Can 'Star Trek' go where it has gone before?

May 7, 11:18 AMTV on DVD ExaminerSteve Marinucci

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  Cast member Leonard Nimoy, left, and his wife, Susan Bay,
  arrive at the premiere of "Star Trek" in Los Angeles on April 30.
  (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)

 The Trekkies have been buzzing about the 2009 version of "Star Trek" since the first trailer showed up on the internet.

And as the movie finally beams its way into theaters around the country beginning today, the question on some people's minds -- including ours -- is whether the new version can compete with the "Star Trek" TV series that evolved through a myriad of series, casts and situations.

I tend to be a traditionalist. And some of the movie revivals of time-honored creations -- Batman and Superman come to mind -- have been weak excuses for stories and were motivated only by a desire to make money. 

"Star Trek" is a lucrative property. It has an intensely loyal following to the point of fanatical. (As a first-generation Beatle fan, I understand. Believe me, I do.)

But there are some things you just don't mess with. You would think that the original "Star Trek" would be one of them.

I was never really a Trekkie. I did appreciate how the original series took science fiction seriousness to a new level. At the time "Star Trek" premiered, science fiction was full of "Plan 9" special effects, cardboard characters and can-and-string gadgets. "Star Trek" changed all that.

The first trailer for "Star Trek" looked encouraging. It appears the movie will add some irreverance to the basic Trek history. But, at least for me, there will never be anything to equal DeForest Kelley's "He's dead, Jim." 

As the ever-philosophic Mr. Spock once said, "Fascinating is a word I use for the unexpected. In this case, I should think interesting would suffice."

The new "Star Trek" will be, at the very least, interesting and, hopefully, fascinating. We can only hope it will live long and prosper. 

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