chas
February 22nd, 2012, 04:46 PM
;) Really enjoyed the new personal documentary The Captains wherein William Shatner (the 80+ year old thespian who played the original Kirk) interviews the other actors who played Star Trek ship captains Picard, Sisko, Janeway, Archer, and the young Kirk in the new reboot movie. I'm about to "spolier" it, so you may wait to read this thread until you see it yourself. You have been warned! Read no further if you don't want to know!!!
***SPOILERING NOW!***
It was a good film with several important revealing moments, and much humor. Shatner was an insistant interviewer on his own cable show, and continues that here. It was a fine personal inquiry into his own issues. I think it could have been great had he discussed the nature of the Star Trek phenomenon in which he participated, but that was not his agenda. He seems to now be finally at peace about the whole thing, with the help of some of the others in his unusual peer group. As "captains," these actors had to not only play the role, but act as leaders for their own casts, most for seven years. Shatner of course went on after his two and a half TV seasons to make all those movies over a similar length of time.
The greatest moment for me was when Patrick Stuart discussed other people belittling the Star Trek gig as not SERIOUS, and how he disagreed. After all, most of these people will be best known nationally for these roles for the rest of their lives. Some of the others also pointed out what Shatner had contributed by starting the whole thing with style and energy, and how they were grateful to him for that. You also gain Shatner's view on how he wanted to change the first (unbought) pilot to the style that brought Star Trek to the screen for a second and successful run.
His various guests are an unusual group of individuals, and it was fun to hear their own perspectives as well. Whatever you thought of the individual shows, these people are a great bunch to listen to and learn from. There are a few moments with some of the other movie and TV cast actors too, most notably with Christopher Plummer, a fellow Canadian (and Trekkie, as it turns out to Shatner's surprise) who first knew Shatner back in their days of playing Shakespeare on the stage. There are also moving scenes of Shatner and a few others at a large Star Trek convention.
We love our Captains!
***SPOILERING NOW!***
It was a good film with several important revealing moments, and much humor. Shatner was an insistant interviewer on his own cable show, and continues that here. It was a fine personal inquiry into his own issues. I think it could have been great had he discussed the nature of the Star Trek phenomenon in which he participated, but that was not his agenda. He seems to now be finally at peace about the whole thing, with the help of some of the others in his unusual peer group. As "captains," these actors had to not only play the role, but act as leaders for their own casts, most for seven years. Shatner of course went on after his two and a half TV seasons to make all those movies over a similar length of time.
The greatest moment for me was when Patrick Stuart discussed other people belittling the Star Trek gig as not SERIOUS, and how he disagreed. After all, most of these people will be best known nationally for these roles for the rest of their lives. Some of the others also pointed out what Shatner had contributed by starting the whole thing with style and energy, and how they were grateful to him for that. You also gain Shatner's view on how he wanted to change the first (unbought) pilot to the style that brought Star Trek to the screen for a second and successful run.
His various guests are an unusual group of individuals, and it was fun to hear their own perspectives as well. Whatever you thought of the individual shows, these people are a great bunch to listen to and learn from. There are a few moments with some of the other movie and TV cast actors too, most notably with Christopher Plummer, a fellow Canadian (and Trekkie, as it turns out to Shatner's surprise) who first knew Shatner back in their days of playing Shakespeare on the stage. There are also moving scenes of Shatner and a few others at a large Star Trek convention.
We love our Captains!