Saturday, September 7, 2013

Of Gods and Men

***** (5 stars out of 5)
Nichelle Nichols gets a meatier role as Nyota Uhura than any classic episode or film! Walter Koenig's Chekov likewise. And I still adore Captain Harriman. ("Ferris Beuller... yer my heero.")

This trio of Captains (Head of Starfleet Linguistics, Starfleet Intelligence veteran, and commander of the Enterprise-B) meet up for a 40th anniversary of Captain Kirk's first 5 year mission aboard Enterprise: a Constitution-class Museum ship under the dead hero's nephew, Commander Kirk (James Cawley, nicely nicely).

It's 2305- Charlie Evans' Forty-Year Thasian Time-Out has ended, and he's looking for Way-Back Pay-Back against Captain Kirk. From planet M-622, Charlie uses the Guardian of Forever to kill Kirk's mother before he is born. The face of the galaxy takes a powerful 70-Year-Long punch...

In the new timeline, under the oppressive Galactic Order, humanity still has some alien friends, but they are the likes of the Klingons and the Orions, who seem to have been a bad influence. Amoral Harriman is a stooge of the system. He destroys planet Vulcan as an object lesson to the rebellion. (Poor Vulcan! That place is running out of parallel versions fast!)

The rebellion, under Chekov and his shapeshifting pal Ragnar, use desperate measures that devoutly pacifist Uhura finds just as deplorable as the butchers of the Galactic Order. As a universe without Kirk, everyone's under the thumb of super-powered madman Gary Mitchell. Your Only Choice: Vote Gary Mitchell for Curate Prime: 4 More Decades of Absolute Dominance!

Acting on vague impressions of a better version of reality from a mind meld with young Mr. Tuvok, and with Uhura's conscience as their guide, the rebels must restore what was.

Who can stand in a war with a demigod like Mitchell? Can old, old Charlie have a change of heart? Be "our new darling" once again?

Director Tim Russ joins Chase Masterson, Garrett Wang, Cirroc Lofton, Grace Lee Whitney, J. G. Hertzler, Gary Graham, Ethan Phillips and all the other heroes and villains lending juicy performances to an anniversary tale of peace, love, and friendship with lots of lovely space battles.

"Of Gods and Men" is dedicated to the Great Bird, 40 years of cast, crews, and writers, and also to the fans. Which, as a fan, I'm very O.K. with.

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