Review: I love William Shatner. He could have easily turned into a pompous, arrogant actor who rode the wave of Star Trek till the day he died. Instead, he manages to remain down to earth and prefers mocking himself as humanly possible. If you already know this about Shatner than you’ll appreciate this documentary for living up to his standards. Made by the History Channel, you’d think they’d try to keep the topic some what serious, but this is almost as a much a mockumentary as it is an actual attempt to inform the public. On one hand you are able to see how the original Trekkies came to adapt their love into something useful for society. Though it may sound completely uninteresting, it is impressive to see how one man’s creative mind (ok, not Shatner but the original Star Trek creator) can inspire so many potential thinkers to develop ideas ranging from cell phones to computers to medical stations. But the dark side is also analyzed too, including theories about how man has become too attached to technology and how becoming like a Borg (for those who don’t watch Star Trek, in the most simple of terms: an android of sorts) is the only logical evolutionary step. For those who are fearing this to be a serious analysis of the Star Trek universe, fear not, because there is a lot (I’m emphasizing that word) of light hearted material here as well. Shatner constantly yells at the crew or “spills secrets” or merely spills salt everywhere. Though it’s unfortunate that the discussion prefers to cut people off in order to maintain humor, I must admit, using food to explain how a worm hole works is quite ingenious. On a technical level, the camera work and special effects are as advanced as The Next Generation . OK, that’s not very advanced by today’s standards, but the little bit of homage to the series is certainly uplifting and enjoyable. Though I may be boosting this review a little too much (and I’m fully aware that I am), I will say I was pleasantly surprised by the documentary and considering the material director Julian Jones had to work with, he managed a solid documentary that combined humor and information nearly perfectly. A four out of five may be a little too high, but a three just doesn’t do justice to an idea many people talk about but few truly analyze or appreciate. Review by Matthew Abshire Informative: 4- Places too much emphasis on humor and cuts off some ideas a little too soon, but you can now justify the societal benefit of the Sci-Fi channel when people ask why you watch it. Entertainment: 5- You can’t find a better narrator/ host then William Shatner. Technical: 3- Very fun, light hearted homage to the Trek series, but I’d be fired as a film critic if I gave this anything higher than a 3. Overall: 4- an inflated grade? Maybe, but you won’t regret watching this.
How William Shatner Changed the World
Format: DVD Year: 2005 Running Time: 90 Min Distributor: History Channel Producer: Malcolm Clark and Alan Handel Director: Julian Jones Date Reviewed: 5-1-2007 Story: William Shatner presents a light-hearted look at how the "Star Trek" TV series have influenced and inspired today's technologies, including: cell phones, medical imaging, computers and software, SETI, MP3 players and iPods, virtual reality, and spaceship propulsion. (IMDB)