765874: Unification

More than a tribute…

Star Trek has been and always will be a crucial fixture in my life and the lives of countless others. At least the Star Trek of old…

Modern Star Trek has its fans and a place in the franchise’s illustrious history, but I believe Trek’s best years have long since passed. Nothing compares to the original series (TOS) and its accompanying films. Then there are TNG and DS9. Voyager and Enterprise are somewhere in there, too, I guess.

Beginning in 2009, the JJ Abrams trilogy introduced Trek culture to a new audience, and things began to change. The times were a-changin’.

While my issues with Abrams’ movies are numerous, I understand the necessity of transforming the franchise for younger viewers from thought-provoking, slow-burn character studies into over-the-top, fast-paced action movies.

The success of these films landed Trek back on television, starting with Discovery in 2017. The problems I have with the new shows are polar opposites to the ones I had with JJ’s flick. While senseless action scenes don’t really belong in Trek, the absence of any finesse in the way it tackles IRL issues is jarring for old-school fans like myself.

Trek is at its best when there is an underlying message to be read “between the lines” of an otherwise stock science fiction story. It’s no secret that the franchise has never been one to shy away from wearing THE societal motivations of its creators on its sleeves. However, it usually does so as a secondary priority with entertainment always being the key focus.

New Trek just seems to air out any potential political grievances the show-runners may have with the subtlety of a brick to the face. I hate to use this term, but unfortunately, modern Star Trek is very “woke”, constantly shoving an agenda down your throat. While I may support several of these causes, I just don’t want them at the forefront of the storytelling.

Now, with that rant on current Trek off my chest, I want to acknowledge that the original run was not flawless. A major complaint that many, including myself, have had over the years was the underwhelming and unsatisfying death of Captain Kirk in the seventh film, “Generations”. While tragically mishandled, I will be the first to defend Shatner’s performance here, giving the character an on-brand send-off.

However, if you know Kirk’s mythos, you’d know how reliant upon his comrades he was. While there were others, such as Bones and Scotty, Kirk was especially attached to his first mate, Spock, an alien from the planet Vulcan. With a friendship so deep, Kirk believed he would not die alone due to the bond shared between these men.

Unfortunately, when Kirk’s ticket was finally punched, he was only flanked by Captain Picard, who was extensively just a stranger to Kirk, with not a one pointed-ear in sight. Since Kirk’s demise lacked any emotional closure to the pair’s relationship, fans and writers alike have tried to correct this mistake, but alas, to no avail. When Spock’s original actor, Leonard Nimoy passed away, we all were left a hole inside us that would seemingly never be filled. That is, until now…

With all of that preamble out of the way, I want to share with you something… special. The Roddenberry Archive and graphics company, “OTOY” has teamed up with several celebrated members of the Star Trek creative family to bring us the short film “765874-Unification”. In short, Unification is a love letter to old fans like myself, while incorporating elements from the modern day in order to tell a new story with legacy characters.

Through the use of state-of-the-art computer graphics, amazing make-up, and an eye for detail, this 7 1/2-minute film manages to draw out a response from me that no other Star Trek has come close to eliciting.

As a grown kid, I have no beef with admitting that I have cried each time I have watched this beautiful homage. I weep at the love and care shown toward the franchise that has kept me from falling into despair on more than one occasion.

Through incredible CGI (what I presume is deepfake technology), the man, myth, and legend himself, William Shatner returns to the role he made internationally famous more than 5 decades ago. Physically, the part of Kirk is portrayed by the always amazing Sam Witwer. He captures the body language and subtle gestures of prime Kirk, it’s almost uncanny.

If having Shatner back isn’t enough, the lovely Robin Curtis also returns as Saavik, as well as a motion capture cameo from Gary Lockwood. These 3 actors returning to the characters after all of these years is a delight for any old-school Trekkie!

There are also cameos and references from newer Star Trek, with each instance being appropriate for the story and rewarding for the viewer to recognize.

The presence of Spock is recreated using a new actor, incredible prosthetics and makeup, as well as a few CG touch-ups. The effects are mostly seamless and extremely convincing.

Fans of modern Trek will enjoy the music, as “Unification” is scored by Trek alumni Michael Giacchino. The soundtracks from the recent films and series are some of the highlights of the whole franchise, so I find his inclusion in this “love letter” very appropriate.

Not a word of dialogue is spoken throughout, except for a sample excerpt from “Wrath of Khan”. Words aren’t needed as fans watching have waited for something like this for a long time, and I agree with the sentiment that dialogue would have only detract from the sum.

As for what happens, I’m gonna leave it as spoiler-free as possible and encourage anyone and everyone to go watch it! OTOY and The Roddenberry Archive have produced a few other shorts in this variation, so seek those out as well. They are all worth a view. If you want to discuss it afterward, please contact me and tell me if you regressed to a sobbing baby like I did.

In the end, if you’re not a fan of the franchise, you may find the technology behind “Unification” worth a watch by itself. It is truly impressive that something of this caliber was created in Unity, of all programs, is astounding.

However, for the fanatics, the true Trekkies, what awaits you is like nothing you’ve ever seen before, but hopefully, it will be something Paramount can show us again and again for years to come. If by chance, the studio is reading this, I encourage you to keep the new Trek for the new fans. That’s fine. All I am suggesting is showcasing to these newbies a bit of what made Star Trek special to begin with. At least, maybe once every so often?

When the credits begin to roll, we see “For Leonard Nimoy” and seeing the surnames Shatner, Nimoy, and Roddenberry as executive producers, it becomes clear the friendships, family dynamics, and hopeful future depicted in Classic Trek is the true final frontier.

Whether you’re a casual fan or a dedicated member of Starfleet, this short film, “Unification” has boldly gone where few projects have gone before. Live long and prosper Star Trek!