Star Trek

It's no secret to anyone who knows me that I'm an "old school" Trekkie.

No, I don't just mean that I've been a fan for a long time. I mean I like the original series.

I realize that I'm probably in the minority but I never really cared much for any of the spin off series. When ST:TNG first premiered I was at the height of my Trekkiness, so I watched Picard & all for about 2 seasons then my interest trailed off.

My reasons are simple: For me, Trek is all about the dynamic of the "big 3": Kirk/Spock/McCoy -- and McCoy was always my favourite. (DeForest Kelley had an uncanny way of stealing every scene!) Also, I like action and a straightforward story. Sure, I like a bit of science, a bit of a morality tale and something to think about... but the joy of Trek is watching iconic, archetypal characters playing out in a big space opera. Basically Trek is a Western set in the future: an epic story of wagon trains to the frontier & "cowboys versus Indians". The spin off series seemed so stiff & bland by comparison: everything seemed too cozy & polished and too touchy-feely for my taste. (And, of course I'm a sucker for anything retro so it seems most of my favourite tv series were made in the 60s anyway!)

Needless to say I was a bit leery of the idea of a Trek "prequel". My fear was that the cozy, polished blandness would rub off on my Trek of choice.

So, no spoilers here... All I will say is:

1.) Go see it.
2.) It doesn't taint the "canon" of the original series in any way.
3.) It delivers exactly what you'd expect from the original series: action, straightforward story, and the casting stays true to the original characters.
4.) Karl Urban does a surprisingly decent Dr. McCoy. One step removed from an "imitation" but still manages to be reminiscent -- yet respectful -- of DeForest Kelley.

In short: yes, I liked it. (And I rarely like anything these days!) ;)