STACK #145 Nov 2016

FEATURE DVD&BD

Robert Wise Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) This Hollywood legend may have directed the 1951 science fiction classic The Day the Earth Stood Still , but his Star Trek movie failed to reach warp speed and remains one of the dullest entries in the series. Nicholas Meyer Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Meyer succeeded where Wise had failed, setting the Enterprise on the right course and delivering two of the best films to feature the original crew – as well as Khan and Klingons, respectively. Leonard Nimoy Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) and Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Who better to lead the search for Spock than the actor who plays him? Nimoy also brought ample levity to the Star Trek universe with the time travel lark The Voyage Home , which sounds illogical when you really think about it. William Shatner Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Shatner may not have destroyed the Enterprise but he almost destroyed the franchise with the worst Star Trek movie, in which the crew meets God! It was god awful, but fortunately not the final frontier for the series. Jonathan Frakes Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Frakes played Captain Picard’s “number one”, William Riker, in The Next Generation and directed a handful of episodes. He also helmed the numero uno of TNG films – not bad for a feature film debut.

Idris Elba as Krall

must regroup if they are to defeat Krall, and unity becomes an important theme of the film. “The crew can achieve more together than they can alone, and that’s the message of this movie,” offers Karl Urban, who gets a lot more screen time as Bones. “Ultimately it’s about family, it’s about working together to achieve something great,” adds Chris Pine, whose Captain Kirk is experiencing some personal issues. “Being the Captain of the Enterprise is probably the defining feature of his life” says Pine. “There’s this reality of loneliness and of figuring things out. “Is he willing to trust anyone outside his circle, and is he willing to let his empathy lead him and his crew into mortal danger?” Issues concerning Kirk’s father’s legacy are also brought to the fore in the wake of the Enterprise’s destruction. “His father was the captain of a ship that was also destroyed, so when he sees the [Enterprise] destroyed, it brings up a real complex set of emotions that are tied to where he was born and who he is,” Pine explains. With a fourth Trek film already announced and tipped to feature the return of George Kirk, as played by Chris Hemsworth, Captain James T. Kirk might finally get some closure.

The crew can achieve more together than they can alone, and that’s the message of this movie

lots of latex), who holds a grudge against the Federation. “I wanted a character that’s there to deconstruct the Federation’s ideals, but to do it in a way where he has a very valid philosophy,” explains Lin. Krall also deconstructs the Enterprise with a swarm of bee- like ships that tear through the starship like shrapnel – the third time we’ve seen it destroyed in the Trek movies. “Watching the Enterprise crash and burn felt like I was destroying a legacy,” notes Idris Elba. “Krall is certainly going to be remembered for that.” Stranded and separated on a hostile alien planet, the crew

• Star Trek Beyond is out on Nov 2

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