The Wrath of Inhofe
My vision of less Star Trek blogging was somewhat undermined by the American Film Institute’s decision to include Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan as part of their summer “totally awesome” 80s movie series. Naturally, I had to go over the weekend. Something about putting Shatner up on a giant movie screen and filling the room with people really, really, really heightens the camp elements of Trek and turned the whole thing into a laugh riot.
Free associating on the Metro back home, it becomes clear that what the new rebooted Trek really needs is a re-do of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home but dealing with a more contemporary environmental threat than the need to save humpback whales from extinction. For example, The Enterprise could travel back in time to try to urge the Senate to pass strong climate change legislation. I’m sure Spock would have some choice words for the illogical nature of the filibuster rule. Or maybe Scottie could teach us about some dilithium-based sources of clean energy, spurring a green jobs boom.
28 Responses to “The Wrath of Inhofe”
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July 13th, 2009 at 8:32 am
Maybe visitors from the future have already been here … but we didn’t listen.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:36 am
See, this is what you get for denying your natural instincts: when you finally give in, your geekiness is worse than ever.
July 13th, 2009 at 8:47 am
Something about putting Shatner up on a giant movie screen and filling the room with people really, really, really heightens the camp elements of Trek and turned the whole thing into a laugh riot.
I dimly recall back in 1982 finding “Wrath Of Khan” sort of alternately campy and moving —Spock dies at the end, right?— but then, I also remember finding the primitive-by-today’s-CGI-standards “birth of a planet” sequence from the film incredibly cool.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:09 am
Or maybe Scottie could teach us about some dilithium-based sources of clean energy, spurring a green jobs boom.
Transparent aluminum?
July 13th, 2009 at 9:11 am
I recently watched ‘Wrath of Kahn’ to see what the fuss was all about and was very disappointed. It’s as cheesy as Matt said, even on TV.
But I also discovered ‘Star Trek IV’, and it is a great movie. Funny and deep, with whales. I don’t know if the writers were all stoned, but it makes one miss the 80’s.
Also, ‘Star Trek I’ is a complete rip-off of 2001. But not as bad as Kahn.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:26 am
It is so funny you posted about WoK. My husband (who is a confirmed nerd) has been trying to introduce our kids to Star Trek- the original, because it pains him to have them only know this latest version. We started with the series, via Netflix. Total bust! The laughable graphics, effects and high school theater quality make-up made it less than compelling for the kids. So he upped his game by showing them WoK- arguably the best of the Trek movies. The only part that still worked was that disgusting ear thing- even though it was the fakest looking ear possible- it was still skin crawling. The kids mock the acting so cruelly, as only kids know how. Now when one kid is faking injury or outrage, the other pierces their game by acting out the scene “Botany Bay…Botany Bay?… Botany Bay!”.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:27 am
If Matt gets what he wants (the stupid climate change bill), the only amusement left to us peasants will be watching Matt be stunned when air conditioning in apartment buildings becomes an unnecessary luxury.
That will sure make urban living desirable.
July 13th, 2009 at 9:28 am
[...] Matt Yglesias has an interesting suggestion for a preachy movie revival: [W]hat the new rebooted Trek really needs is a re-do of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home but dealing with a more contemporary environmental threat than the need to save humpback whales from extinction. For example, The Enterprise could travel back in time to try to urge the Senate to pass strong climate change legislation. I’m sure Spock would have some choice words for the illogical nature of the filibuster rule. Or maybe Scottie could teach us about some dilithium-based sources of clean energy, spurring a green jobs boom. [...]
July 13th, 2009 at 9:44 am
A hovercar capable of flying over IEDs would be nice.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am
…and if we ban leaded gasoline, there will be no American automobile manufacturing industry by 1975.
Anti-environmentalists are such Chicken Littles.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Don’t you realize how many mountaintops have to be removed to mine dilithium??? There’s a reason there are no canonical references to West Virginia still existing in the 23rd century.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:22 am
Star Trek: The Next Generation dealt with this as a throwaway plot point in “True Q” – the Enterprise was assisting a planet that was having problems with the thousand baristatic filters that continually scrubbed their atmosphere. Apparently weather modification networks don’t deal with pollutants.
Of course, there was the horribly botched notion about warp drive ripping space-time to shreds, requiring a Warp 5 speed limit that was conveniently ignored (TNG, “Force of Nature”).
July 13th, 2009 at 10:25 am
MY “Trek really needs is a re-do of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home but dealing with a more contemporary environmental threat than the need to save humpback whales from extinction.”
If I’m not mistaken, whales had all the answers. Spock learned this via a tricky underwater mind-meld.
In an updated version, involving the Senate, duty would require Spock to mind-meld with Republicans. Spock would be driven insane by the massive ill-logic of their brains.
For all practical purposes, we would lose Spock. Think a catatonic Spock placed in a ward with Jack Nicholson, Chiefy and a cast of crazies. The Cuckoo’s Nest. Nurse Ratchet. Oh no!
It would be tip tip and good-bye. Old Spock! We hardly knew ye.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Well I, for one, would like much more Star Trek blogging.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Or maybe Scottie could teach us about some dilithium-based sources of clean energy, spurring a green jobs boom.
Transparent aluminum?
No, silly, trans-warp transporters.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:33 am
Isn’t that like conductive glass?
July 13th, 2009 at 10:37 am
From the depths of Hell I smite thee.
July 13th, 2009 at 10:38 am
KIRK, SPOCK, AND BONES ENTER SENATE CHAMBER
KIRK: Set phasers to “chastise.”
July 13th, 2009 at 10:47 am
but then, I also remember finding the primitive-by-today’s-CGI-standards “birth of a planet” sequence from the film incredibly cool.
If I recall correctly, that was Pixar’s (or at least the forerunner to Pixar’s) feature film debut.
July 13th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Requisite link to the Italian opera Le Wrath Di Khan here.
July 13th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
This whole concept seems to be at odds with the rebooted ST franchise’s whole “maximize action, minimize sanctimony” idea, but it would no doubt give great joy to these Star Trek fans
July 13th, 2009 at 12:24 pm
“Kaaaaaahhhhhhnnnnn!”
[geek]
The movies were all fan porn… You are supposed to laugh. The quality scifi [ie. plot lines dealing with real socio-political issues] is to be found in the original series. Kahn was first introduced in the “Space Seed” episode that dealt with eugenics.
The newest Star Trek movie fits into the faux scifi category of an adventure movie set in space. It’s all eye candy.
[/geek]
July 13th, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Kahn you bloodsucker !!!!!!
July 13th, 2009 at 1:24 pm
People don’t give TNG enough credit for the pressing socio-political issues that they did deal with. Everything from environmental destruction to religious fundamentalism to terrorism. There was even one episode (may have been a two parter) where Picard was tortured by the evil Cardassians, in defiance of ‘interstellar law’ and the “Soladis Conventions”. The ultimate lesson being torture doesn’t work.
July 13th, 2009 at 2:04 pm
And you wouldn’t use the amazing technology of time-travel to prevent 9-11!!! Matt, why do you hate America?
July 13th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
Dilithium-based energy sources would clear destroy jobs in the energy sector. On the other hand it would more than make up for that in all the other sectors.
July 14th, 2009 at 3:09 am
Yes, more Trek blogging!
@ Why oh Why: I don’t know what you’re talking about, TWoK is fantastic.
Also, TMP (the first movie) wasn’t a ripoff of 2001, it was a ripoff of The Original Series episode, “The Changeling”.
July 14th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
You are missing the biggest part of this equation: If we are to believe the reboot, then Earth is already utopian in the future which means that somewhere along the way, the whol “environment” issue has had its ass kicked.
Therefore, the future Earth Enterprise would have to assume that humanity got its act together at some point and that going back in time could potentially undo the strides that humanity made on its own – a violation of the Prime Directive.
Just sayin’.