Star Trek: New Voyages

I have said for years that Paramount should put out a questionaire on obscure Trek topics and conventions, and whoever gets the most right gets to be the series continuity director. As every fan knows, the actural series completely sucks at its own continuity.

The real treat here, is these guys have done it. Taken the most obscure trek lore and worked into the story line that can not help but bring out a chuckle for those "in the know." I saw "in Harm's Way" first, which out of the two available is the better. The storyline is actually quite good considering its an amateur effort. The sets are incredible, the special effects are pretty good, and overall I give this high marks.

The acting is pretty gawd awful though. It very much reminds me of some efforts at a few Star Trek conventions I've been to... however, its not totally without merit. There are some great performances... but the Scotty and Janice Rand need A LOT of work.

Overall, this is a fanboy's dream come true, an incredible accomplishment considering this was done in someone's spare time. Kudos to all those involved! Want more!

Damn! With the faithful and impressive recreations of the sets and costumes, this effort was truly promising. At first, I just assumed it was supposed to be a new crew, complete with a Vulcan and Black female Communications officer, which was fine with me because the show is so visually pleasing. Then - wait - they're supposed to actually be the classic characters? In that case - with the amount of time and money that must've went into this, the creative forces behind it should have thrown the casting net wider - a lot wider. I almost feel bad saying it, but the lame performances and outright bad acting make this a wasted effort (with the exception of Chekov - he's a keeper). Also, the audio is too dry (or are the actors just that flat?) throw in a little reverb on that opening! Also the live action video is too crisp, isn't there an effect used to make digital look like film? Regardless I applaud the awesome resurrection of the Enterprise Bridge, the colorful uniforms - everything that isn't acting! Way to boldly go!

I am an original fan of Star Trek having watched the original series as a boy on my parent's B&W TV. Star Trek: New Voyages has released several new episodes based on the original series with new actors reprising the now legendary roles.

The special effects are excellent for a not-for-profit production and the sound effects and music are dead on the original. These facets combine with some good "campy" script writing to accurately produce a plausible mirror of the original Trek. The story lines capture many of the cherished elements of the original series that helped propel it into cult status. I especially enjoyed the rather well done repartee between Spock, Bones and Kirk. This camaraderie was always a hallmark in the original.

I see that Gene Roddenberry's son Gene Roddenberry, Jr, has joined the production as a Consulting Producer. This reinforces my opinion that the "Great Bird of the Galaxy" would look favorably upon these endeavors. Roddenberry was an extraordinary man who lived an amazing life that helped form his vision of a possible future, that vision became Star Trek. I see much of that grand vision present in Star Trek: New Voyages and I look forward to future episodes.

For those interested in Star Trek, especially the original series, this effort by Cow Creek Productions is a must see. In the first episode you are treated to a mix of some old stuff from the original series mixed in with a line or two from The Motion Picture and The Wrath of Kahn. But, don't be discouraged these people pull it off! At times the dialogue my be campy and Captain Kirks portrayal is somewhat over the top, it appears that these idiosyncrasies are what makes "The New Voyages" so much fun to watch.

Provided free to download at their website, you are treated to two episodes. The second outing "In Harms Way" is extremely well done. The special effects are superior for an independent, "Non-Profit" production and the storyline is gripping. In that episode you are treated to Captain Christopher Pike in command of the USS Enterprise as you see it in "The Cage". The Doomsday machine or planet killer is being attacked by Pike, Spock and the crew of the Enterprise. The opening scene shows the Enterprise utterly destroyed in the opening credits. Years pass and Captain Kirk in command of another Constellation Class Starship is called upon to correct the incorrect time-line. This production has great special effects, good writing, and some surprises that will please the true Trekker.

I highly recommend these fan productions.

(Note: the IMDb.com comment formatter isn't giving me paragraph breaks like it claims to, so I've inserted a note where there's SUPPOSED to be one. Use your imagination, movie fans! LOL) (paragraph break) OK, what up with that HAIRDO, James??? (paragraph break) But anyway, if you enjoy Star Trek and are jonesing now that there's no series being produced on TV, here's a small fix for you. Check out the web site at newvoyages.com and you'll see that while this is a fan-based labor of love rather than a full-blown Hollywood production, more than just Trekkies are getting involved; some of the folks from the "real" Star Trek shows are showing up too, including Walter Koenig making an upcoming appearance in his original role ("with a twist" according to the promo on the site). Why would these folks get involved with amateurs making a low-budget, non-profit ST production? Hey, that's what you need to find out... so go watch the episodes. (There are only 2 so far so it won't take you long!) (paragraph break) I give them high marks for enthusiasm, vision, creativity, music, and cleverness; medium for casting and SFX, and about the only thing I really would like to lose is that HAIRDO on Kirk.