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Cinematical Seven: Coolest Star Trek Moments

by Peter Martin May 5th 2009 // 10:15PM

Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Paramount », Fandom », Cinematical Seven », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels », Lists »

William Shatner in 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'

If you've never dived into the Star Trek universe before, you may wonder why anticipation is running so high for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, due in theaters on Friday. A kid on a motorcycle, a guy with pointy ears, some Scottish dude, ships swooshing through space: what's the big deal?

Beyond the early raves, the new Star Trek holds the promise of delivering more of what Star Trek fans have come to demand: cool moments, the kind that make you smile or gasp or nod your head or yell "Yes!!" in a crowded theater. (Guilty as charged on the last one.) The original series, created by Gene Roddenberry, featured a distinctive, multi-racial crew that treated each other like family and dared to ask: "Why?" For example, the episode "The Devil in the Dark" asked: Why did that monster attack? What led up to it? What does the monster want?

The best, coolest moments in the movies that eventually followed were the ones that relied on those two essential elements: the characters and the questions. Here are my seven coolest Star Trek moments, with special meanings noted if you aren't familiar with the franchise.

1. "KHAAANNN!!!!" (from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan)

Captain James Tiberius Kirk (William Shatner) is constantly being hailed for his intelligence. He has a unique ability to think outside the box in order to solve problems, but when he's marooned on a dead planet with the prospect of being buried alive, courtesy of the wrathful Khan (the great, late Ricardo Montalban), all he can do is furiously shout his adversary's name. What makes it cool: We rarely see the calm, collected Kirk lose it entirely. His vulnerability and impotence in the apparent face of death make him all the more human.

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Ten Things You Should Know About 'Star Trek'

by Elisabeth Rappe Nov 17th 2008 // 10:02PM

Filed under: Action », Classics », Sci-Fi & Fantasy », Paramount », Fandom », Comic/Superhero/Geek », Remakes and Sequels »



(Note: This evening, Cinematical screened a whole bunch of footage from J.J. Abrams' Star Trek in New York City. We'll have a breakdown of scenes screened, our thoughts and some words from Abrams himself real soon. In the meantime, here's a little Trek guide for you newbies out there.)

By now, you've probably seen the leaked trailer for J.J. Abrams' reinvention of Star Trek. Hopefully, as you're reading this, you will probably have seen a shiny official version. This is supposed to be Trek for a new generation, a movie that reintroduces the original characters of Kirk and Spock to people who have only seen Trek through watered down sequels and spin-offs. As impossible as it seems, there are people who find all things Trek a mystery -- and when our beloved editor, Erik Davis, asked me to put together a guide, I found myself in a bit of a panic. I began asking my Trekkie friends what they would tell a newbie -- and since we all arrived at roughly these same ten facts, I feel less silly sharing them. If you're new to the final frontier, read on. If you've been wearing your Spock ears since preschool, just go watch the trailer again.

Fact #1: Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry modeled the show on Gulliver's Travels, wanting each episode to be both an exciting adventure and a social parable. The show tackled all kinds of 60s social issues -- feminism, racism, ecology, religion, the Cold War, and Vietnam. Perhaps the biggest hurdle facing Abrams' film is whether or not it can attain that same level of social awareness. Will the new Trek film make a commentary on anything, or will it be nothing but empty action in the name of rebooting?

Continued after the jump...

Gallery: Star Trek

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