It flows gently along just like the jazz cocktail music it uses for its score. If you don’t fall asleep to it, you might be occasionally entertained, but it’s more about Shatner and the travails of being an actor, as well as about acting and theater in general, than it is about Star Trek.
When Shatner attempts to put himself in the same company as Patrick Stewart, a classically trained Shakespearean actor, it should be funny…but it’s not, really. That’s Shatner…he’s always thought of himself (Whether as Captain Kirk or as himself) as a lot more than he really is, and that’s part of his charm, I suppose. At least he’s sincere in his self-absorption, there’s no false modesty here.
As a fan of the original series and certain of its offshoots(but not certain others), I think the attempt to chronicle the “Captain” experience is an abysmal failure…it’s more a blanket commentary on the stresses of being a full-time performer. So it’s certainly not a must-watch for Trekkies, and because it’s not all that great as a documentary, it’s not a must-watch for anyone else. What is it?
It’s relaxing…very, very relaxing. Ahhhhh….bop de doo be doo wop…
Grade: D
1/17/13: See ‘Pupdate: Documentary Grade Edits’. Grade: F
9/15/13: F List pruning. Grade: D-