Captain's Blog - Introduction

I have recently seen, and greatly enyoyed, the new J.J. Abrams Star Trek. I once saw Star Trek: First Contact on TV, but that was some years ago and I can't really remember it. This is the entirety of my Star Trek experience.

From a self-confessed science fiction obsessive, that may come as a surprising admission. For some reason, the Trek universe had just never appealed much to me; all it seemed to offer was ridiculous-looking aliens with nobbly foreheads and outrageously naff production values. But now I am prepared and willing to dump my preconceptions and properly delve into Trek for the first time.

There are very few whole film series that I have managed to avoid completely (in most cases, these are not films that I have deliberately chosen not to see; I just haven't felt the urge)*. With the release of the 2009 (re)incarnation of Star Trek and its surrounding hoopla, the time feels right to finally see what all the fuss is about, and watch the motion picture saga from the beginning. Helpfully, Paramount have seen fit to re-release the first six - the ones starring the original crew of Kirk, Spock and co - with spiffy new remastered transfers.

I thought it would be interesting for me to note down my first impressions of each film as I watch it. Without the benefit of hindsight, or a detailed foreknowledge of where the series is heading next, my initial observations will hopefully offer some sort of insight into what it's like to observe this venerable series for the first time.

So, as I embark on this voyage into the unknown, I have a degree of trepidation. I have heard about the 'odd number curse' (only the even-numbered sequels are any good, supposedly), and I am therefore aware that The Motion Picture may not get things off to a promising start. Well, there's only one way to find out...


*The only other examples I can think of off the top of my head are the Rocky series, and some horror franchises such as A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th. I do intend to finally watch all the Rockys soon; the horror films I am not so bothered about.
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