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SET TO STUN
Rob Carnevale does the time warp again as Star Trek beams down to the big screen, going more boldly than it has ever gone before
-here‘s an old Star Trek salutation to I live long and prosper. But not even
original series creator (iene Roddenberr} could have imagined just how long and prosperous Star Trek would be. Since airing on American TV in Who. the show has spawned six incarnations of the series and l l movies. the latest of which is about to holdlv go into cinemas worldwide.
Since its world premiere in S_vdne} at the start of April. the film has attracted overwhelmingly positive reaction. .-\ prequel of sorts. it takes viewers back to the maiden voyage of the Starship linterprise when Kirk. Spock. Bones et al became acquainted with each other. It is funny. spectacular and loaded with references for Trekkies to relish. It appeals to newcomers as well. breathing new life into a franchise that had been showing severe signs of fatigue following the 'l‘\' departure of Star Trek: [inter/wise in 2005 and the lacklustre big screen performance of Star Trek Neurosis in 2002.
It‘s a fantastic achievement for JJ Abrams.
22 THE LIST 3.“ Ari-1 ‘vlav .ft‘.‘:3
creator of lml. a director who admits he was not a fan of the original series when he embarked on this latest enterprise. 'l felt like there had not been a version of Star 'I're/s that was as appealing to me as I would have likedf he \il}\. "Ii/1e 'Iii'i/ig/ii Zone was in} favourite show growing up. I would never want even to tr_v to do a 'Iii‘i/ie/il /.om' movie because I feel like it had been done in a wa_v I could never outdo. But our goal with Slur 'li‘t'lv was to make the best possible version ever.‘
Rather than introduce a new crew. as '/‘/1(' .Verl Generation had done. .-\bratns went back to the original and focused on the friendship between Kirk and Spock a bedrock of the series and several of the movies the sense of multi—cultural togetherness that accompanies the linterprise and its efforts to bring peace to the gala\_v.
.-\s part of the journe}. Abrams inadvertentl} became a fan of the show. evamining these characters and getting under their skin} he s;l)s. 'I never knew wh_v I should care about Kirk. Now I do and it‘s not becaUse
as w ell as
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l directed ii; ills because l appreciate liow \vliitl (iene Roddenberrv created. We didn‘t change the tl}ll;illlle of the characters. we iust brought them back to life b_v casting atna/ing actors.' The casting is indeed inspired. even though there was initial disappointment that William Shatner hadn‘t been included lliiosll} lroin the actor himself) and bewilderment at the presence of unknown quantities such as ('hris l’ine. as James 'I‘ Kirk. and Simon l’egg as the affable Scott}. .-\branis' braver} won otit. lle opted at an earl} stage not to pander to impossible fan-ho} demands. Instead. he placed his faith in emerging actors. as well as one important well-known lace lroni the past. Hemvv star Zachar} ()tiinto is a natural lit for Spock and even die-hard Slur 'l'n'lv fans have commented on the uncannv similaritv between Karl l'rban and l)el"orest KellevK Hones. Simon l’egg. w hilc seeming an odd choice for Seoll}. is a sell-confessed sci-ii geek and Slur TIT/v obsessive who was itl\\;i_\s going to be careful not to parod} James l)oohan. liven
('liris l’ine as Kirk doesn‘t look a million miles >>