doesn't seem to kill with more than his usual callousness. If you're a big Bond fan, go and see the movie. But you might want to rent the last movie first.

For me, the most enjoyable thing I saw was a trailer for the new Star Trek movie. Yes, I admit it, I'm a big Star Trek nerd, have been since 1965. Not exactly a Trekker (I don't have a costume or a pair of Spock ears) but a big fan. The worst thing about the trailer - we have to wait until May 2009 to see the movie.

Song of the Week - It Hasn't Happened Yet William Shatner

In 1968, Bill Shatner (yeah, the Star Trek Bill Shatner) released an album called The Transformed Man. To say that he was ridiculed for this work would be an understatement. To this day, some say that his frenzied version of Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, is one of the worst recordings ever. Shatner says this album is misunderstood, but that doesn't make it any easier to listen to. In 2004, Shatner released another album called Has Been. This one was produced by Ben Folds and the songs were co-written by Shatner and Folds. This album has received good reviews and the 4 songs I know from it are pretty good. The one I'm featuring is my favorite. By any measure, Bill Shatner has had a successful career. He has 4 hit prime-time television shows (Star Trek, T. J. Hooker, Rescue 911, and Boston Legal) plus the Star Trek Movie franchise to his credit and a career that spans more than 50 years. In It Hasn't Happened Yet Shatner expresses the insecurity any actor may feel about his career, or, for that matter, any person may feel. Whether it be trying to make your parents proud or looking for that serenity you think is finally your due.

There are a couple of Star Trek and Bill Shatner in-jokes in the studio version which aren't in the live version. Of course, the reference to climbing the wall at Yosemite is directly from Star Trek V. But in the studio version, it sure sounds like Mr. Spock saying "Be one with the mountain". And in the studio version a short list of fears is recited in the background, one being "Fear of losing my hair" (Shatner is well known to wear a hair piece).



I was crossing the snow fields
In front of the capital building
It was Christmas and I was alone
Strange city
Strangers for friends
I was broke

As the carillons sang its song
I dreamt of success
I would be the best
I would make my folks proud
I would be happy

It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened

Yes there are nods in my direction
Clap of hands
A knowing smile
But still
I’m scared again
I’m scared again
I’m scared again

Foot slipped
Pebbles fall and so did I
Almost
I’m high
On Yosemite
The big gray wall
Fear of falling
Where to put my foot next
Fear of failure
I’m afraid I’m going to fall
(Be at one with the mountain)
I whispered in the air
I’m afraid I’m going to fall (falling)
Fear of failure (failure)
Fear of losing my hair
Falling
When is the mountain scaled
When do I feel I haven't failed
I’ve got to get it together man

It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened

People come up and say hello
Ok, I can get to the front of the line
But you have to ignore the looks
And yet

I’m waiting for that feeling of contentment
That ease at night when you put your head down and the rhythm slow to sleep
My heads sways and eyes start awake
I’m there not halfway between sleep and death
But looking into
Eyes wide open
Trying to remember
What I might have done
Should've done
At my age I need serenity
I need peace

It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened yet
It hasn't happened
It hasn't happened