AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Star trek beyond target9/7/2023 ![]() ![]() This emphasis on inclusiveness is in the little things, too the Original Series was groundbreaking in its diversity (particularly in the portrayal of Uhura, a recurring black female character who wasn’t a maid), and the reboot series has some catching up to do on that front. Kirk, looking dashing in a new uniform and without his previous womanizer persona, and Pavel Chekov. It’s a movie for everyone, not a feel-good fantasy for a particular demographic that can relate to its white male protagonist the easiest. Chekov’s line about Scotch being invented by a little old lady in Russia, for example, is hilarious outside of context given his obvious Russian accent at the same time, it’s yet another layer of hilarious as a reference to Chekov insisting in the Original Series that Scotch was “inwented by a leettle old lady in Leningrad.” In short, this movie is inclusive: it doesn’t make jokes at the expense of any particular demographic, doesn’t drive away those who have never seen the original show with gatekeeping, but also makes Trekkies feel loved. The best thing about these references is that they’re like hidden presents for Trekkies (like yours truly, who squealed loudly in the movie theatre at the mention of the green hand) while still being accessible to the viewer who doesn’t have an encyclopedic knowledge of a 1960s TV show. ![]() In fact, whereas the previous films superficially gave its characters names and references from the Original Series without following through (of course Carol Marcus is a scientist and engineer, of course Spock quotes Sherlock Holmes, but neither of those things end up being particularly relevant or functioning as any kind of continuation of these’ characters Prime timeline counterparts), this movie is full of actually meaningful references to previous incarnations of Trek. Instead of undressing its female characters to get young boys into the theatre (as the previous two installments so notoriously did) or opening the movie with a birthing scene to get women into the theatre, Star Trek Beyond seems to have a lot more respect for its viewers, and in particular, for the Trekkies that have always loved the franchise. It has plenty of humor, and is more than self-aware about using The Beastie Boys as the soundtrack to a climactic battle.īut at the heart of that silliness is what has always made Star Trek great: that depth of humanity, the careful characterization and poignant character relationships, as well as touches of philosophy. The plot is relatively silly, the storytelling campy -– kind of the way that Guardians of the Galaxy was campy, with Kirk saving the galaxy to the tune of 20 th century pop music – but, like the Marvel movie, it doesn’t take itself too seriously. Abrams, who significantly stated in an interview that he never liked Star Trek much as a kid” because “it was too philosophical.”īut Simon Pegg (who also plays Scotty) and Doug Jung (who has a cameo as Sulu’s husband) clearly adore the Original Series, and this movie, despite its numerous action sequences and explosions (can we please stop blowing up the Enterprise? Please? No? I’m sure Kirk is going to have some Words about how we’re treating his beautiful Silver Lady) feels like an extended episode of the original Trek. It’s a breath of fresh air from the two previous films, made by J.J. These few lines, then, then, neatly encapsulate the heart of Star Trek Beyond: an homage to the Original Series of Star Trek, it’s a fun, fast-paced movie with its share of philosophical musing, humor, deep character relationships – in short, everything the Original Series was. These final lines bring together every character – of various genders, races, orientations, and even species (in the case of Spock) – together to voice that ethos. Star Trek has been about discovering the unknown, but it’s been equally about accepting the diversity and wonder of our human realm, as well as the universe at large. This voice-over at the end gets at something that has always been at the heart of Star Trek since the very beginning: diversity and exploration, symbiotically intertwined. It is hardly a spoiler to begin this review with Star Trek Beyond’s final moments: just before the credits roll, the entire crew of the Enterprise comes together to provide a voiceover of the famous lines about the Enterprise’s continuing mission: “to boldly go where no one has gone before.” Each crew member contributes a few words in their distinctive, in-character voice and accent, and, significantly, the final part about going “where no one has gone before” is said by Uhura, a noteworthy fact because it’s a change from the Original Series voice-over of “where on man has gone before.” Sulu and Uhura being badass while wearing uniforms that show their rank. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |