I loved J. J. Abrams' 2009 Star Trek, and I'm an absolute sucker for sci-fi, spaceships and epic battle scenes. When I visited the Kennedy Space Centre in Orlando while travelling on my gap year I massively geeked out at the possibility of sitting in Captain Kirk's actual chair and meeting a Vulcan (an actor with fake ears and a costume, obviously, but I'm willing to pretend she was real). While my friend didn't really understand why I was so excited to sit in a weird chair and pretend to command the bridge I was reluctant to leave, only moving when a die-hard Trekkie all but forced me out in an effort to have his moment in nerd heaven.
I confess, I don't know all of the Star Trek universe's minor characters, I'm not well acquainted with all the specific plot details and I can't speak a word of Klingon. I'm still a fan though. I grew up with reruns of Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean Luc Picard and his infamous voice over, and I'm sure I know the entirety of "Space: the final frontier…" as well as I know the rap for the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It's so deeply ingrained that I don't even have to think about it - to me, this innate knowledge of the U. S. S. Enterprise, Spock's Vulcan salute and the incorrect but iconic "beam me up, Scotty!" is as natural as breathing. I don't remember consciously learning it, but the knowledge always been there.
(L-R) Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Sir Patrick Stewart) from Star Trek: The Next Generation, 1987-1994; Captain Kirk (William Shatner) and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) from Star Trek: The Original Series, 1966-69; Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) from Star Trek: Voyager, 1995-2001
For me, Star Trek Into Darkness was one of the best films of 2013. I know it was a controversial film that endured criticism from many Star Trek fans, but although I took issue with some points - after all, no film is perfect (except Hot Fuzz...) - I absolutely loved it overall. I'm sure everyone's seen it by now, but here's Paramount's spoiler-free and cryptic summary:
"In the wake of a shocking act of terror from within their own organisation the crew of the U. S. S. Enterprise is called back home to Earth. In defiance of regulations and with a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) leads his crew on a manhunt to capture an unstoppable force of destruction and bring those responsible to justice.
As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew."
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If you haven't seen it, then I'd definitely recommend watching it. Yes, there are too many lens flares, there are plot holes as big as Jupiter at points and the "twist" with John Harrison's true identity can be spotted a mile off. But that doesn't stop it from being a hugely enjoyable and epic film. The special effects are insanely good - from the opening scene with an exploding volcano on the planet Nibiru to an jaw-dropping battle taking place at warp speed - and every member of the ensemble cast excels and has moments to shine.
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The one part I've never really given much thought to though is the score: a fact I'm now really ashamed to admit. I've always noticed the iconic Star Trek theme, and at certain points the music in the film isn't exactly hard to miss, but I've never consciously paid any attention to it. This isn't just a Star Trek thing, I've never really acknowledged the music in films before, except maybe for in Pacific Rim last year.
When I saw the Royal Albert Hall advertising a screening of the film with a live orchestra I jumped at the chance, but in all honesty I wasn't booking it to hear the music, but rather to see the film on a big screen once again and to finally go to the Royal Albert Hall. On the evening, however, I hardly paid attention to the film, and after taking the obligatory photos of the building and marvelling at the beauty of the architecture I didn't really focus on my surroundings. My attention for the entire evening was on the orchestra. It's a good job I've seen the film before as I couldn't take my eyes off conductor Ludwig Wicki and the 21st Century Symphony Orchestra as they bought Michael Giacchino's score to life.
The best part of the evening though, had to be the credits and I pity those who jumped up and ran to the exits to avoid the tidal wave of people descending on the tube. I'm normally the first to leave as soon as the film ends and the credits begin to roll (unless it's a Marvel film with a million post-credits scenes…) but sitting through to the end here was just magical. As the orchestra continued to play and with no action on screen there was nothing to distract from the music at all. It seemed as if the last two hours had been building up to this moment as all the main themes and major parts of the score were bought together in a rousing nine minute suite. It's on YouTube (below) so just imagine this at full volume in the Royal Albert Hall, performed so powerfully you can feel it in your bones. Even if you're not a Star Trek fan, you have to admit that it's a truly fantastic piece of music, and if that doesn't deserve a standing ovation then I don't know what does.
Another point worth mentioning was the sheer nerdiness of the event. I've spoken before about the joys of going to events surrounded by super-fans. I saw the 50th anniversary episode of Doctor Who in a cinema with 100s of fans sporting fezzes, sonic screwdrivers and stripy scarves and it was genuinely one of the best cinematic experiences of my life. I wasn't much of a fan of Doctor Who before the screening but came away grinning from ear to ear and having a new appreciation for it. Nothing beats watching something in a room with people that have an uncontrollable passion for what's happening on screen. Their enthusiasm is truly infectious and even if you're not a fan yourself, just being in the same space as them allows you to become swept up in their joy. This event was exactly the same.
Upon arriving at the Royal Albert Hall my mum and I shuffled past a Klingon and tried not to stare at the legions of fans in full Star Fleet uniforms. It's initially a little alarming but once the film began it became obvious why being surrounded by these people in one of the most beautiful buildings in London is such a special experience. They chuckled at seemingly insignificant or unfunny phrases placed specifically for the fans that suddenly became hilarious for everyone else too; roared with laughter at everything Simon Pegg said; and wooped and cheered at pivotal moments (most notably when Benedict Cumberbatch revealed his true identity). The man several rows behind me was having the time of his life, and reactions like his for the whole evening left me with a cheek-aching grin on my face.
(IMAGES SOURCED FROM www.imdb.com)
It was truly electric to have seen the film before surrounded by a stereotypically reserved British audience who quietened themselves quickly after laughing and never expressed any other kind of emotion, to suddenly be a part of an interactive audience that allowed their feelings to be expressed on an enormous scale and got so involved in the film it felt from their reactions like they were seeing it for the first time not the hundredth. These are fans whose enthusiasm for the franchise and the universe of the U. S. S. Enterprise never wanes. Their unadulterated passion is ridiculously infectious, and it's inspiring to be around people that revere, love and respect something so much. If you watch something that has a hugely devoted fan base, then make sure you see it with the fans - it's an experience you'll never forget, and in the best kind of way.
I can't praise this event enough! Ignoring the Star Trek aspect, seeing a film with a live orchestra was truly amazing and I can't recommend it enough. I'm already planning to book Titanic, and I'm really, really tempted to see The Godfather in December. This proved to be the perfect way to introduce me to a world I always thought I'd never understand or experience. I don't have a musical bone in my body - I hated it at school and dropped it as soon as I could - but I now wish I'd paid more attention to Mr. Millinchip and gained an appreciation for music at an earlier age. It genuinely felt like a privilege to hear the score of one of my favourite films performed in such an iconic British building at a uniquely nerdy event.
So, now I'm expanding my horizons any suggestions for what I should see next from the musically inclined amongst you? Let me know in the comments or drop me a tweet!
*****
LLAP.
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