This film did a better-than expected job exploring the history of Gene Roddenberry and Star Trek from beginning through the reboot. What makes it fascinating is that it is done by his son who never really developed a deep relationship with him and distanced himself from the Trek universe until well after his father's death while he was still a teenager. We share his journey to discover his father and his father's creations. If you've ever wondered what it would be like to be the rebellious non-Trekkie son of Gene Roddenberry and Majel Barrett, here's your answer. And it's fascinating.
Mr. Roddenberry Jr's multi-year journey to understand his father and the phenomenon that is Star Trek includes interesting interviews with series-related people (from DC Fontana to Ronald D. Moore and Scott Bakula) as well as others like George Lucas, Seth McFarlane and JJ Abrahams. Well-placed historic footage and vintage interviews give it a broad scope.
The film does well on several levels: as a Gene Roddenberry biography, as a son's exploration of a largely unknown father, as a film exploring why Star Trek resonates, and a history of how Star Trek came to be produced over the years.
Nicely done and well worth watching for anyone, especially for fans and anthropologists. This would fit well as a documentary on PBS's POV or Biography or similar show.
9/10 if you're a Trekkie, 7/10 if you're not.
