Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond

In 1979, as I sat in a theater watching Star Trek--The Motion Picture--specifically, the scene in which the camera pans around the spaceship Enterprise--I was struck with the urge to boldly go where many men had gone before. Returning some minutes later from the men's room, I discovered that the camera had barely reached the halfway point in its adulatory circumnavigation of the good ship. Watching Star Trek: 30 Years and Beyond, in my own home, 20 years later, I once again had the urge to yell, "Yo! Warp speed there, Mr. Slow-lu!" This lavish tribute featuring alumni and endless film clips, served up a few choice opportunities: such as Joan Collins pontificating--in perfect cue-card reading cadence--on her role in The City on the Edge of Forever, a Trekkie classic; or a segment highlighting special effects mostly blocked off from view by an alto sax playing Kenny G; or, some woman whose name I didn't catch offering an operatic--and frankly painful--version of John Lennon's "Imagine." On the plus side, Ben Stiller's lead-off five minute homage was pretty darn funny; and I was moved by Nichelle Nichols' (who played Lt. Uhuru in the original series) story about deciding to stick with the show after being encouraged by Martin Luther King; unfortunately, the remaining 70 minutes were tough slogging. Sure to be popular, and timed to coincide with the video release of Star Trek: Insurrection (VL-5/99), this is an optional purchase. Also available: Inside Star Trek: The Real Story ($14.95) and the final six episodes of Star Trek Generation ($14.95 each). (R. Pitman)