“That’s a lot of Star Trek” is something a Trekkie would love to hear, but for the layperson, Star Trek trivia is as mystifying as the Vulcan "Mind Meld." Written and directed by William Shatner, The Captains is a look back on the actors who starred as heads aboard the Starship Enterprise. The man who brought Captain Kirk to life visits his co-captains around the world, delving into their lives on and off screen.
Shatner begins his journey in England, with Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard). He then visits each chronological captain: Avery Brooks, Kate Mulgrew, Scott Bakula, and ending with the youngest member of the team, Chris Pine. To the avid Star Trek fan, the movie is an intimate look behind the scenes of their favorite series. Any fan would love to spend an hour getting up close and personal with their captains, and Shatner enables Trekkies to do so. While fans may enjoy the movie, it’s certainly won’t be winning awards anytime soon.
The beauty of a great documentary is the ability to hook the viewer, make them think, and still keep them entertained. The Captains fails to adhere to any of these documentary tenets, and to your average viewer, much of the film is laughable. Shatner narrates his personal voyage of self-discovery, explaining every move he makes and articulating every thought in his head. The constant elevator music in the background, while meant to be calming, is a little overpowering. It’s distracting to have pianos playing over every word Shatner says. It doesn’t make it more profound or more moving, it just adds to the gimmicky quality of the documentary. Shatner tries to create a profound story of an elite group of people known the world round, but what has resulted is a meandering documentary about Shatner’s own self-realization and acceptance of his place in history as Captain Kirk.
It’s hard not to love the quirky William Shatner, but it’s also hard to sit through an hour and a half of Trekkie talk. Shatner went off the deep end years ago, when he decided to become a musician. In 1968 he released his first album, “The Transformed Man,” on which he recited popular songs of the era in a Shakespearean drawl. Over the years, Shatner has recorded numerous spoken-word albums, all of which have garnered him critics and fans alike. The persona he has created from Star Trek captain to Priceline spokesman, have molded him into a caricature of the man he once was. Shatner admits that the stigma surrounding him has shrouded his life, confused him and led him to question his own existence. The Captains is Shatner’s journey of exploration, during which he uses the captains who succeeded him as pawns in his own bizarre attempt at existentialism.
Fifty years after its maiden voyage, Star Trek is still going where no man has gone before. As Shatner puts it, it is “the most durable and profitable franchise in the history of entertainment.” While the captains who piloted the show’s historic trajectory are now established actors across the globe, the world of Star Trek is still alive and well. Action figures, conventions, costumes, blogs and other tributes to the franchise prove fans’ commitment to the sci-fi series will never die. And William Shatner has accepted his fate as Captain Kirk, the action figure who will forever be sold out.
Bonus Features
A Trailer for the film, along with “The Making Of The Captains,” which seems a bit redundant, since Shatner already breaks down every aspect of his filmmaking process in his 90 minute film.
"The Captains" is on sale October 18, 2011 and is not rated. Documentary. Written and directed by William Shatner. Starring Chris Pine, Patrick Stewart.
