'Star Trek 3' could Reunite William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy

Captain Kirk and Doctor Spock haven't been on screen together in more than twenty years, not since 1991's Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Leonard Nimoy's Spock has found his way into the recent Star Trek reboots, having an integral role in the first one and a cameo in Star Trek into Darkness, but William Shatner has yet to bring Kirk into this new continuity, although that could be changing for Star Trek 3.

According to Badass Digest, Kirk has been written into the newly-completed Star Trek 3 script by Roberto Orci, Patrick McKay, and J.D. Payne. The scene would reunite Kirk and Spock, and probably cause ripples in the timestream or something.  How they plan to work Kirk into the story is unclear, but it's worth noting that Shatner has meant to have a small role in the 2009 film before it was dropped at the last moment.

Star Trek 3 doesn't open until 2016 so this is a long ways off and things could change, but the reunion of Star Trek's two most iconic characters would be a cool way to celebrate the franchise's 50th anniversary.

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Review: 'To Be Takei', Starring George Takei and Brad Altman

When thinking back on the original Star Trek series, mentions of William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy are easy to come by. What's not as prevalent is the name of Lieutenant Sulu, then portrayed by George Takei. In a typecast Hollywood world, Takei (pronounced "Ta-kay") was a breath of fresh air because he played an Asian who wasn't a walking stereotype on a show that was . To Be Takei obviously gives us a lot of George Takei, his life and career, which proves to be an entertaining and informative watch.   

A favorite on The Howard Stern Show, what many people may not know about George

Takei is that, at 77 years old, he's as charming as ever, genuine, positive, and very, very honest. The honesty seems to ooze from him in waves and as he talks about his life--his past, present, and how he's changed through experience--you can tell immediately that he's not some self-absorbed person who thinks the world revolves around him. The film covers, in a non-linear fashion, growing up in his family, his time spent at the awful Japanese-American interment camps during World War II, his career, and his social justice work. 

"Obviously I like attention," Takei states. But hey, what working actor doesn't? It's all a part of being in the business, and as we go along Takei's journey, it's obvious that this attention fuels him in his responsibilities as an advocate for people's rights, justice, and gay marriage. The film offers us more than just George Takei, the actor. It shows us his many sides, from attending comic con and being around his fans, to his appearances and speeches at many events around the country, and his relationship with husband Brad Altman. 

The film is charming and thoroughly enjoyable. Even if you're not a big fan of Takei's work or you didn't know much about him before, sitting through this film isn't hard. He's been through some pretty horrible things and life-changing experiences, but the positive energy and outlook on life makes him so endearing. His sense of humor and commentary will make you crack a smile over the course of the film. 

To Be Takei is as natural as Takei is in front of the camera and during public speeches. It's vibrant, interesting, and enjoyable. There are fun pokes at William Shatner, who appears in the film, along with Leonard Nimoy, John Cho, and a myriad of others. The deep and clipped way he speaks doesn't hurt either, as his booming and strong voice is what makes people listen when he's talking about something important. At best, you'll be entertained by Takei's life story, commentary, and humor. At worst, you'll learn about a man who's lived a diverse and interesting life. in the end, just remember that "it's ok to be Takei".

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Kellan Lutz to Play William Shatner in 'Experimenter'

Quick, if you were casting somebody to play a young William Shatner who would it be? The answer is probably not going to be Kellan Lutz, the guy who played the really bulky vampire in those Twilight movies. He's been keeping busy, busier than some of his Twilight co-stars actually, with last winter's dud The Legend of Hercules and this summer's The Expendables 3, and now he's joining the cast of  Experimenter in the role of Shatner. Why is Shatner a character in this movie, anyway? Read on.

We learned about Experimenter some time back when Peter Sarsgaard and Winona Ryder came aboard to lead the film, a biopic on noted social psychologist Stanley Milgram. Milgram became famous, or infamous, for his 1961 Yale University obedience experiments that instructed subjects to deliver what they believed to be painful electric shocks to complete strangers. Basically it tested a person's willingness to be ordered around by a presumed authority figure, and if you want to see an example of this in action check out the amazing movie, Compliance.

So Lutz will play Shatner, who portrayed Milgram in the 1976 TV movie The Tenth Level so there will be some movie-in-a-movie stuff going on. Also joining him will be Anton Yelchin (Star Trek) as Rensaleer, a subject who resists authority, and Taryn Manning (Orange Is the New Black) as a test subject who becomes stressed by the experiment and pushes back. Anthony Edwards (ER) and Edoardo Ballerini (Romeo Must Die) also have roles.

Michael Almereyda (Hamlet) is directing Experimenter now in New York.

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Win Ticket's to See 'Shatner's World'!!

THIS CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO THOSE WHO ENTERED!

Who doesn't love William Shatner? I mean really, it doesn't matter if he's fighting a lizard monster on an alien planet or getting you the best deals on travel arrangements, Shatner has inexplicably become one of the most beloved pop-culture phenomenon of our time! It's with great pleasure that we announce a very special contest for 3 of our lucky readers to win guaranteed seating to the Fathom Events special presentation of Shatner's World next Thursday, April 24th at the AMC Tyson's Corner. Here's the official synopsis: 

A larger-than-life presentation of William Shatner’s critically acclaimed one-man show PLUS a special welcome from the man himself.

Fathom Events and priceline.com are thrilled to bring one of the most recognizable actors of our time, William Shatner, to select cinemas nationwide for a hilarious one-night event on Thursday, April 24.

Shatner’s World, the critically acclaimed one-man show, takes audiences on an exhilarating behind-the-scenes voyage through his storied life and career. With an energetic mix of personal anecdotes, laugh-out-loud humor and poignant moments, William Shatner shares his phenomenal journey from classically-trained Shakespearean actor to internationally-known cultural icon, all the while illuminating the unique persona of his most important character, himself.

In addition to a spectacular show, cinema audiences will be treated to an exclusive welcome from the man himself!

Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience Shatner’s World larger-than-life on the big screen!

Before you enter, please make sure you will be able to attend, we only have 3 pairs to give away and don't want them going to waste! Just email punchdrunkcritics@gmail.com with why you think Shatner is the man as well as where you'd like the tickets sent (they are hard passes so we will need to mail them to you). First three entrants win! Good Luck!

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Review: Star Trek

Much like the vaunted Enterprise, navigating the murky seas of deep space, I will attempt to navigate this review completely spoiler free...

No small task. Let me be honest here. I'm not the biggest Star Trek fan in the known universe. I'm of the rival Star Wars faction, not accustomed to all these Starfleet regulations and such. But what I am most assuredly, is a fan of science fiction. I was worried most of all that J.J. Abrams reboot/retelling/rewhatever of the Trek franchise would be little more than porn for the already converted, leaving those of us who are just looking for a fun space romp out in the frozen wastes like a Tauntaun.

I needn't have worried.

It's been over a week since I first caught Abrams' latest. I waited because I wanted to see if the feeling of euphoria evoked from the experience would abate even a little. It hasn't. What Abrams has created here is the freshest, exhilerating piece of space fantasy I've seen in years. You might mistake that for hyperbole, but I assure you it's not. I'm on record here on this site saying that I think these types of movies have been making a big comeback lately, what with Danny Boyle's Sunshine and Serenity topping the list. But they didn't have the sheer amount of baggage that this movie has to contend with. Not only did Star Trek have to appeal to the old schoolers, but also appeal to the guys like me lookin' to get a foot in the holodeck, so to speak. And boy, does it ever.

Without spoiling too much, I can say that Star Trek revolves around the formation of the original crew that we know and love. Cast in the familiar Starfleet uniforms are a young, good looking cast of recognizable faces. Zachary Quinto(Heroes) amiably takes over the role of Spock. Chris Pine(Smokin' Aces) was the biggest question mark for me. My concern being that he would try to emulate Shatner's unique cadence and mannerism. Fortunately, that never becomes an issue. Everyone puts their own unique spin on these characters, making them both new and familiar at the same time. Everyone melts into their roles seamlessly. Well, except for Anton Yelchin as Chekhov, who I thought was straining to hold on to his Russian accent. Not enough to bother me, though.

As for the story itself, it's probably a bit more convoluted than is necessary, but that's okay. Eric Bana as Nero is the type of villain that I absolutley love. He's got a real reason to seek vengeance against Starfleet, and the technology and firepower to see it through. He's obviously evil, but his point of view has merit considering what's been done to him. Honestly I didn't even recognize Bana, and he seems more into this part than he has since Munich in '05.

Not all is sweet smelling roses, however. I gotta take issue with one little(read: HUGE) problem. Tyler Perry. No, I'm not about to go off on a rant about why his movies suck ass and keep down an entire people during a Star Trek review. So why do I bring him up? He's in the movie. Yes. THAT Tyler Perry. Cross-dressing Tyler Perry. And what's worse, we get no warning. I expect that if Tyler Perry is going to stick his raisinette-lookin' dome in the middle of a movie he's got no business being in that we should get fair warning. Stamp that shit in big letters during the opening credits so I can clench my teeth in preparation. To top it all off he's in here twice! We're practically bookended by that bamma! Aaargh!

Whatever. I can deal with that only because of how great this film is. To quote my friend Margot(who got me in to the screening in the first place, Thanks Again!!) "J.J. hit the ball out of the park." It's funny, action-packed, gripping, and any other buzz word you can throw at it. I might just be ready to trade in my lightsaber for a phaser.....

Nah, not quite.

9/10

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