William Shatner: You Can Call Me Bill

Yes, profound. It's high time someone influential in Hollywood championed Earth. But besides adopting the planet, "Bill" talks about his career and going into orbit on Blue Origin's New Shepard when he became the oldest human to go into space.

The documentary was not a constant barrage of William Shatner shots and film clips, but also some stunning shots of our planet, both from space and redwood forests. Some of the photos and videos are breathtakingly beautiful. Simultaneously exhilarating and calming. The director, Alexandre O. Philippe, obviously knows what he's doing.

The one thing that shocked me though, as I thought I knew a lot about Bill, was what happened after Star Trek (the original series) was cancelled. No spoilers here, but, wow. I was shocked.

Just watched and found the film very moving, a living memorial to someone who has been around all my adult life. And it's wonderful that the guy who this is about is still very active and participating in his own unique way in the modern world

It's done in the style you would expect from a Shatner type production; which is , like the man himself, slightly off kilter, ruminating about life and death, but with humour and self depreciation. And you do get some great clips but not in the traditional 'the first time I met Leonard.....'type way

So to the reviewer who insults him with his 'rambling old man' review, what did you expect exactly? He is old , but sharper and more human than most. Perhaps Marvel World is better for your viewing pleasure. Cos there's more explosions and stuff!

Personally I got the kind of documentary I thought I'd get and thoroughly enjoyed it, with a tear in my eye.

I have always loved and appreciated William Shatner, and looked forward to this documentary. But both my daughter and I were pleasantly surprised at the format - not quite the regular old documentary one would expect, but better!

Rather, it's an intimate interview with the legend, who is more concerned with the health of our planet, and the legacy we are leaving to our descendants than to a fleeting fame for his roles - none of which beyond Star Trek my daughter knew anything about.

While he is immensely grateful for his career, his outlook on life is quite humbling and deeply introspective, which I feel most celebrities could benefit from. While human and obviously appreciative of his fan-base, he has managed to keep his ego in check and his humor is spot-on!

I thought I knew everything about the man, and yet I learned two things that were a total surprise.

I won't give them away, you'll have to see the film for yourself. But I will say this - at 93, he has it figured out - and I won't give that away either! I am thrilled to have shared this planet with him!

Thanks Bill - and for reference, my 35 year old daughter is a minimal Star Trek Fan, (TOS only), and even less of a Star Wars fan; sci-fi is not her thing. So while she knew very little about you, and only came along to give me company, this film left a lasting impression on her which we are still discussing today! It truly uplifted her!

In closing, if William Shatner humbly suggests that he has not changed the world, I would strongly disagree - as he calls himself simply an entertainer - I can argue that great entertainers are as crucial to our world as are the great scientists and all the rest.

As a William Shatner fan, I loved it! You Can Call Me Bill is a great mix of humor and heart. You get to hear his autobiographical commentary and are treated to montages of his work over the years, including rare footage. You even get to experience his music! Even my husband who is not a hardcore William Shatner fan enjoyed it. In this film, Bill is completely genuine and even vulnerable at times. It was a side of him I'd never seen before. Also, the film was surprisingly inspiring with a moving and powerful message about taking care of of our planet. A very worthwhile film about a very interesting man.

To be fair, I'm pretty sure it was the editing and directing that made William Shatner comes across as a rambling old man, in the fact that the narrative jumps all over the place. The film is has chapters, but each and every one seems to fall short of telling a coherent story. We get some glimpses into his past, there are some stories that would have been great to learn more about, but instead of details we're left with just his reflections. The film also relies on a bunch of b-roll, some of which is great, but other times is pretty confusing or awkward. Sadly, I walked learning very little about the specifics of Shatner's life and career.