Star Trek has an almost unmatched longevity in television and cinematic history; very few franchises have developed a fan base with as much devotion as Star Trek. Yet even with this unbridled success, the franchise has stagnated and been the subject of a strange metamorphosis, going from television show to big screen blockbuster. From The Next Generation until Enterprise, Star Trek was a constant fixture on television. This was followed by a void which was filled by the 2009 reboot of Star Trek. This shift created a new universe and a new interpretation of established characters, which while creating new fans, has been seen as negative by many of the original followers. This reboot is significantly different to the established canon, painting Kirk as a young and reckless Captain without exploring the themes of the early series. The Original Series and its spin-offs explored underlying themes of racism and bigotry, as well as showing a harmonious future. J.J Abrams has not captured this important part of the franchise, creating a two hour bonanza of explosions and action sequences without depth. The reboot has destroyed the foundations of Star Trek, but the Enterprise series showed that the franchise was running out of steam; links were made to the popular Next Generation in order to maximise its viewership, but this occurred far too late. Star Trek was amazing (and still is), but it is undeniable that elements of the show stagnated and took away from the magic of its prior success.
A 21 year old History graduate looking for someone to listen to his ramblings. Lover of comic books, movies and all other superhero related things. Published in The Independent, always looking for interesting things to write about...Follow me on Twitter at @samclements1993, and check out my blog: http://samuelclements.wordpress.com/
