Trekkies 2

Trekkies 2, like the first movie, is an endearing portrayal of the Star Trek fanbase. This time the producers go on the road and travel around the world to meet Star Trek fans from Australia, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and even Serbia, documenting their experiences with Star Trek and going into the lives of several fans.

In between each segment of the travelogue are pieces that can be described simply as an open forum for fans to discuss issues relating to fandom, such as what makes a "Normal Fan", should you wear your uniform in public, etc. This helps give the fans more a of voice, which many found lacking in the first film.

One thing to note about the DVD is that it in fact features 2 documentaries, as the deleted scenes are cut together in a coherent way to complement the main film, raising issues that may not have fit well with the main film.

Of course, the film also features 'characters' from the first movie, like Gabe Koerner, Brian Dellis, Barbara Adams and Daryl Frazetti, making the movie feel like one of several other documentaries that have followed its subjects over the years, like 7-up.

Moments that stood out for me were the interview with Robert Burnett and the Sacramento segment that feature five Star Trek tribute bands. The Serbia segment was also quite effective because it felt more 'important', going a bit into the recent war and how some fans looked to Star Trek as a way of coping with the war. In fact, the film documents the first ever convention held in Serbia.

As a casual Star Trek fan, it was interesting to see that there was still a fanbase that existed given the current nature of Trek. Given that Star Trek: Nemesis pretty much flopped and Enterprise is on the verge of cancellation, it's kind of nice to see that there are still fans out there who are enthusiastic about Star Trek. It was also nice to see fans that were self-deprecating and could joke about the fact that they're fans. There are also poignant, philosophical moments that get to the heart of the film, such as when one of the fans says, "When reality stops being so lame, we'll stop doing this."

The film not only works because of its content, but also because of its style - irregardless of it's content, the film is just a great documentary. Given this, and the fact that you actually get two films on the DVD, I think everyone should pick this up.

8/10

I was very fortunate to catch an early viewing of this film at Fanzillacon in Worcester Massachusetts and was very happy to get the opportunity. Trekkies 2, though a documentary, uses has all the keys to any good sequel: The film stands well without seeing the previous, though rewarding if you have, old elements are revisited without overshadowing new ones and everything is made bigger and bolder. The movie itself is a sort of reply to the first, addressing the effect that Trekkies had on many of its interviewees and the fanbase as a whole. The documentary strives for a fair balance of 'normal' fans with the amusing 'over-the-top' fans that were plentiful in the first film. I think this balance is achieved, though not everyone will agree for whatever reasons they might. Aside from being the obvious way of expanding the first movie, seeing Trekkies from around the globe was just a fascinating addition.

The major difference between this movie and the first is this one is more is concentrated solely on the lives and activities of the fans and does not include much discussion and history on the Star Trek phenomena on its own. Which makes prefect sense since that subject was covered well enough in the first, making this more what the first would have been if that background information hadn't been necessary.

My only problem was no inclusion of major Star Trek cast members like the previous film had. But director Roger Nygard answered a Q&A after the screening and explained that getting them was simple for the first film when the filmmakers had no limelight on their production and didn't have to pay the cast members for their interviews.

Altogether the film is a strong followup to the first. I look forward to seeing it again, along with the supplementary material, when it is released in August.

I watched this just after watching the original Trekkies, and to be fair, if I hadn't just seen the other movie I might not be as critical as this one, but it is very weak in comparison.

Trekkies 2 feels like it was made out of left over material from the first movie. Not literally, since they did go out and film new stuff, but thematically, since they covered the topic quite thoroughly in the first movie and simply had little left to work with. The movie feels less focused and more random than the original; a bunch of disparate elements poorly tied together by an international theme. It also has rather cheesy narrative dialog introducing each section that sounds like the sort of artificial patter you get when people introduce an award at the Emmys.

It does have some interesting things in it, and if you haven't seen the first one you might think this was decent, but for fans of the original movie the most interesting part of this one will probably be the end in which Trekkies discuss their reaction to the original movie.

The original Trekkies was a raw, politically unconcerned look into the lives of followers of the greatest TV sci-fi franchise, and one of America's great marketing successes. It was fun, Trekkie/Trekker- friendly, and yet not entirely uncritical. Trekkies is much more of a fan movie, and despite the fact that some of the scenes are actually better than most of what appeared in the original, this isn't half the film the original was.

There are many directions Trekkies 2 could have gone in. It could have been a rebuttal of the Star Trek mythos - perhaps engaging some of the writings of Robert Justman and Herb Solow. It could have dealt with the themes of the series directly and engaged their commercialization and their near abandonment after the cancellation of DS9, or perhaps the hiring of sex symbols as a way to boost ratings once the writing team began to fall apart. It could have focused on sociological issues within Trek fandom - such as the somewhat schizophrenic politics of the older and newer generations of Trek fans, or the amazing marketing of the franchise. Instead, Trekkies 2 is mostly more of the same stuff we saw in Trekkies, with a few nice new stories (the segment on Trek-based punk rock and metal bands was the highlight of the film for me), and a lot of plugs for the now defunct Enterprise series.

Don't get me wrong, as one of the original Trek fans (from TOS in its original run to the present), I love this film. I just can't in good faith, recommend it to any non-fan. If you're not a Trekkie, see the original Trekkies. It's a lot more fun.

This sequel (rare for documentaries, but this IS the Trek universe) diverts from the first by expanding its outlook to other parts of the world, such as the continent (Germany, England, France, Italy), then Australia and Brazil, as well as returning to parts of the USA. Host Denise Crosby (aka Tasha Yar) returns as producer in what begins as a sort of travelogue, visiting Trek conventions all over the globe. The fans throughout the world turn out to have the same exuberance as American fans. The most touching portion of the travels is in Serbia, where it seems only recently have fans there discovered each other. A new theme touched on briefly is the intent of fandom and Trek culture to bring aid to those less fortunate, of actually helping people as a life mission. There are also similar scenes to the first "Trekkies" - showing converted apartments or staged plays. These are always interesting to watch. There are brief appearances by some of the later Trek actors, from the "Enterprise" TV show. All in all, it's not a bad follow-up to the '97 original, expanding on the universal themes, and a completest should have or view both. The DVD also contains a couple of fan films, which have a 'in the backyard with a video camera' feel to them, but you can't deny the energy the fans brought to their work.