Star Trek Bridge Crew offers me a brand new look to a great franchise. It’s not like I’ve had a shortage of great franchises to write about, but the more, the merrier I say. And yes. Writing about Star Wars was fun a while ago. And so was writing about Indiana Jones just a few weeks ago.
But the Star Trek: Bridge Crew video games allows me to look at some of the more recent additions to the franchise. The most recent rebooted trilogy. I know it’s not everyone’s coup of tea, but there’s a lot to write about those three movies.
Why? Because Star Trek Bridge Crew takes place in the timeline established in the 2009 Star Trek film, and there’s plenty of good material to write about. Good and bad I might add.
Star Trek Bridge Crew: What’s Out For A Brand New Movie
But I’m sure, you’ve already heard the news. Director Noah Howley confirmed that a brand new Star Trek movie is in the works. Sans James T. Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard but with some brand new characters. According to Howley, the script is already done, and the crew is in the early stages of pre-production. But while we wait for the brand new Star Trek movie, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
And of course, revisit the last 3 movies from the Star Trek franchise. However, before I do that I believe that a word or two about the game is in order.
What’s Star Trek Bridge Crew All About?
Star Trek Bridge Crew, can be played in both VR and non-VR. Also, it puts you and your friends in the heart of the U.S.S. Aegis. And in the roles of captain, tactical officer, engineer and helm officer. Moreover, your mission is to explore a largely uncharted sector of space known as The Trench. Why? To find a suitable new home-world for the decimated Vulcan populace. However, the Klingon Empire is also active in the region, and its purpose is a threat to the Federation’s plans.
Developed and published by Ubisoft, Star Trek Bridge Crew is an immersive RPG that allows you to take command of the U.S.S. Aegis, the first ship of her kind. Also, we have Star Trek Bridge Crew currently on sale so, feel free to hop in. And go where no man has gone before.
Star Trek Bridge Crew And Star Trek
Technically the 2009 Star Trek is a prequel that showed the Star Trek characters during their time in Starfleet Academy. Including, the man himself. James T. Kirk (now played by Chris Pine). Although I didn’t care all too much about the movie, I liked the origin story at the start of the movie. And surprisingly the rest of the cast was on point. They even blended well together, which I appreciated. Some more than others, but yeah. There are some stand outs from the 2009 movie. For me it was Karl Urban, but i’d love to hear about favorite cast member.
But I was also excited about the casting of Anton Yelchin in the role of Pavel Chekov, and the casting of Zachary Quinto in the role of Spock. Oh, and Simon Pegg did not even audition for the role. He simply received an email from J.J. Abrams asking if he would like to play Scotty. Slacker! However, I expected a lot more action, and a little less talking but oh well. Oh, and not to mention a lot less lens flair, but It’s directed by JJ. Abrams. What do you expect?
And also, because this is a JJ project, you can expect way too much goofy, cheesy jokes, and even more weird one-liners. Which I didn’t appreciate one bit I might add. But the cast really nailed it. Yes, the movies was was too loud, too frantic and a lot less consistent. At times very confusing movie but stunning when it needed to be. However, I hoped that the next one will be better. Sadly, It wasn’t.
Goodbye To Leonard Nimoy
The second movie of the trilogy, Star Trek Into Darkness marked the last appearance of Leonard Nimoy not just in the role of Spock. But all together as well. And although this movie explored current themes like terrorism, and it looked good on paper… the execution was all wrong. Let’s just say it was far from stellar. Especially the casting of Benedict Cumberbatch in the role of Khan.
I mean, the man can play a smart, sassy villain like no other, but this movie didn’t do him any justice. And you remember how I complained about the lens flair scenes in the first Star Trek movie? Well, there were a lot more here, and they really ruined the movie for me. At least in a visual sense. But much like with the previous movie, you’ll enjoy it if you’re not a particularly great fan of the franchise. If you are, you’re in for a letdown.
Starting A New Page with Beyond?
This is a bittersweet movie for me. It’s the last one with Anton, before his tragic and untimely death. But I’ve got to give the cast and crew a round of applause for at least trying something else. Both in the plot and in the visual presentation. It doesn’t quite work all of the time, but when it does… It’s actually a decent attempt of a movie.
First and foremost, thank GOD JJ is out. Justin Lin took over the directorial chair, and there’s a world of a difference. The direction had a vast improvement I might add, but the VFX didn’t impress me all that much. However, despite the shortcomings, I’m actually glad that they tried something different with the plot. Speaking off…. They give the script in the hands of Scotty… Pardon Simon Pegg and Doug Jung, and they somehow made into a Marvel movie. It’s a sort of a compliment, and observation at the same time. Let me explain a bit.
Going Back To The Roots?
With a very thin plot, in Beyond, the journey is what matters. Not the destination. The same goes for the development of that very thin plot. However, the grouping of the characters into smaller groups was a nice touch. I liked that. And the story was more focused on the exploration part, not on any grand message. And on a strange new planet which I thought is a nod to the old Star Trek TV series. Oh, and along the way, they found a way to make the characters interesting again. Through dialogue, lots of bickering, clever banters, team-work and plenty of great scenes together. I know it sounds weird but out of all the movies in the prequel trilogy, this one is by far my favorite. It’s not perfect, but it’s an effort to try something new. Or to go back to the roots, depends on how you look at it.
And I appreciated the third act of the movie in more ways than I can say. Yes, some of the characters (cough Bones) were given ridiculous dialogue and minuscule dialogue in the previous movies. But over here Pegg and Doug Jung tried to make amends and make everyone equal. Well, at least in the limits of reasonable possibility. But yeah. I liked this new approach. Which to be honest, reminded me of the old Star Trek episodes. A nice throwback which I appreciated.
Do You Like Star Trek Bridge Crew? And The Star Trek Trilogy?
Tell us in the comment section what’s your favorite movie of the trilogy. Or if you have any at all. It’s OK if you don’t particularly care about any of there. We’d love to know your opinions on the game and on the trilogy too.