Since I began writing for Comix 411, I have written two blogs (here and here) about the new Star Trek film set to be released in May of 2009.  I am 34 years old and I have been a Star Trek fan for as long as I can remember - longer than I have been a comic book reader.

When it was announced that there would be a new Star Trek film, I was excited.  I became more excited when I heard that they were going to be doing a film with the original Star Trek characters staring new younger actors.  I felt this would be a good a good way to jump start the franchise again. 

So we are now five months away from the release and we are all waiting and wondering if the film will be any good.  It will be good, if they focus on the reason why the original series worked so well.  The reason the original series worked so well is because of the relationship and chemistry of the three main characters: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy.

The original Star Trek did not feature an ensemble cast the way the other four series were set up. Although Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov are beloved characters from the original show, the series mainly focused on Captain James Kirk, his first officer and friend Mr. Spock, and the ship’s doctor and Kirk’s confidant Dr. Leonard McCoy.

The adventures in each episode mainly revolved around these three characters in some capacity. The episodes also focused on the discussions these men had with each other. Sometimes when I’ve watched episodes of the old series, I felt that Spock and McCoy were portrayed as Kirk’s inner dialogue - his emotional side and logical side debating the issue at hand. I feel that if this new film focuses on the relationship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy, it will have a chance of succeeding.  It will also succeed, if the film avoids simply focusing on the geek factor.

The long time Star Trek fan is looking forward to the scenes that will be featured in this film: the first meeting of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy; the scene where Kirk takes over command of the Enterprise from Captain Pike; and seeing Leonard Nimoy as Spock for the first time in seventeen years. (I geeked out when I saw the updated trailer featuring Leonard Nimoy as Spock saying, “Live long and prosper”.) We are all looking forward to those scenes, but if this film simply has just those scenes and not the chemistry and relationship of the three main characters, it won’t really be Star Trek.  It will just be another sci-fi movie.

The 60s Star Trek show wasn’t just about starships, phasers, and Klingons. It was a show about humanity. Who we are and what we could become one day. The characters of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy were the spokesmen for that message. If the creators of this new film do not have a lock on who these three characters are, we can say goodbye to Star Trek in film and in television for the foreseeable future.