Star Trek Beyond

The month of September will mark the 50th anniversary of the premiere of Star Trek on TV. (September 8, 1966)

Those who know me well know that I am an "absolute fan" of Star Trek.

But not just any Trek, its creator Gene Roddenberry's (1921-1991)

Basically: the original series (1966-1969), the first film Star Trek the Motion picture (1979) but above all, Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) The rest was more or less successful and the original concept was warped by studio tycoons.

In the fall of 1966, a schoolmate alerted me to this new television phenomenon that was beginning. In a few weeks, I was hooked and it continues to this day.

In the '70s, like many others I had to be content with the constant reruns of the 78 original episodes, to the point of knowing the dialogue by heart of several of them. The highlight of this period is 1972-1973, while living in the university residence. We were many faithful to gather in large TV lounge to watch Star Trek which aired at 5 O'clock every day. We would react by affectionately mocking the most cheesy or stupid parts.

I agree that the original series (1966-1969) had obvious weaknesses, but the thrust of Roddenberry's concept was wishing that our future could be focused on the exploration of the cosmos, the pursuit of knowledge and the betterment of manking. This reached me profundly.

What positive vision of the future!

Paramount Studios, trustees of the intellectual property that is Star Trek have obviously rushed to get the new film "Star Trek, beyond" out to commemorate the 50th of the franchise. In short, the film is so bland that I wont even give it an in depth review.

There is even talk of a new television series in 2017, with a new crew and a new ship. That's where I find the studio "money makers" miss the mark.

A big attraction of the series is not so much the interaction between the characters but the ship itself. During dull patches in my high school classes, I did not draw Spock's ears but the contours of the Enterprise in my workbooks. All the while imagining myself on board to discover the secrets of the cosmos.

Here in the first minutes of "Star Trek, beyond" the Enterprise is destroyed.

In the first film (1979), released 10 years after the end of the original series, I had the chance to be at the first canadian screening in Ottawa. We had been wainting 10 years for a new incarnation of our favorite series following multiple rumors of its return during the decade. Anticipation ran high. The film has its weaknesses, for sure. But there is a long scene that reached all of us that night, that of the first sight and initial launch of the Enterprise, all complemented by a symphonic soundtrack. It is no exaggeration to say that all of us in the room dropped our jaws to see our dear Enterprise on the big screen.

Star Trek, Beyond doesn't make the cut.