What We Know

Section 31’s main character is Philippa Georgiou (played by Michelle Yeoh); not the Georgiou who was captain of Discovery at the start of that show but rather the evil version from The Mirror Universe (the origin of evil versions always have goatee beards trope), also featured in Discovery. Suffice it to say, there is not time to explain the previous sentence in this article, but fans of Star Trek will be nodding sagely.

Georgiou is recruited to provide some much-needed villain energy to the Section 31 organisation. One member of Star Fleet is specifically part of the team so they don’t get carried away with murdering so it could be assumed that without her they’re going to fail spectacularly at “black ops”. Not much is revealed about the other characters as all the focus is very much on Georgiou.

The Trailer

This does not seem like Star Trek. It is actually reminiscent of trailers for films like Guardians of the Galaxy, Suicide Squad or even the recently released Borderlands. It has fast cuts, modern music and garish colours and could even perhaps be described as “wacky”. There is also the feeling that Section 31 is a team of misfits and people who didn’t fit in elsewhere, perhaps even seen as a bit useless, which is something that has been seen many times but not so much in Star Trek. They are usually supremely competent, professional, and often genuinely brilliant. Problems in Star Trek arise not from a character’s foolish mistake but from moral quandaries, loyalty being pulled in different directions and so on.

This is definitely a new direction for Star Trek. The franchise has always been good at finding different ways to do fun things outside the confines of Star Fleet and the Federation, The Mirror Universe of evil duplicates being a great example. But with unique planets with a strong theme, time travel, holodecks, and more they can have fun and not do too much damage to Star Trek canon. This would be a movie where the central theme runs against how the Star Trek universe is usually portrayed. For all of its numerous faults Star Trek: Insurrection has Picard go off on one of his monologues about the philosophy of the “ends justify the means”, with vehemently stating that is not what he or the Federation believes. Section 31 is possibly torn in too many directions, the central character an evil emperor from a parallel dimension who killed millions is brought into an organisation where they’re told they can’t kill people. It will perhaps not satisfy those looking for a darker Star Trek story as it will not embrace the idea of what a black ops division actually does. The organisation of Section 31 always stood out as an odd anomaly in Star Trek and to make a whole movie about it may tear a hole in the spacetime continuum – or similar technobabble the franchise is rightly famous for.

But for those who are less wedded to the underlying philosophy of Star Trek – people like JJ Abrams for example – what are the good points? First, you have Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, a great actor clearly giving it 100% in the Alan Rickman style of playing a villain. It looks fun with a great many explosions, space battles and over-the-top costumes. For a franchise that can take itself very seriously, this is perhaps moving more into fun – even containing a fourth-wall-breaking censor-style disclaimer at the beginning of the trailer from Star Fleet media division. It’s worth noting that Lower Decks, a Star Trek animated show, which has a more sillier tone than Star Trek in general has been very successful.

We will have to see if Star Trek: Section 31 can pull off this new direction and if traditional Star Trek fans will go along with it.

Also Read: Five Star Trek Fan Films You Should Watch Right Now

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Communicators

This is probably the most obvious example in all of Star Trek. Even in the Star Trek: The Original Series (ToS) the characters all had communicators, small portable devices that you flipped open and allowed you to talk to people at great distances, being very similar to mobile phones. In the early 60s phone calls from Western Europe and America had to be scheduled due to the lack of transatlantic cable. The ease with which Kirk contacted his colleagues would have seemed spectacular. In Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG) communicators have been made even smaller, and instead of a handheld device, they are small items pinned to their clothes, mimicking (or predicting) the ever-smaller mobile phones.

The bridge of just about every starship is dominated by a large flat screen which they use to view information and communicate with people on other ships, much like video conferencing technology like Skype or Zoom. These conversations could be with nearby vessels or people on distant planets.

Computers

The characters in Star trek have regular conversations with their computers. Kirk could ask the Enterprise to tell him how long it would take to get to Vulcan and it would respond with an answer. Whilst not artificial intelligence the ship’s computer was able to easily understand the characters and give answers. Characters request music be played, directions given to a destination, and information on virtually any topic and the computer responds. Clearly, Alexa, Google Assistant and so on, were inspired by Star Trek even down to the manner these smart speakers talk which is very reminiscent of the computer on the Enterprise.

Replicators

One of the most impressive and useful pieces of technology demonstrated in all of Star Trek is the Replicator. A person approaches a replicator, asks for a sandwich, and a sandwich is created for them, seemingly out of thin air. And it wasn’t just food – seemingly there are few things that replicators cannot create. This is based on one of the cornerstones of Star Trek science, the ability to turn energy into matter and vice versa, in the example given the sandwich isn’t created from nothing, but by turning energy into matter. Some people have heralded 3D printers as replicators, a device that creates just about anything (even food) from a stored resource. But many a pedantic fan – including me – would find this comparison a bit generous to 3D printers.

Holodecks

The holodeck is a room on a starship where holographic worlds are created but made solid by the same energy-matter conversion technology behind replicators. The world can be populated by people, animals, giant robots, pretty much whatever you can imagine. Whilst virtual reality pre-dates Star trek coming up with holodecks the modern VR headsets seem very reminiscent of the holodecks.

Things Star Trek Didn’t Invent

Often the technology of Star Trek does exist in the real world already. Hyposprays are common medical equipment in Star Trek, effectively syringes but instead of piercing the skin with a needle the liquid is fired out at such a speed it pierces the skin, these were invented in the 1940s and are usually known as injector guns. Phasers are directed energy weapons and a variety of what we would call lasers, these were theorised in the early 20th Century and invented in the 1960s. In real-life lasers have numerous uses but not really as weapons, it does seem like some militaries have developed what could be called laser weapons but it is doubtful they could ever be deployed in actual combat. So sometimes Star Trek has taken an idea or a prototype and imagined a world where this technology was ubiquitous – phasers are not cutting-edge technology but standard equipment and driving the desire in real life for these things to be available.

It can be easy to get caught up in the idea of Star Trek having “invented” various pieces of technology. After all, George Orwell’s 1984 features two-way televisions where people on TV can see you and tell you to do more exercise. War of the Worlds features a heat ray which seems very similar to phasers/lasers. Star Trek is also famous for its almost meaningless technobabble, where scientific and things that sound plausibly scientific explanations are given for the things that happen. Star Trek is also perfectly happy to fly in the face of accepted science when the story demands it. Nevertheless, it is eerie watching Kirk and Spock with communicators in a show made in the 60s that anyone in 2022 would recognise as mobile phones.

Also Read: Five Star Trek Fan Films You Should Watch Right Now

The post The Technology Inspired By Star Trek appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

After the debacle of Star Trek: The Motion Picture the people in charge of the franchise wanted to make some changes for the next film and brought back a villain from an episode from the TV show – Khan Noonien Singh. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is still held up as one of the great Star Trek films (and a great film in general) and as it will be forty years old this year it is worth going through its greatness.

What’s Going On?

James T. Kirk is now an admiral and is potentially moving away from active command. Far away across the galaxy, a Federation ship encounters a colony of genetically engineered superhumans that Kirk marooned there years before. In the years since the planet has undergone catastrophic changes and is a barren wasteland. The leader of these superhumans, Khan, nurses an all-consuming hatred for Kirk and wants revenge. Khan takes over the Federation ship and sets out to fight Kirk, luring him into a fight by stealing top-secret Federation technology: the Genesis Device.

The Cast

The full Star Trek cast is in the film: William Shatner as Kirk, Leonard Nimoy as Spock, Kirstie Alley joins the cat as Saavik, a young Vulcan officer and Ricardo Montalban reprises his role as Khan. The Star Trek cast are on usual form, with Shatner and Nimoy anchoring everything with their characters unusual friendship but Montalban shines as Khan. He is a charismatic villain, chewing the scenery in great style and enjoying every minute of it.

Does It Work?

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan is the great Star Trek film; with the only contender being Star Trek: First Contact. The film plays out a classic story of revenge mixed with starship battles, mind-controlling worms and some incredibly memorable scenes. Khan and Kirk seem to be engaged in a duel, each trying to outwit the other, tricks within tricks and both getting in good shots.

The crew of the Enterprise are older. Kirk looking down the barrel of a desk job and none of them are the daring young crew they once were. Kirk who was the epitome of an action-based captain struggles to define himself when no longer adventuring around the galaxy. Kirk and the crew race to get the Genesis Device back as well as rescue people significant to their captain.

The Battle

The starship battle between the Enterprise and the Reliant (Khan’s ship) is a fantastic space fight unlike any other. The two damaged ships enter a nebula and try to outmanoeuvre each other, it is not a fast-paced dogfight but this slow dance of trying to get an advantageous position. Obviously, the special effects are decades old but still have a charm and distinct look to them.

The Ending

In the closing minutes of the film Khan has triggered the Genesis device with the goal of taking down the Enterprise with him. Kirk et al can’t escape as in the recent battle the warp drive has been damaged. Spock goes to Engineering, steps into the reactor and fixes the warp drive, knowing that such exposure will undoubtedly kill him. Kirk arrives to see Spock before he dies and shares one of the most memorable exchanges in all of Star Trek containing the iconic lines – “the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few” and “I have been, and always shall, be your friend”. It is perhaps one of the “best” deaths in cinema.

“How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life, wouldn’t you say?” – Kirk

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a great sci-fi film and the quintessential classic Star Trek movie.

Rating:

The post Retro Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Prelude To Axanar

Axanar represents an important moment in Trek history, both in and out of the universe. As the title suggests, this was a taster for a film centred around the battle of Axanar, the Federation’s first battle with the Klingons. Shot as a fictional documentary, it was designed to show that great fan films didn’t need huge budgets, as well as act as a showcase for the film itself. However, Paramount and CBS, who own the copyright, got wind of the efforts and threatened to sue the team. It was eventually settled, after harsh guidelines and restrictions on fan productions were introduced, but meant that the project would now be released as two 15-minute parts, rather than a 90-minute feature.

Star Trek- Horizon

Set in the prequel era of Star Trek: Enterprise, this impressive fan film focuses on the Discovery and its mission to help a Romulan defector and keep an ancient doomsday weapon out of their hands. While not the most original premise, the draw here is that, for a fan project, it’s very impressive. The effects are good for its small budget, and various elements from Trek canon make it feel like part of the universe in a seamless way. A sequel was planned but was reworked into an original project after the fan fiction guidelines changed.

Star Trek Continues

As Kirk says in the iconic intro to the original series, the Enterprise is on a 5-year mission. Although changes to the airing of episodes meant that the dates didn’t always go in order, the series chronicles three of those years. Star Trek Continues shows some of the events of the final year, giving the series a proper conclusion. The look and feel of the original series is lovingly recreated, with sets built from the original blueprints and filmed in the same aspect ratio. It also features a stellar cast including Mythbusters Grant Imahara as Sulu, and the son of original Scotty, Chris Doohan playing the role of his father. Many Trek alumni cameo, such as Micheal Dorn and Jason Isaacs. It also features cameos from other sci-fi projects such as former Doctor Who Colin Baker and Battlestar Galactica‘s Jaimie Bamber.

A Long Way From Home

The Covid-19 Pandemic disrupted everyone’s daily life, with many people unable to work or leave their houses. Film and TV projects were disrupted, with many films delayed and series shortened. This fan film was made during the 2020/2021 lockdowns in the UK. With only a few actors and locations, this fan film manages to stand alone, whilst also featuring nods and easter eggs to many other series, and films both official and fan-made.

Of Gods and Men

An unofficial 40th Anniversary celebration, this mini-series focuses on Uhura and Chekov (with the original actors reprising their roles) as they find themselves in an alternate timeline where Captain Kirk was never born, as an act of vengeance from one of his enemies. Despite not being officially endorsed by the rights holders, it did have lots of coverage on the official website. As well as several former cast members reprising their roles from various instalments of the franchise, it also credits creator Gene Roddenberry’s son as an executive producer.

Also Read: May The Fan Film Be With You

The post Five Star Trek Fan Films You Should Watch Right Now appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

There is an old cliche that every odd-numbered Star Trek film is bad, so 1. The Motion Picture – bad, 3. The Search For Spock – bad, 5. The Final Frontier-bad 7. Generations – bad, 9. Insurrection – bad, which brings us to the topic of this article – 10. Nemesis. You will notice the even number – but it is still bad. It broke a pattern that had endured for decades.

What’s Going On?

One of the main antagonists to the Federation is the Romulan Empire and the film starts with the annihilation of their government by the Remans, a slave race the Romulans use for their most dangerous and arduous work. The leader of the Remans, Shinzon, assumes control of the Romulan Empire and after professing a desire for peace the Enterprise is sent to meet him. Then things get weird. It is revealed that Shinzon is a clone of Picard, created years ago by the Romulans so they could replace Picard with a spy, but apparently dropped the plan and left Shinzon to die with the Remans. Because of the cloning process, Shinzon is ageing rapidly and so needs a transfusion of blood from Picard and kidnaps him so he can get what he needs and continue his villainous plans.

Franchise Syndrome

When you have these decades-long franchises where numerous films are made, new directors brought in, and the times have changed since the original was created things can go off the rails a bit. Star Trek had already done this with Insurrection and it was hoped Nemesis would change course. It did not. It got worse. The best example I can think of is the decline of the Bond films that ended with Die Another Day and took a complete retooling to make the great Casino Royale. Nemesis is what happens if they’d stuck with the Die Another Day style.

In Front of the Camera

There is the usual The Next Generation cast Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, Brent Spiner as Data etc, but really all I want to talk about is Shinzon…who is played by a young Tom Hardy. These days Hardy has a tendency to play gruff, bearded, tough characters but back in the day Hardy was a male model who had a very different look and style. In this film, Hardy has shaved off his hair but also he has a more slender and wiry appearance. Normally I am okay with the slight incongruity that can come from a younger/older version of a character being played by different actors and just accepting that as the truth of the film. But imagining that Patrick Stewart and Tom Hardy share even a slither of commonality is too much.

Hardy also verges on pantomime levels of villainy and can monologue with the best of them. He makes entrances so dramatic as to how the actors and characters manage to keep a straight face is beyond me. This is not so much to criticise Hardy, who I consider to be a great actor, but just how muddled this film is. Sci-fi is of particular risk of these over-the-top performances and it’s very important that they be reined in.

Behind the Scenes

The film is directed by Stuart Baird who only directed a few films but as an editor has worked on everything from Demolition Man to The Omen to Skyfall.

Is It Any Good?

No. It is not. It’s often said that the worst thing to be is not bad, but forgettable. People at least remember the weird premise of Star Trek: The Final Frontier. And they remember the bizarre badness of Star Trek: The Motion Picture but I struggle to remember Nemesis. Most people who see Star Trek films will go in with a lot of goodwill, these are characters they’ve known for years, so it’s not a simple thing to mess that up. I do feel like when you’re getting into younger clones of existing characters (as well as another part of the plot where there are essentially two Datas) you may be heading into absurd territory. There is even a car chase.

The film also does something that I have to come to hate, especially in franchises, the fake death. We are led to believe one character has died only to find out that no, they haven’t, and while the sci-fi elements of Star Trek can make this more feasible than other films it still feels like cheating. This is especially true as maybe their death makes sense in the story but the franchise doesn’t want to remove a key character.

My Nemesis

With the critical and commercial failure of Nemesis (even amongst Star Trek fans) the franchise considered its options and elected to give Star Trek to someone who clearly wanted to make Star Wars.

Rating: (1.5 / 5)

Also Read: The Best Performances of Tom Hardy

The post Retro Review – Star Trek: Nemesis appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.

Bloody Violence

Star Trek films have typically shied away from much of the possible blood and gore of fight scenes. Even when featuring Klingons, whose favour sword-like weapons, there was little blood. But even if you know next to nothing about Tarantino you will probably know his films are bloody. Kill Bill 1 and 2 are horrific limb slicing, blood spurting rampages. Reservoir Dogs has THAT scene involving Stuck In The Middle With You. At times Django Unchained is drenched in blood and one would expect Star Trek: Tarantino would be too. The traditional weapon in Star Trek, phasers, have never seemed to do too much damage but I’m sure Tarantino would have them blasting off arm and leaving gaping holes in people. I would have said at some point there would have been a samurai fight but with Star Trek already having done a sword fight maybe not.

Swearing

There has never been much swearing in Star Trek. Certainly, at times it has been seen as a broadly family show. I watched it as a young child and only learning a few Klingon insults. Obviously, with a show running over decades, the idea of what they can and can’t be said has changed, the original series was usually restricted to Bones shouting dammit. I distinctly remember being shocked at Data’s use of the word “shit” in Generations. Quentin Tarantino, however, fills his films with profanities, The Dallas Observer went through his films and totalled up the swearing, Tarantino dropped the f-bomb 269 times in Reservoir Dogs, and throughout all his films has used that word 901 times. While it does point to a downward trend in swearing within Tarantino films we could expect Bones to be far more aggressive when explaining what he can’t do.

Star Trek Further Into Darkness

The single biggest change would simply be the tone of Star Trek. Traditionally, it has been a “nice” show, Earth and the Federation were beacons of justice, prosperity and equality. The original series was praised for its diverse cast and over the years it has become a near-utopian vision of the human race. They journeyed through space as explorers and scientists, never looking for a fight. The more recent films have tried a grittier and darker view of the universe they inhabit and I think it’d be safe to say Tarantino would raise this 1000%. In Tarantino even the good guys aren’t that good, in Inglourious Basterds, the heroes explicitly go out to torture, maim and do everything they can to terrorise the Nazis. In Kill Bill The Bride seeks revenge on those who wronged her but she spent years doing exactly the same work, hardly a hero. Would Captain Kirk go a revenge rampage? Is Spock using the science labs to make drugs? Has the ultimate epitome of Federation-niceness Captain Picard started mutilating captured Klingons? You dread to think what the actual villains might be like.

The problem with auteurs…

Ultimately the problem with having Tarantino direct Star Trek is that it wouldn’t be a Star Trek film, it would be a Tarantino film. I think this is what happened with Star Trek directed by J.J. Abrams – he is a director with a very particular style that I don’t think he could relinquish for the good of the franchise. On top of that a director like Tarantino would want to make his presence felt, much in the way Abrams did, starting over and rewriting what happened so he could tell the story he wanted to tell.

At the time of writing, it seems like this film won’t happen and another director will take over, which I think is broadly a good thing. Of course, there is a perfect Star Trek vehicle for Tarantino – the Mirror Universe, the alternate reality where all the main characters are evil. This is the origin of the trope of evil versions of good characters having beards, referenced in everything from South Park to Community. In the Mirror Universe, the director could have the characters go full Tarantino without spoiling Star Trek itself.

Also Read: What Makes A Tarantino Film?

The post Quentin Tarantino Directing A Star Trek Film? Here’s What It Would’ve Been Like appeared first on Big Picture Film Club.