The movie Star Trek: Beyond premiered this past weekend, much to the excitement of millions of moviegoers around the world. Some viewers may barely know anything about Star Trek, but are just looking to enjoy an action movie. Others may have been fans of the classic franchise’s many previous series from a young age. And there are those, such as myself, who only became interested in previous series and the franchise as a whole after watching the recent Hollywood “alternate universe” films.
The reason Star Trek is still so popular today is because its relevance and its ability to connect with viewers, haven’t changed over the years. Star Trek has an incredible legacy spanning across our society, from the many forms of media to societal views to science and technology. There are too many examples of this to cite, but one of the most well-known is that Martin Cooper, inventor of the cell phone, was inspired by Star Trek communicators. Since the series gained traction, phrases such as “warp speed” and “Beam me up, Scotty” have become common in colloquial language.
On the social frontier, Star Trek has both directly and indirectly confronted issues such as war and racism. The original series, which was made in the late 60s, in the latter part of the Civil Rights Movement, featured nonwhite actors in the ensemble cast such as Nichelle Nichols, who played Uhura, and George Takei (Sulu). Nichols broke a social sound-barrier by being probably the first African-American woman to play a prominent, line-speaking role on television, and shared the first nationally-televised kiss with William Shatner in 1968. And throughout the original series was a running social and moral commentary. The episode “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” featured a planet populated by aliens divided into two groups: the first had skin which was black on the right side and white on the left side, while the second was also half black and half white, with the sides reversed. The two factions were in a perpetual state of war and mistrust, which to those aboard the Starship Enterprise and to the viewers watching at home, seemed ridiculous, and was clearly a statement on the ridiculousness and wrongness of racism.
Having this social commentary, rather than just gadgets and aliens, is what has set Star Trek apart. Gene Roddenberry was a visionary because he had a dream of what our future could look like not just in terms of technology but also in terms of humanity. But how has this translated to the recent films, and particularly Star Trek: Beyond? Earlier this year, Chris Pine made the controversial statement that “You can’t make a cerebral Star Trek in 2016. It just wouldn’t work in today’s marketplace.” He claimed that while there can be some thought-provoking questions in the films, it should be hidden “under the guise of wham-bam explosions and planets blowing up.” Many fans, as well as the socially-active George Takei have condemned this rejection of Gene Roddenberry’s legacy, but there may be some truth to Pine’s statement. He wasn’t suggesting that we should do away with an overall message of peace and toleration (in fact, Star Trek: Beyond does just that), but rather that many moviegoers come for a balance of action and adventure with thought. While I disagree with his choice of saying that commentary should be “hidden,” both the action and the message of films must supplement one another to ensure the continuation of the legacy.
