Science Fiction of 2006

This year hasn’t been very kind to science fiction movies.

We are given crumbs instead of solid, good meals. And the majority of the science fiction films in 2006 is ill-fated as sweeping trash that somehow makes it to the theaters while the good ideas are squandered below by the Hollywood rehashes.

As the year 2006 draws to a theatrical close, approaching a new year and newer resolutions, we observe the failing heartland that is the science fiction kingdom reduced to a mere big splashes of overblown special effects rather than good ideas.

Isn’t that what science fiction is supposed to be about? Provocative concepts rather than F-X? Somewhere along the lines, someone’s got it all wrong.

X-Men 3 is the biggest offender. Heralding a slosh of big movie contenders for the recent summer, this film hits rock bottom with a story that goes out of control. And the newly installed director does little to help create memorable characters who come to life like its first two prequels. The original director has gone on to do greater things while leaving behind his X-Men legacy. What are we given instead? Rogue still doesn’t fly despite being the most powerful member of the group. Juggernaut’s voice is mistake for Alvin the Chipmunk and editors didn’t know the difference between night and day towards the end of the film.

We were also treated to another tangled fart of a mess like like Bloodvayne and Doom. The former regards a lithe, ultra-capable vampire who seeks to avenge her mother’s rape which has nothing to do with the current video games. Bloodvayne is definitely window dressing as she’s a very lovely redhead with a penchant for blood. If you’re into that sort of thing. And I would rather stab myself in the guts than go see an Ewe Boll movie. I’ve already wasted two hours of my life watching his previous work Alone in the Dark. That one also based on a game. More, Doom is loud, obnoxious and violent.

There’s also Silent Hill which is based on successful horror game series. But this one lurks beneath its own typical faults. The characters are not interesting and neither are the creatures who hide in the darkness. I’ve talked to many horror fans and they found it to be a monumental disappointment. I’ll give this one a pass.

Some folks do try to bring big and bold attempts to portray Phillip K. Dick’s works to the movie screen. But his novels tend to be so wrapped in ideas and concepts, making them difficult to translate to the big screen. His books tend to be heavy-handed and layered with piles of ideas. And Through the Scanner Darkly is another such brave effort to kick up one of Dick’s novels to the celluloid. This time, it’s in stark, lively animation starring a cartoonish Keauna Reeves. But it may fall short of its goals.

Are there any good science fiction films in the running? It’s possible to find something good underneath the slaughterhouse of awful films cranked out through the movie screens. But, as always, fewer people treat science fiction as a literary expression rather than a knee jerk to the face with bombardments of special effects. The people making science fiction these days aren’t getting any smarter. They’re always missing the point.

However, Children of Men gives a fascinating scenario of a desolated, rugged landscape filled with infertile population unable to give birth to children. The human race has finally reached a dead end. And no reason was given as to why. But there is no need for a reason. The idea is as frightening as the dust-strewn grounds on which the last of humanity stands on. Everything is close to extinction here. Which says much for the current situation of humanity as they are destroying themselves in a careless manner.

This makes for a strong candidate for some good science-fiction that rises above the norm. The rest will be buried and forgotten. I hope.

I’ll see you in 2007.

Animated Trek

Whenever you mention there had been a Star Trek Animated series, the person is likely to say, “I didn’t know there was one.”

It’s not a well-known thing in the chronicles of science fiction fandom, buried beneath other layers of useless information, news and what not.

But for one thrilling year in 1973 to 1974, the series boldly went where no man has gone before: the animator’s storyboard.

Filmation Co. was responsible for the care-taking of the animated series which is very much like a missing fourth season for Star Trek. There’s the carry-over of several writers such as D.C. Fontana and David Gerrold from the original series who wanted to continue exploring the frontier days of Kirk, Spock and the rest of the enterprising crew.

You can get it now as a four-disc set hitting the shelves in most marketing stores. It was released on Nov. 21 which made for a nice precursor gift for the upcoming Christmas holidays. You can’t miss it with its vibrant white cover. Though I almost did when I checked out the nearest Wal-Mart store here in Oshkosh.

But there’s the continuing debate. Should the animated series be considered part of the forty-year mythos? Or should it be buried in the midst of a forgotten past? Should anyone care?

I think so.

It’s up to you whether you find the animated series part of the long legacy or not. But you’re missing chunks full of good stuff when you overlook this extremely well-written Saturday morning cartoon that’s more of a dramatic TV show. The ideas, concepts, everything was given a broader sense when not defined by a near string-budget on the original series.

That means we get to see cities in a more flamboyant views carved with alien beauty, foreign landscapes were given a more friendly-audience view and several more creatures were portrayed throughout the series such as B.E.M. whose biological frame could break into three different pieces.

The writers come up with a string of imagination and there are even a few sequels which tie in nicely with the original three-year run. The very excellent “Yesteryear” chronicles Spock as a young child lavishly penned by Fontana herself. We also get to revisit the City on the Edge of Forever once again.

There’s a cleverly written episode called “The Magicks of Megus-Tu” which offers a different and interesting view of the devil… but he’s a good guy in this episode. It’s very creative stuff for a minor cartoon series. Which won its Emmy award in 1973. And deservedly so.

Equally important were the voices for the animate series done by the original cast of the Star Trek crew. William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelly provided their golden throats for the series followed by James Doohan, a man with a thousand voices, who gave life to many of the alien characters.

I wouldn’t watch this animated series if none of the actors were involved in it.

With the exception of Walter Koenig, all of the actors contributed. But even Koenig penned the episode “The Infinite Vulcan.” So the entire cast had been involved in some shape or form. Behind the typewriter or the microphone.

There’s a good run of episodes that are noteworthy, filled with very good writing. Some of my favorites include “How Sharper than a Serpent’s Tooth,” “The Pirates of Orion” which gives us an idea of what a brutal and war-like race the Orions are and “Yesteryear” remains a pinnacle example of how an animated series can be an excellent alternative form of storytelling.

The stories are short, surprisingly compelling and never dull. Filmation wasn’t known for its stellar animated, reusing cut-scenes very often. But if you’re looking for good stories, you might get drawn to the cartoon final frontier.