Ah yes. Every now and then, we must go back to revisit one of the classics. Tonight was just such a night. (Well, actually, this and the previous movie were rented Friday night, but we didn't get around to watching it until tonight/this morning -- this morning being defined as Sunday a.m.)

This movie holds a certain interest to me not only because of the movie itself, but because it evokes so many memories, so many sensations relating to my life at the time it came out. At that time, I don't think it would be much of a stretch to say that Star Trek was my religion. It was also the time period when I got my first computer, my first modem, my first sound card. I fondly remember some of my earliest BBS/CompuServe experiences consisted of downloading gifs and wav files from Star Trek. How astounded I was that I was able to grab from a treasure trove of files taken from this favorite tv show/movies, and have them display on my wonderful VGA adapter.

Many of the lines from this movie I recognized from my ancient wav clips collection, many of which somehow managed to survive all the way to residing on my current hard drive. And how at school, friends and I would spend our days obsessing over this set of shows/movies, trading files on floppies, writing little programs which would attempt to imitate various facets of the production. (I think I probably still have a copy of redalert.cpp sitting around gathering dust somewhere.)

So, my point in all this? I guess I don't really have one. Except that it might be a bit difficult for me to review this movie with any kind of objective perspective.

Watching it now, the material does show its datedness. The story practically screams "The Cold War is at an end. Now what?" And of course, it's rich to the bone with the Star Trek trademark, Gene Roddenberry powered idealism. That, even now, I find quite refreshing.

Getting to talking about it in more down to earth, movie terms... Well, do I really need to go over the story/premise? Everyone has seen this, and knows it, right? (If not, what are you doing in this club? Alien Klingon freaks!)

Well, screw down to earth. I'm in abstract, philosophical mode tonight. Continuing...

On the other side of the coin, looking at the movie from today's perspective, it seems so.... outmoded. Old school. Unequipped, and unprepared to deal with the universe that would follow. That, I believe, was part of the ironically self-conscious point the writers were trying to make. A crew -- a lovable crew, certainly -- so steeped in their ways that in the new world, is it possible that their function, as it existed, has become obsolete? So attached to the old way -- the war -- that some are willing to go so far as make alliances with the enemy to keep a world which complies with their mindset? A world of fighting.

It's easy to imagine Captian Kirk as some sort of Cold War folk hero. If we take the premise that Star Trek is somehow meant to mirror current affairs, where would he and the rest of the crew be today? We've made peace with the Klingons, the Romulans, the Ferengi, and The Founders. (Mixing it up a little.) Great! What next?

Where does the Enterprise crew (any generation; take your pick) fit into the MPAA/DeCSS battle? (The irony there is just a little too sick.) What happens when it is discovered that not only has the Federation (i.e. US gov/UN) been infected with corruption at the highest levels, but that these nasty things have been around all along? (See Section whatever-it-was during DS9's final days.)

The high-minded idealism sours a bit. And that's unfortunate, because it's painful to realize that everything you believed to be so high and mighty and pure might have a dark underbelly.

And I'm sorry if this movielog entry is turning into a tangential babblefest. The later at night it gets, the more ridiculous the content. I think I'll just leave it hanging, and go to sleep. It was an awesome movie. Really.