Spock And Dr. McCoy, Friend And Foe

Spock & Dr. McCoy... In there case, being opposites really have seemed to make them friends!

In Star Trek, still one of the most famous friendships in the history of the series is the friendship between Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. Leonard (Bones) McCoy (DeForest Kelley) & Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy)... As a matter of fact, through out the original series and the first three movies, these characters were more then just friends... You could go so far as to say that they were almost like brothers.

Well one side of the friendship, a side that has always been a little difficult for the characters I imagine, but has provided an unending source of amusement for fans of the first Start Trek series, is the rough friendship that Dr. McCoy and Mr. Spock had!

The really are friends!

What I mean by this is that these two characters tended to be polar opposites of each other (i,e... Dr. McCoy was the more emotional one, and Spock was always cool and calculated...) Well this led to an ending stream of oft times humorous (albeit short,) arguments, that was often stopped by Captain Kirk....

The reason that I mention this is because I thought that you  guys might enjoy some of the finer moments of these fights between two friends whose friendship would literally span space and time!

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode 8: 'Miri' (1966) - TV Episode Review

Official Score = 3 Devils 

Star Trek... Man I will be honest with you guys and say that considering the monumental level of contributions to the world of Science & Technology... And let's be honest here and say, 'The world' in generally makes in my opinion, 'Star Trek' to be one of the more prolific planetary icons in history!

And well, let's explore that shall we... Why is it that Star Trek inspired so many people so much... Well to be absolutely honest, I don't know everyone this show has inspired... But for me, I got inspired because the entertainment that the cast and crew brought to this series, coupled with the educational side (and, 'yes' I do know this show does have a rather campy side to it, I also do know that it does have an educational side to it as well!)

With all of that said, I believe that the ability to learn something while being entertained is definitely a large part of why this series has become so important, and Season 1 - Episode 8: 'Miri' is a great example of this!

Written by: Adrian Spies (Dark Of The Sun) & Directed by: Vincent McEveety (K-9). Starring: William Shatner (The Babysitter), Leonard Nimoy (Fringe), Kim Darby (Halloween: The Curse Of Michael Myers), Michael J. Pollard (Sleepaway Camp 3), DeForest Kelley (Night Of The Leepus) & Grace Lee Whitney (Star Trek: Of Gods And Men).

"A child entering puberty on this planet means a death sentence."

- Dr. McCoy (A quote from: Star Trek The Original Series: Episode 8 - Season 1: 'Miri')

 Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Yeoman Rand (Grace Lee Whitney) as they are working with a local girl, 'Miri' in trying to solve the calamity that nearly destroyed a near-Earth style planet!

You see, this episode tells the story of how after receiving an ancient distress call, the U.S.S. Enterprise goes to investigate it, where they come to discover an Earth like planet... An Earth like planet with human life on it!

You see this planet though has one problem, it turns out that all of the adults on the planet have died, and when the children come of age, they begin to loose it!

And as the Enterprise begins the race against time to save these children, they will come to a discovery about this near identical Earth that will make resolving this problem imperative, before the crew of the Enterprise is destroyed as well!

Dr. McCoy hard at work trying to find out what happened to one of the local kids!

Now in all honesty, I am a huge fan of this episode... From the very human element that is brought together when one of the children on the planet, 'Miri' befriends Captain Kirk, to the fun thrilling aspects of, 'will he, or won't he make it'... But the truth is, is I do believe that if you check it out that you might like it as well! It certainly is worth giving it a try!

Start Trek: Season 1 - Episode 7: 'What Are Little Girls Made Of' (1966) - TV Episode Review

Official Score = 3 Devils

Star Trek... Well so far so good, considering the cheesy as hell nature of this series, I am going to have to say that it still rocks, and maybe still near the top of the heap when it comes to the remake series and the various spin-offs that have come out since then,.. And I think that the main reason for this is the fact, that where as it is true that this series is cheesy as hell, the cast and crew made it fun by giving it an edge of reality/possibility, by not making the actual characters in the show say cheesy lines, and making them for the most part fairly believable, and fun!

And Episode 8: 'What Are Little Girls Made Of' (1966) is no different!

Written by: Robert Bloch (Psycho) & Directed by: James Goldstone (The Bride In Black), Starring: William Shatner (The Devil's Rain), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), Majel Barrett (The Man In The Santa Clause Suit) & Michael Strong (Point Blank).

Captain Kirk will share a meal with his Android double in this episode!

You see, in this episode Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) had lost her fiancee a long time ago, and is pretty excited when he is found on a mostly frozen planet, but when the, 'Enterprise' and her crew get down there, they come to discover that not only is her fiancee there, but a small group of Androids are there with him as well! But Nurse Chapel's fiancee is not what he used to be, and if Nurse Chapel, and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise want to get out of their before it is to late, they are going to have to find out what happened to the good Nurses, 'fiancee' and what the cavern they are living in actually is, before it is to late, and they are replaced!

Kirk & crew are going to have to figure out what is going on in this frozen wasteland before it is to late and he is replaced!

 The best thing I think about this episode is the fact that it has to do with being forcibly replaced by Android doubles... This type of concept in Sci-fi horror movies (like the, 'Invasion Of The Body Snatchers' series,) rocks, and this episode is really not much different!

In the end, it is a fun & very worthy episode, check it out, you might like it!

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode 6: 'Mudd's Women' (1966) - TV EpisodeReview

Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils 

Star Trek... I mean this show, even by todays standards is one of the best shows that has ever been created for Science Fiction in general, and all of it's subsequent spinoffs are frankly just as good!

The reason for this I believe is the air of possibility that it could actually happen based on the era in which the current form of Star Trek is being made... A great example of this is, 'Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'... This show had everything, the horrors of war, love, loss and tragedy, humor and joy, and everything else surrounding a community of people that are living on a space station!

Now admittedly, the original series took on a strong 'camp' feel to it... But I mean that was the sign of the times in Science Fiction at that time... It still had that aura of potential realism, in a time when mankind is exploring space!

Now you might be wondering why I mention this... Well honestly, the reason that I mention this, is because the latest episode of, 'Star Trek' has to do with one of man's oldest conundrums!

This episode, which stars: William Shatner (The Babysitter), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), DeForest Kelley (The Night Of The Lepus), James Doohan (The Duke), George Takei (Heroes), Nichelle Nichols (Drones, Clones & Pheromones), Roger C. Carmel (Transformers: The Movie), Karen Steele (Marty), Maggie Thrett (The Devil's Brigade) & Susan Denberg (Frankenstein Created Women).

Captain Kirk trying to deal with mankind's oldest problems!

Now what I meant by this is that the Enterprise ends up picking up a man and his three traveling companions... Now at first everything seems fine with them... The guy is just escorting Eva McHouron (Karen Steele), Ruth (Maggie Thrett) & Magda (Susan Denberg) to a colony to marry men that are there...

Well there is something more sinister to this group, and as more and more of the men on board the Enterprise becomes hopelessly infatuated with the female guests, it will be up to the Enterprise crew to find out what is going on before they end up on the hook, and ole Harry Mudd (Roger C. Carmel), can take them for all they are worth!

Mudd's women may be a problem for Kirk's men, if they can't find a resolution!

Ultimately this episode is one that won't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of the series... But the truth is, is that it is pretty funny, and it does introduce a character, that even though he would never make it out of the original series, would still go on to be 1 of the top 10 star trek characters of all time, (I am talking about the shyster, 'Harry Mudd'!)

In the end, check it out, it might not be pivotal to the series, but you might have a few good laughs, and some times that is all it takes, eh?

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode 5: 'The Enemy Within' (1966) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

One of the things that Star Trek really brought to the world of Science Fiction is the fact that Star Trek brought to the world, the, 'Mirror Universe'! For those of you who don't know what the mirror universe is, it is a universe that is the polar opposite of our dimension, in that some one in our universe who is a happy go lucky type, may end up being a depressed homicidal lunatic, and an Adolph Hitler type in the mirror universe, might be some one who exclusively loves life!

The reason that I mention this, is that before the first, 'Mirror Universe' episode, we got a sneak peak of it with, 'The Enemy Within' (1966)!

Written by: Richard Matheson (The Twilight Zone: The Movie) & Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek: Voyager) & Directed by: Leo Penn (Judgement In Berlin). Starring: William Shatner (Kingdom Of The Spiders), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Snatchers), DeForest Kelley (Night Of The Lepus), Grace Lee Whitney (Star Trek: The Motion Picture), George Takei (Archer), James Doohan (Birth Of A Timeless Legacy) & Nichelle Nichols (The Cabonauts).

This episode tells the story of how during the investigation of a planet, Captain Kirk (William Shatner), transports back up to the ship....

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Kirk and Sulu before Kirk transports back to the ship![/caption]

After he transports up, there is an incident that occurs in which, Captain Kirk is split in to 2 different personalities, the first one being everything that is good and right in the world, and the second one being everything that is the absolute definition of pure evil!

And as Kirk is becoming more and more different, the crew of  the Enterprise is going to have to figure out how to fix Kirk before the crew that they had to leave on a planet that is getting colder and colder as the minutes go by, freezes to death!

In the end, this episode is pretty freaking awesome, it will keep you on the edge of your seat, and if you get a chance to see it, then I do recommend it!

http://youtu.be/_AYsdW1RbWw

The Twilight Zone... It's Continued Importance In The World Of TV

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="553"] The Twilight Zone... A truly awesome show... One might say it is an American icon![/caption]

There are very few shows in this world that do so well that they ultimately end up lasting for generations... Soap Operas seemed to do pretty good in that area, and of course, 'Star Trek' has excelled... And who could forget, 'The Outer Limits'... But the one that I wanted to talk about today is, 'The Twilight Zone'...

This show, like a lot of the shows that truly last on a generational level have done a lot for the acting community, including helped with the acting careers of some of the biggest talent in Hollywood for their generation... A few examples of course being: Rod Serling (Planet Of The Apes), William Shatner (Star Trek: The Motion Picture), Dan Aykroyd (Ghost Busters) & heck even, Forrest Whitaker (Body Snatchers) and that is just to name a few!

Now the reason that I mention this is that in Hollywood today, there is not to many shows or even movies being made that have had this level of staying power... And that is kind of a shame!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="469"] There hasn't been to many movies or TV shows that have come out as of recent that have been at the same level of, 'The Twilight Zone'![/caption]

With Hollywood going the way that it has been, it would be great to see, 'The Twilight Zone' brought back to life... But not just brought back to life in that same, 'recyling popular episodes from the first series' sort of way... No I am talking about bringing the twilight zone back in such a way that it is fun for the next generation!

What I mean by that, is bring the show back using the format that made the original series such a wild success, but create different episodez newer and better episodes for the next generation to enjoy as well!

In the end, this show made some major strides and contributions to the world of tinsletown... And if given a chance to thrive again, they could prove to have a continued importance on the world of TV!

http://youtu.be/G11AhAIf18A

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode 4: 'The Naked Time' (1966) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_325" align="alignright" width="263"] Official Score = 3 Devils[/caption]

One of the signs of a truly great show is when that show entertains audiences generation-ally... A show that you could honestly say that certain episodes that you liked, your parents liked, and hell maybe even Grand Parents liked...

Star Trek is certainly one of these shows!

And you know what? There is one episode in particular that I would say, rather you are a trek fan or not, is an episode that is universally considered to be pretty damn good!

That episode of course being: 'The Naked Time'!

[caption id="attachment_2851" align="aligncenter" width="450"] An infected Hikaru Sulu living out his dream of being a, 'swashbuckler' in the Star Trek: TOS episode, 'The Naked Time'![/caption]

Why is this episode so great you ask? Well, if you can pull it off (and trust me when I say that not all shows can pull this off,) but if you are a serious show that can pull off an episode that makes fun of itself, and still draw in a major crowd and keep them entertained... Then more power to you!
And, 'The Naked Time', is both 2 parts serious, and 2 parts making fun of itself!

You see, this episode, which was written by: John D.F. Black (Shaft) & Directed by: Marc Daniels (I Love Lucy). Starring: William Shatner (Kingdom Of The Spiders), Leonard Nimoy (Fringe), Stewart Moss (Raise The Titanic), Majel Barrett (Star Trek: The Next Generation), DeForest Kelley (Night Of The Lepus), Grace Lee Whitney (Irma La Douce), George Takei (Heroes), James Doohan (Birth Of A Timeless Legacy), Bruce Hyde (That Girl) & Nichelle Nichols (Escape From Heaven).

This episode tells the story of how the Enterprise is sent in to investigate a Science Outpost that had been initially set up to research the collapse of a planet!

[caption id="attachment_2853" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Spock and his team investigating the dead science outpost.[/caption]

Well when Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and his assistant arrive there, the whole base is pretty much dead... With everyone frozen, but having died in strange ways... What I mean is that for example, one person seemed to have frozen to death while in the shower and with all of their clothes on...
After Spock's assistant gets infected, (He takes off his mask to itch his nose and decides not to put it back on)... The Enterprise crew is about to get a new form of drunk... One where they don't have to drink!

The problem is, is that this new type of drunk is killing them, and if they don't figure out how to resolve this, and resolve this quick, well... At least they'll die happy!

The last thing that I thought that I would mention here is that there are two hilarious scene's in this episode that you should look out for involving, 'Sulu' (Takei) in one scene and, 'Kevin Riley' (Bruce Hyde) in a separate one!

Check this one out... You might really enjoy it... I did!

http://youtu.be/-3OsxVGOtdM

Star Trek 2: The Wrath Of Khan (1982) - Movie Review

[caption id="attachment_557" align="alignright" width="307"] Official Score = 3 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Let me ask you guys a question... Which series do you like better? The original Star Trek series or the rebooted series? For me it is a hard question, because the original series was absolutely truly amazing, and the first rebooted movie was truly awesome as well... But the rebooted part 2... meh...

But the original Star Trek 2 is a freaking awesome movie! It had a great cast of original series actors that include the likes of, William Shatner (Kingdom Of The Spiders), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), DeForest Kelley (Night Of The Lepus), James Doohan (The Duke), Walter Koenig (Babylon 5), George Takei (Futurama), Nichelle Nichols (Heroes).

This movie brought in a lot of other great actors as well, including: Merrit Butrick (Star Trek: The Next Generation), Paul Winfield (The Terminator), Kirstie Alley (Cheers) & Richardo Montalban (Battleground).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] The smiling face of the man who wanted everything... And ended up with nothing![/caption]

You see this movie is actually a continuation of an original series TV episode, when after Captain Kirk (William Shatner) & the crew of the, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' maroon a crew of extremely dangerous super men on a planet in the hopes that they can become their own society... They end up breaking free and taking over the Federation Starship, 'U.S.S. Reliant'...

With revenge in his heart, it will be up to Kirk and crew to come together one more time to stop Khan (Ricardo Montalban) from taking out his revenge on not just Kirk and his crew, but also to the rest of the human race that tried to dump him and his group!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="618"] Kirk and crew, when Khan and his followers strand them in an underground paradise.[/caption]

In the end, this movie is one of my personal favorite of this series, and if you get a chance, I do recommend checking it out, it is well worth it!

http://youtu.be/UJTi7KJPx_E

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode 3: 'Charlie X' (1966) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_390" align="alignright" width="178"] Official Score = 1 Devil[/caption]

You know I have to admit that I am a huge fan of Star Trek... I mean I am not some one who goes around dressed as a, 'Klingon' to the conventions or anything... Nor do I live my normal days wearing a Star Fleet Uniform or anything, but I freaking love all of the series...

So when I find an episode of one of the series, or one of the movies not to be good... Well I have to admit that it kind of sucks... But there is always another episode that will take up the slack from the damage that wascaused from that crummy episode before hand... And I hate to say it, but: Star Trek, Season 1 - Episode 3: 'Charlie X' (1966) is just one of those unfortunate rare episodes that I just don't like...

Written by: D.C. Fontana (Star Trek: Legacy) & Directed by: Lawrence Dobkin (Patton). Starring: William Shatner (Kingdom Of The Spiders), Leonard Nimoy (Fringe), Robert Walker Jr. (Easy Rider), DeForest Kelley (The Brave Little Toaster Goes To Mars), Grace Lee Whitney (Star Trek: Of Gods And Men) & Nichelle Nichols (The White Orchid).

The truth is, is a lot of people seem to truly like this episode, I mean it is one of the more recognized episodes of the original series, but the truth is, is I just don't get why people liked this episode...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Even ole Charlie X himself looks like he is trying not to barf at seeing how bad this episode is![/caption]

You see, this episode tells the story of, Charlie Evans (Robert Walker Jr.)... Now this kid is 17, but he had been surviving on a planet that is supposed to be almost entirely barren since he was 3 years old... Until he was rescued at age 17 that is...

Well regardless, he is being transported to a colony to be with relatives... The only problem is that weird and dangerous situations keep occurring as he is making his way to his biological family.

Charlie's next stop is the, 'Enterprise'... And you know what? Everyone seems to like him (despite how immature, and unsure he is.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400"] Charlie getting help from his new friend, 'Captain Kirk'...[/caption]

Well after he gets attracted to Yeoman Janice Rand (Grace Lee Whitney), things start going out of control!

It will be up to Captain Kirk (William Shatner) & Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) to stop this out of control boy with to much power, before Charlie destroys his ship, and afterward, the Federation!

In the end, the truth is, is this episode just didn't appeal to me... I mean everything about this episode (I guess maybe with the exception of the story) was well done, but the story and the episode itself was just plain dull as hell!

Well you can't win them all... Stick with the series, I think you might like it... I know I did!

http://youtu.be/GCwq5XMafwE

Star Trek: Season 1 - Episode: 1, 'The Man Trap' (1966) - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_385" align="alignright" width="353"] Official Score = 2 Devils[/caption]

One of the most important contributions that I really believe that Hollywood has every made, and probably will ever make is creating for the world, 'Star Trek'... Hey I know that sounds cheesy as hell, but it is true! I mean if you really think about it, it is nice to help a city/state/country that just got hit by something massive (I genuinely applaud Hollywood and the rest of the world for their contributions toward helping reconstruct a disaster zone)... But I still think that Hollywood's biggest contribution to the world is, 'Star Trek'!

You see Star Trek in a lot of respects represents humanity at a time where it has expanded beyond it's petty nonsense, and has finally unified in a way that I think at this point in the world that most people just don't believe could happen... And well they do all this while entertaining the world with the adventures of an intrepid, 'Starship', and the problems they have to resolve...

Well the truth is, is I know that I have probably just oversold the whole episode, but despite this episode's mundane trappings... (and I will be honest and say that this episode is amusing, compared to the larger scope though, of a lot of the future episodes, this particular episode kind of suffers from being so mundane... But we will get to that in a moment...)

Written by: George Clayton Johnson (Logan's Run), Gene Roddenberry (Earth: Final Conflict) & Directed by: Marc Daniels (I Love Lucy). Starring: William Shatner (Kingdom Of The Spiders), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), Alfred Ryder (True Grit), Jeanne Bal (Company Of Killers), DeForest Kelley (Night Of The Lepus), Grace Lee Whitney (Ironside), George Takei (8) & Nichelle Nichols (Heroes).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) better beware, there is more to this girl then meets the eye![/caption]

The truth is, is that 40 or 50 years ago this episode would I believe have been a little bit more fun, the problem is, is that this episode is almost like a futuristic episode of a, 'Soap Opera' that is set another planet!

You see, this episode tells the story of how the crew of the Starship Enterprise are sent on a mission to give the annual physicals to Professor Robert Crater (Alfred Ryder) and his wife, 'Nancy' (Jeanne Bal), the only problem is that Nancy Crater happens to be a former love interest of Dr. McCoys!

So at first, with the exception of the fact that Dr. McCoy is a little to nervous to see Nancy, and Professor Crater not really wanting the Enterprise crew there, also ordering an obscene amount of salt, everything seems to be fine... That is until the first crewman dies... And then more and more...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Kirk (WIlliam Shatner) and Spock, (Leonard Nimoy) as they find another dead crewman on the planet.[/caption]

And as the Enterprise crew is dying off one by one, the crew is going to have to find out what the Craters are hiding before what they are hiding ends up killing them!

In the end though,  this episode may not be the best, but if you keep with the show, I think you might find that it gets better and better!

http://youtu.be/vqfx3wuqjBI

Star Trek Season 1 - Episode 3 - Pilot 2: 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' - TV Episode Review

[caption id="attachment_322" align="alignright" width="258"] Official Score = 1 1/2 Devils[/caption]

Since I was a kid I have always strongly gravitated to the Science Fiction genre... Rather it be with the, 'Alien' movie series, or even, 'Futurama' on TV... Science Fiction often times gives the viewer an awesome opportunity to glimpse in the many different awesome or scary futures... And none does both better, and really gives a potential look at mankind in a few hundred years than it does in, 'Star Trek'!

Rather it be the original crew of the, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' as they boldly go where no man has gone before, or on, 'Deep Space Nine' as humanity tries to help out many races on many war torn planets to finally resolve the issue facing them and get their worlds so that they can become sustainable again, all of these shows truly give a great example of what mankind could be doing in a few hundred years from now, but in a way that most of the time is pretty fun an entertaining sort of way!

I just wish Star Trek Season 1, Episode 3 (rather known as the second pilot), 'Where No Man Has Gone Before' still held that kind of sway... But we will get in to that in a moment!

Written by: Samuel A. Peeples (A Real American Hero), Gene Roddenberry (Star Trek: The Next Generation) & Directed by: James Goldstone (Earth Star Voyage). Starring: William Shatner (Disaster On The Coastliner), Leonard Nimoy (Invasion Of The Body Snatchers), Gary Lockwood (2001: A Space Odyssey), Sally Kellerman (MASH), George Takei (Heroes), James Doohan (Through Dead Eyes), Paul Carr (Raise The Titanic) & Paul Fix (El Dorado)

In this latest episode, the Star Ship Enterprise is attempting to go outside the Galaxy, and also while doing so, end up coming to discover an ancient human distress beacon from a human ship by the name of, 'Intrepid'...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="665"] The crew of the, 'U.S.S. Enterprise' as they are about to head out of the Galaxy![/caption]

Well when they bring it on, obviously their is a lot of damage to it, but it is weird, you see this recorder talks about how after the, 'Intrepid' was sucked out of the galaxy and managed to make it back in, and how after that, everything fell apart and eventually the Captain of that ship had to blow it up...

Well the Enterprise is about to find out the truth about the Intrepid... You see, they did end up going outside of the Galaxy, and while there, a strange energy entered the ship almost everybody it attacked, with the exceptions of: Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) and Doctor Elizabeth Dehner (Sally Kellerman)... But it is changing them slowly!

You see, it turns out that both Dehner and Mitchell have high esper ratings, and the energy that went after them seems to be giving them powers... Well as Mitchell seems to be getting more and more powerful, and more and more crazy with the power he is getting, and with Captain Kirk and Gary Mitchell being friends, it looks like Kirk may end up having to sacrifice his friend to save his ship!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="594"] Kirk as he is trying to destroy the far to powerful, 'Gary Mitchell'![/caption]

In the end, I know that a lot of people like this episode, and to be fair I did when I first watched it as well... But the truth is, is that this episode still has it's moments, but at this point at least for me, I have found that this episode is stale, dull and old and out of date... frankly boring!

Besides that though, if you are just getting started with the series, stick with it, if you like what you have seen so far, then trust me when I say it is definitely worth continuing on!

http://youtu.be/kdrQmE7KhdM

Pike Vs. Pike Who Is Better?

Most people probably don't know this, but I suspect that in the process of making Star Trek (2009), that J.J. Abrams (Lost) probably checked out the failed Star Trek pilot, the reason that I mention this is the fact that before William Shatner and the cast that we have come to know as the legitimate first Star Trek cast. Gene Rodenberry (Andromeda) created a Star Trek script that did end up getting filmed, but when NBC checked it out, they had Rodenberry re-work it because there was, 'not enough action in it!' And thus we have the original Star Trek as we know it!

Now with that in mind, the unused episode was cut up and used for a special 2 parter of the original series called, 'The Menagerie'... And would later be re-constituted and shown in it's entirety as an episode in 1986!

With that in mind though, in 2009, when J.j. Abrams re-booted the series, he re-booted it bringing Captain Pike back to the big screen and has since been in both the first and second Star Trek reboot movies... So I ask the question... Which Pike is better?

Now in all fairness the amount of screen time that Jeffery Hunter's 'Pike' (Jeffery Hunter was the first person to play the character), had significantly less screen time then Bruce Greenwood's (I,Robot) Pike, but in all truth, I have to admit that I really liked Greenwood's Pike over Jeffery Hunter's Pike!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Bruce Greenwood definitely did the best job of playing the role of, 'Captain Christopher Pike'![/caption]

Now the reason for that is manly the fact that Greenwood's, 'Pike' was pitted in a feasible world, where you can easily see Greenwood's Pike in an environment that you could believe as really happening...

The truth is, is that Jeffery Hunter's Star Trek really was a little to campy, and in all fairness, if they had never actually brought Pike back in a more real world styled setting, then I would have to say that Jeffery Hunter's Pike would probably be better then Greenwood's! The reason that I say this is the fact that Jeffery Hunter did a great job in portraying a young Captain, but still a seasoned veteran. Greenwood on the other hand seemed like he should have actually been an Admiral at Star Fleet Command!

Well in the end it was a tough call, but I have to say that Bruce Greenwood did a great job at portraying Pike, and I am going to have to say that he actually ended up doing the best job with this role!

Never the less please enjoy this scene from the Star Trek episode: The Cage, feautring:  Jeffrey Hunter!

http://youtu.be/6F5pAFhByU8

And the trailer for Star Trek (2009):

http://youtu.be/SyJszxnJydA

Kirk Vs. Kirk: Who's Better?

I first got in to Star Trek when I was a kid watching reruns of the voyages of the original Enterprise crew on TV in the 1966 - 1969 original Star Trek TV series starring: William Shatner (The Babysitter) as, 'Captain James Tiberius Kirk'!

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="337"] William Shatner as, 'Captain James. T. Kirk'[/caption]

For many years this series has been my favorite of all of the Star Trek TV series (including the subsequent spin offs), as a matter of fact I would go so far to say that not only is this series my favorite, but the Captain Kirk is my favorite character in that series!

The reasons are:

1. One of the things that all of the parodies did get right is that he was a bit of a ladies man (and being kind of a loner who rarely went out on Friday nights when I was in High School, I always that, that was real cool.)

2. The first strong example that I ever had of what it means to be a strong and powerful leader was watching Shatner as, 'Kirk' in the old Star Trek series!

3. I also like the fact that he always seemed to be able to make the tough decisions!

4. Also in a lot of respects he was the glue that held his crew together as a, 'crew' but he also held them together as, 'friends' after the run of the original series finally had it's final nail in it's coffin!

Now pretty much since Star Trek: Generations (1994) there has been no real appearance of Kirk or really the crew in the whole (with the exception of the novels)... That was until 2009 when J.J. Abrams (Super 8) released a reboot of the series with Star Trek (2009)!

Now this new movie would bring us a new actor in the role of a young Kirk, this actor being, Chris Pine (Unstoppable).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="470"] Chris Pine as, 'Captain James T. Kirk'.[/caption]

And of course I have to admit that I am glad that they did, because after the low ratings that Star Trek: Enterprise had on TV, Paramount had put a moratorium on a future Star Trek TV series, and after I read about the fact that the Star Trek: The Next Generation cast were not interested in coming back to there roles, I thought Star Trek in the end was doomed to disappear in to obscurity!

But that is for a blog at another time...

As for Chris Pine's, 'Kirk' here is what I liked about his Kirk:

1. I was glad to see the role given new life by some one who could actually fill the shoes!

2. Chris Pine plays, 'Kirk' as a pretty bad ass character, (Vs. Shatner who was more like a military officer who works in space.)

3. I also like Pine's, 'Kirk' and his, 'take charge attitude'!

In the end I have to say that I thought (and still think) that Chris Pine did a pretty awesome job breathing new life in to Kirk (and also for helping bring to the world a new, 'Kirk' for a new generation), but for my money, William Shatner will always be my favorite, 'Kirk'!

http://youtu.be/HxQqJbW-ohw

http://youtu.be/SyJszxnJydA