" Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before."- James T. Kirk
My review of the movie StarTrek Into Darkness directed by J.J Abram's is much kinder and gentler than some of the movie forum contributors. Neither naturally fault finding or negative, I found the movie to be action packed and completely entertaining. One of the biggest controversies stemming from the film is what one reviewer called a "gratuitously unnecessary" scene of actress, Alice Eve in her underwear. Bravo, pseudo film critics and die hard Trekkies, you have managed to sell even more tickets to a movie you supposedly find sexist. Of course most nerds have never seen a woman in her skivvies and like Mr. Spock were probably unsure of how to emotionally react. Controversy sells. Hot men and women sell tickets. May I remind you that most ladies in the theater and quite a few men were enjoying the gorgeous ice blue eyes of Chris Pine and the dashing good looks and sexy British accent of the villainous Benjamin Cumberbatch.. It's Hollywood. Hello? Flawless, beautiful actors in a fantasy world.
What movie viewers need to commit to memory from Into Darkness is the poignant question Captain James T. Kirk asks Spock during a particularly moving scene." How do you stop yourself from feeling?" When your job or duty demands you to be stoic in order to save your life or the lives of others, how do you turn off emotions? How do you control the panic, rage, tears, fear, anger? How do you choose not to feel? What are the long term consequences of that sacrifice? Another series of potent questions the antagonist Khan poses to Mr. Spock is revealed in the following dialogue:
"The mind of the Enterprise. The fearless genius who ensures a calm force of intelligence guides their every mission. But look deeper and you will see an outsider who does not belong, a man of two worlds. This tears him apart, the constant battle between what he thinks and what he feels. What does he do? Does he follow his head, embracing logic and the path of reason? Or does he follow his heart, knowing the emotions he cannot control may destroy him? "
There are some occupations where emotional control is imperative and not all of us can or will be in a position of leadership, be a brave soldier, policeman, medic, firefighter or most recently act as heroically as teachers in Moore, Oklahoma during a F-5 tornado. Thankfully, we do inhabit the same planet with many of these selfless souls who help protect our lives every single day. Some how these men and women are able to control their emotions and feelings when for many of us, our emotions are always right on the surface of our being. They are able to turn pain into strength and fear into courage.
Happy Birthday to my sister, Laurie. Love you!
