Netflix says: In the Star Trek entertainment universe, the list of actors cast as Starfleet commanders remains short. William Shatner -- the player who initiated the role -- interviews a raft of other "captains" in this affable documentary, which he also directed.
Matt says: William Shatner showed a small clip of this during his one man show, “Shatner’s World”. In it, he is interviewing Patrick Stewart about choosing to play a role that he knows will be the defining role of his life. Star Trek already was a huge franchise before Stewart signed up. Shatner, Nimoy, and Doohan tried to flee from it, only to be drawn back in again and again. The others milked it (and still milk it) as much as possible. Stewart knew this when accepting the role as Picard and Shatner was curious why Stewart would chose to sign his identity away. Stewart simply says (I paraphrase), “I was fine with it then and I still am now.” Shatner has a revelation and admits, for the first time, that he’s actually completely fine with it too… finally. It was such an awakening for Shatner that he was compelled to make it one of his life changing moments in “Shatner’s World”. This movie has several of these moments. It’s poignant, in a way, seeing the actors reflect on the difficulties of having a brutal filming schedule that effected their social lives negatively, the instant assimilation into a cult universe, and what being a “captain” did and has done to their lives. They bond and relate, some times uncomfortably (Brooks doesn’t seem like he wants to be apart of it at all and keeps changing the subject and Mulgrew is obviously annoyed by Shatner as a person). Mostly, it’s an aging Shatner trying to find answers from others that he never could come to terms with himself. As with “Shatner’s World”, this makes it one of many of his ego trips (yes, those links are to his 5 autobiographies… 5!). But, you know, in his old age they’ve become more about soul searching more than anything. So, keep in mind that you should take it with a grain of Shatner brand© salt. The big picture is worth Shatner’s larger than necessary ego (though, I actually enjoy that aspect of his personality). It’s an interesting watch for Shatner fans and Star Trek fans alike. For others, there may be a little to take away, but not enough to make it feel worth while. 3 1/2 stars.
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