As you may have heard, the new Star Trek movie opens today. As a longtime fan, I have a lot of trepidation about this move. Yes, I accept that the franchise needed a reboot, that last movie was horrible, but I'm concerned about the idea of a prequel. A prequel looks to the past, and Star Trek has always been about looking toward the future. I will definitely see this movie, and so far, the reviews I've read have almost all been very positive, so there is reason to hope that this movie will be a giant step forward for the franchise and not a step backward. When I see this movie I will hoping to see if it lives up to the Star Trek dream, those enduring elements that have made Star Trek a cultural phenomenon and touchstone. If I had to define those key elements crucial to the success and enduring power of the Star Trek vision I would say that they are:
- Optimism: Above all else, Star Trek is an optimistic vision of humanity reaching out and exploring the cosmos. Science fiction has given us many dark and disturbing tales of the future, dystopias reflecting our deepest fears, while Star Trek was a utopian vision of humanity successfully overcoming our present social, economic and political problems to chart a course for the stars. This MSNBC report suggests that this utopian vision of the future may not be so unrealistic. I certainly hope it's not, but even if it is, I think the vision is one worth working towards.
- Technology: The technology envisioned by the Star Trek series was futuristic to be sure, but it was also an extrapolation of known science, making it something we could well imagine actually using one day. The technological and engineering feats of the series inspired generations of real scientists and engineers who have actively worked to bring Star Trek tech to reality. The modern cell phone you have now is a direct decedent of the communicator that Captain Kirk used to signal the Enterprise. See this Computerworld report for a look at how Star Trek and other sci-fi films have given us visions of tech tomorrows that are close to true today.
- Relationships: More than the optimism and the technology, it was the close relationships among the characters that really powered the Star Trek series. The interplay of complex personal backgrounds as well as interspecies and cross-cultural relationships provided ample drama as well as light comic moments that proved the series was far more than space battles and explosions.
I am looking forward to seeing the new Star Trek movie and hoping against hope that it will live up to the rich legacy of Star Trek while introducing Trek to a new generation of moviegoers. My hope for Star Trek is that it will indeed live long and prosper.
Photo: MTV.COM
Comments