Given J.J. Abrams somewhat “overtly liberal” rendition of the recent Star Trek motion picture, is there still a need to follow the proper established series’ canon?
By: Ringo Bones
The latest Star Trek movie did manage to earn serious money, but given that it has alienated a significant number of long-time Trekkers by deviating from the long-established Gene Roddenberry canon, can the movie be still considered an indisputable success? After all Trekkies / Trekkers are probably fed up with that “it’s all that we have” excuse, aren’t we?
This hitherto unprecedented breach of established canon had many long-established Star Trek fans up in arms over the latest Star Trek movie despite of its indisputable box office success. J.J. Abrams attempt at a “metaphysical” retelling of Star Trek’s most influential characters – i.e. James T. Kirk has not been to everyone’s taste. James Joyce’s Ulysses it is not, as some fans put it. Some Star Trek fans even suggested using the planned sequel to use as a “metaphorical” platform for the Free Tibet movement, given that the US Government is unable to take a justified stance on the Tibet issue because it is now beholden to the People’s Republic of China’s bond holders. No thanks to the malfeasance of the Bush-Cheney consortium that ran a disastrous “War on Terror” campaign.
If we don’t follow the Star Trek canon established by Gene Roddenberry (even those independent Star Trek-based novels tried to follow it), Spock could easily break out into song by singing the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins or is it the Ballad of Frodo Baggins. Especially during that famous campfire scene in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier just because Leonard Nimoy is a big fan of The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. Or Captain Kirk singing William Shatner’s “famous” songs committed to vinyl during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Or what about Keith Carradine’s appearance on Star Trek: Enterprise. Does he have to sing a few songs from his I’m Easy album, which was released back in 1976? Maybe, I’ll subject this particular Keith Carradine musical opus to a music review once I get hold of a copy of I’m Easy – hopefully on the much-soulful vinyl format.
In my opinion, the established Gene Roddenberry canon is more than probably what makes those Star Trek TV episodes and movies that had been done before claim the upper echelons of the science fiction universe. J.J. Abrams’ use of inexplicable musical montages – i.e. the extremely youthful James T. Kirk’s joyride with The Beastie Boys’ Sabotage playing in the car stereo to poke fun at the latter Captain Kirk’s somewhat odd pronunciation of the word Sabotage – may work on an episode of Family Guy. But it will not work on a main feature of Star Trek.
Given that the J.J. Abrams Star Trek managed to earn serious money during the summer 2009 season and with a sequel in the works, Abrams could well be directing it. Because the taskmasters at Paramount are still very reluctant to risk hard earned money, especially during the recovery period of an economic recession. Maybe we’ll just hope that the storyline of the sequel will return Star Trek to the original Gene Roddenberry established canon, if not, we’ll there are those DVD remasters of the “glory day” episodes that we’ve grown to love over the years.
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The Gene Roddenberry established canon is the primary reason why I loved Star Trek in all it's forms - except the latest JJ Abrams retelling of Star Trek which cast a worm of doubt in my head.
After collaborating with Scott Bakula on Star Trek: Enterprise as Commander B.J. Robinson on the episode titled First Flight, Keith Carradine also recently appeared on the second season of Dexter.
On the musical exploits of Keith Carradine, I think a better than decent singing skills are a primary prerequisite for top-billed Star Trek actors as tipified by William Shatner and Leonard "The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" Nimoy.
The album I'm Easy by Keith Carradine was somewhat "unfavorably" reviewed by Noel Coppage in the September 1976 edition of Stereo Review in which Coppage declared, "An actual musician could have made this recording, but he wouldn't have." And Keith Carradine is also that creapy-cute guy who scored a date with Madonna at the end of Madonna's Material Girl music video back in 1985.
I've seen that Ballad of Bilbo Baggins music video sung by Leonard Nimoy - a.k.a. Star Trek's Spock on a BBC special on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. This is probably why Star Trek Communicator magazine started featuring The Lord of the Rings fan club adverts www.lotrfanclub.com .
Speaking of Keith Carradine on Star Trek Enterprise, I think it could be a ploy to revive is dead acting career after appearing on Madonna's Material Girl video back in 1985. It did make Keith Carradine a guest star on Dexter. Even managed to score Dexter's sister. To me, Keith Carradine has just that right balance of cuteness and creepines. Just like Robert Knepper who plays T-Bag on Prison Break who looks like a creepy version of Nikola Tesla. Probably the reason why a lot of women go into that prison pen-pal route.
As a displaced people, JJ Abrams should make the next Star Trek movie a platform for the Free Tibet movement.
Here's another weird trivia for you about Keith Carradine. During his featured interview in the Star Trek Communicator magazine's August-September 2003 edition, there was a "misprint" of Keith Carradine's character as Commander B.J. Robinson instead of A.G. Robinson that was used in the Star Trek Enterprise TV episode. Keith Carradine does have a right balance of cuteness and creepy-ness. Just like Robert Knepper, who plays T-Bag in Prison Break, and can easily pass as a creepy Nikola Tesla look aike.
Star Trek's Spock - a.k.a. Leonard Nimoy - probably wants Star Trek fans / Trekkers / Trekkies and Tolkienites / Lord of the Rings fans to unite when he decided to sing The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins on late 1960s prime time TV. Keith Carradine's I'm Easy was probably not so good back in 1976 when competing with the likes of Led Zeppelin but it stood the test of time till today.
Could it be that JJ Abrams is a secret Free Tibet supporter by chosing the Beastie Boys song Sabotage, given that the Beastie Boys are huge Jetsun Milarepa Fund supporters and the primary underwriters of the Tibetan Freedom concert back in 1998. By portraying the Vulcans as a displaced people in his "interpretation" of a Star Trek prequel, JJ Abrams might have used the latest Star Trek movie as a Free Tibet movement platform. Given that the US Government no longer can freely express her own opinion on Tibetan Freedom because she is currently beholden to the People's Republic of China's bond holders - that makes a significant part of the 12 trillion dollar debt.
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