Boldly go...

...to the theater and see Star Trek.*

It is, without doubt, the best adaptation/update/reboot of beloved characters & stories I've ever seen. It was so good it brought me to tears. Not so much anything in the movie, but the fact that the people involved pulled this off so well. It was clear in every way that they cared so much to get it right--to respect what we loved while at the same time reinvigorating the universe in which it takes place.

I watched a lot of Star Trek growing up, from ages 10 to 18. This was back before "irony," you see. Back then, we took green-skinned latex-headed aliens on flimsy sets seriously--not because they looked real, but because we knew that our willing suspension of disbelief** opened a door onto a realm of understanding and entertainment that would otherwise be inaccessible. The show communicated a powerful message: we can achieve cooperation and understanding--across differences both earthly and otherworldly--through exploration, curiosity and open-mindedness.

What was the secret? The messengers: the characters Kirk, Spock & Bones, and to a lesser extent Uhura, Chekhov and Sulu. Their views at times were in direct opposition but they shared the same goal and they always found a way to achieve it. As a result, their love for each other was deep and abiding, earned through shared experiences--sometimes difficult and often mind-expanding.

For those who know me, I'd say that explains the bonds between me and my closest friends. So yeah, Star Trek left a helluva mark on me. Big ups to Gene Roddenberry.

I guess you could say I had a lot at stake walking into that theater. Upon walking out, the memories flooded back. More important, the full import of those years and those episodes and those characters struck me, and deeply.

J.J. Abrams and Co. understand this too, and I thank them for this kick-ass labor of love.


*What? You thought I was above such cheap jokes? Ha! They are the coin of the realm here, my friends. Well-worked metaphors and even bad puns are an indulgence only allowed the insane and the profane.

**In case you were wondering, yes, this is the greatest turn of phrase in the English language.