Digital Joe #9

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There seems to be one school of thought in Hollywood (and elsewhere, to be perfectly fair): if something works, milk it for all its worth. Undoubtedly, the first Disney Direct-to-DVD movie fared well since the studio has cheapened every animated flick it has with a sub par sequel and/or animated television series. Now, other studios are jumping on the bandwagon. In February, we saw the release of the first Marvel animated movie Direct-to-DVD ("Ultimate Avengers: The Movie" if anyone missed it). And we´re due for at least two more this year alone.

H-wood isn´t a place where successful franchises and characters are just abandoned for no reason. Tim Burton´s "Planet of the Apes" should be proof enough of that. We have another James Bond film in production now. "The Simpsons" is coming to the big screen next July. Heck, cancelled TV fare like "The Family Guy" and "Futurama" are even being given new deals. There are no less than two new "Star Wars" TV shows in development right now. A prequel to "A Nightmare on Elm Street" is planned. There´s talk of "Jurassic Park IV" in the near future (c´mon…wasn´t the third one bad enough to kill this turkey?).

A 14 episode cancelled sci-fi series ("Firefly") spawned a theatrical film. "24" will be making the leap to the movie screen, if the reports are true. Frankly, I´m surprised we haven´t seen a sequel to "Independence Day" yet. It was only a matter of time before the spin-offs and movies were thrust into production. The one thing I never imagined I´d read last Friday morning was that the venerable "Star Trek" franchise would be back on the silver screen in 2008. With JJ Abrams producing, writing and directing…a Starfleet Academy movie, focusing on the early days of Kirk and Spock. Paramount even nailed down a release date, sort of.

I have followed "Star Trek" since, at least, 1986, when I saw "The Voyage Home" (the overrated one with the whales) at the theater. I was there when "The Next Generation" debuted. I cried when Tasha Yar died late in the first year. Hell, I was with this franchise all the way through the third season of "Enterprise". (Yup, even saw "Insurrection" and "Nemesis" on opening night in the theater…) After "Enterprise" was cancelled and "Nemesis" stunk up the BO, I figured it would be a long while until we saw anything from this universe again.

Wrong.

I also figured that if anyone was going to be attached to the new project, it would be "X-Men" and "Superman Returns" director Bryan Singer, who has publicly stated time and again he wanted to work on the picture.

Wrong again.

Further, after the wretched response every Starfleet Academy rumor would generate among the fan base, it seemed practical that the movie would not focus on that institution.

Wrong, for a third time. Strike out.

Unlike a lot of other diehard fans online, I am reserving judgment on this movie until there is more information. Like a plot and actors. As it stands, all we really have is an announcement that something is in the works. I do think it was a bit foolhardy for The Studio on the Mountain to have made the announcement without any additional information. Really, I can understand whetting the appetite of the public with names like Abrams, "Trek" and Kirk. I also understand wanting to cash in on some of the buzz with Abrams´ name right now: after all, "Alias" is finishing up its five years on TV now, "Lost" is preparing to sprint to its (second season) finish line and "Mission Impossible III" will bow in early May.

Apparently someone LOVES what Abrams did with "MI III" to hand him the reigns of this franchise.

From all indications, the former head of "Trek" (Rick Berman) is out. What will Abrams bring to the franchise? Can he revitalize it? Can he, as Michael Piller did all those years ago, make "Star Trek" cool again? If so, he will be a genius. If not, there is no fandom in the world that is quicker to pronounce itself judge, jury and executioner. Berman and his co-hort Brannon Braga got lynched for every season of "Enterprise" on "Trek" message boards. They were even thrown into the fire before the "Enterprise" pilot debuted. Sure, it´s not fair. But, as my father always reminded me, life isn´t fair.

There are concerns I share with my fellow Trekkies. I don´t want this to turn into "Star Trek 90210" or "Dawson´s Trek" or any of the other three-dozen "witty" name hybrids out there. If you´re going to show early Kirk and Spock, the continuity in the movie MUST jive with what came before. (That means, for the record, no use of the Ferengi, Borg, bumpy headed Klingons, flat screen computer monitors or wire-fu action sequences.)

This is a perilous road Abrams and Brad Gray (Paramount executive) have chosen to go down. Gray watched from the outside as the franchise got run into the ground and Abrams…one has to wonder just how far he can stretch himself. Yes, he has other people working with him on all his projects, but one man can only do so much. I absolutely and sincerely hope this project works in every way and for every person. But I´m a realist and understand it´s not going to. I might be perfectly happy with the outcome while it is decried and destroyed by everyone else. That´s the nature of the beast.

If I have one emotion toward this announcement, it´s this: caution. I´ve been burned one too many times with the build up of a movie that failed to deliver. If this movie fails for me, that will be three sub par movies in a row and two straight nonsensical TV shows. As it stands, my interest in "Trek" has been reduced to "The Original Series," "Next Gen," "Deep Space Nine" and the movies. "Voyager" and "Enterprise" have no place in my personal canon.

Good luck, JJ; you´re gonna need it.

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