Star Trek with product placement is not Star Trek, writes André Szczepanski.

It started off fairly well. In the opening sequence, we witnessed the introduction of the main antagonist, the birth of Star Trek’s poster boy and the beginning of a chain of events that would lead to the major plot line.

The character development began in next scene, in which a young James T. Kirk is seen stealing a sports car. I could see that he was a rebel, a kid that didn’t respect authority, and didn’t let anyone control his life.

It was all looking very hopeful – I was even thinking that it might turn out to be a decent film after all. That is, until I saw Kirk press a button on a mobile phone that said ‘Nokia’ in big, glaring letters. This betrayal, of sorts, really represents the rest of the movie as a whole.

The plotline basically consisted of “evil ship comes from future to destroy earth”. The science behind said plot is even worse – the ship uses a theoretical substance called “red matter” to create a quantum singularity (black hole) at the centre of the planet.

The plot never becomes anything more than that. Basic character interactions are added in for kicks – for example, Kirk and Spock hate each other at the start, and become friends by the end. The other major Star Trek characters see little serious character development, and are basically used for cheap laughs. Uhura’s romance with Spock seems so poorly planned that one can’t help thinking that the writers added it in as an afterthought.

Most of the emphasis seems to have been placed on the special effects and the environments. To give credit where credit is due, the special effects might appeal to a select band of people who like eye candy and loud sounds.

However, diehard Star Trek fans will find that most of the characteristic trademarks of the TV shows and previous films, such as the transporters, phasers, warp drive and their respective sounds, have changed so much that the film has lost that “Star Trek feel”.

Furthermore, Abrams decided that he would, to explain the various anomalies scattered throughout the film, provide an explanation in the form of an alternate reality. In my books, this amounts to an “and then he woke up” kind of scenario – a cop-out.

It seems that the director J.J. Abrams, had decided long ago that to attract new viewers, the new film had to differentiate itself from classic Star Trek. However, in doing this, he has created something that is so foreign that is it unlikely to attract Trekkies, and so devoid of substance that it is unlikely to draw new audiences.

Star Trek is now showing at all major cinemas.

A new trailer has appeared on Apple’s website for Terminator Salvation, the fourth movie in the franchise.

The new film, starring Christian Bale, will continue the story of John Connor and his fight against intelligent machines.

Like such recent films as Batman Begins and Transformers, the new sci-fi blockbuster will attempt to reinvent the franchise and put a new spin on an old story.

Terminator Salvation will be released on May 21. You can see the new trailer at www.apple.com.

After season two was cut short due to the writers’ strike, many critics commented that Heroes had lost its edge, and that the plotline has lost direction.

Heroes details the stories of a group of men and women with superhuman powers, and their battle to be accepted in a world filled with fear and persecution.

NBC executives insist that the show was “never in any danger”.

The action will be held from May 8-10, at the Pasadena Convention Center – some proceeds will go to The United Way.

Some members of the cast and crew will also be present to answer questions, including Grace Park, Michael Trucco and Kate Vernon, who played Sharon Valerii, Samuel T. Anders and Ellen Tigh, respectively.

“We have really put together a fantastic experience for fans and collectors,” Kurt Ford, VP of production services says. “We know that everyone who joins us… will have a chance to own a piece of a very unique show.”

More can be seen at http://www.battlestarprops.com/.

When did you first get into Star Trek?

It would have been when I was in uni, back in the sixties, when The Original Series came out. The effects were pretty amazing back then, but now when I watch them I can almost see the wires holding the ships up.

What is it you like about Star Trek?

Being an engineer, I always dreamed about being an engineer on the Enterprise. I think I was born about 300 years too early, I feel like I almost belong there. My wife thinks I belong in the garden!

I guess I like the values the show upholds, winning against all odds, fighting for freedom. The technology is also really interesting to imagine.

Do you think we can ever travel faster than light speed?

Einstein said it was impossible to accelerate to the speed of light. I guess that that doesn’t necessarily mean that we can’t travel faster than the speed of light. If we could somehow reach light speed without accelerating, then maybe it would possible.

I also think that wormholes could be a viable way of traveling over long distances.

What about time travel?

In Star Trek, it’s postulated that if you could reach Warp 10, which is very, very fast, then one could travel through time. In reality, I don’t really think it’s possible to travel through time.

Star Trek always had sound in space. Is that possible?

Sound needs something to travel through. Sound, as we hear it, is just like ripples on a pond, except through the air. Sound waves always need something to travel through, that’s called propagation. In space, there’s no air, so the sound has nothing to travel through. So no, it’s not possible. But it’s not very dramatic if you have no sound to go with big space battles, so you can’t win.

Are you planning to see the new film?

For sure, I’ve seen them all many times, and I don’t plan to make the new film an exception. I think it will be different, though, not sure if I’ll like it or not.

Live long and prosper!

Peace and long life!

The world is afflicted with many illnesses – terrorism, war, global warming, politicians, and possibly religion, depending on which way you look at it. We see these sicknesses everyday, on television, in the newspapers, by word of mouth. We are, in effect, surrounded by human folly. The human race has, nevertheless, fought to survive over the ages – and has done so.

Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is a constant roller-coaster of a ride, which grapples with the most fundamental problems with the human condition in every single episode. The issues which are explored are amazingly relevant – so much so that the creators and two of the main actors were invited to address the United Nations concerning their outlook on humanity.

It’s funny that one of humanity’s greatest fears is of sentient robots betraying their human masters and destroying the world. This is precisely what happens in BSG – and this happens right in the first episode. The rest of the series is about a rag-tag band of fifty thousand humans fighting to survive.

The greater plot of humanity’s fight for survival versus innumerable Cylon forces is really just a vehicle, a plot device. The real onus is on the relationships between the characters and the way they deal with each situation that is thrown at them. In BSG, the characters make the show what it is.

Don’t get me wrong, there is plenty of action around every corner. Every minute is so intense, either emotionally or visually, and often both. Battlestar Galactica has a very distinctive shot style – the camera has a handheld feel, leaving the viewer feeling as though they were actually there. The camera is also constantly zooming, as though looking through the scope of a gun.

All aspects are carefully orchestrated to create a tight, complete package that rarely lets up at any point throughout the series. In what was supposed to be his final speech aboard the Battlestar Galactica, Commander William Adama says “Sooner or later, the day comes when you can’t hide from what you’ve done anymore.” By the end of the series, you will find yourself thinking the same thing about humanity today.

Stargate Universe, the third continuation of the 1994 film, will most likely feature stars of the two previous series in guest appearances, says the SciFi Channel.

Former actors such as Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks will reprise their Stargate SG-1 roles, with the move being widely regarded as a way to have the new series accepted by veteran fans.

Stargate Universe will differ from the previous two series, SG-1 and Atlantis, in that it will be primarily based in space, and on the interactions between characters on a single ship.

Additionally, the new series will not be a spinoff of SG-1, as Atlantis was. Rather, it will feature a new story that will only refer to pre-established canon, rather than relying on it.

Stargate producers Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper have described Universe as being “a completely seperate, third entity” and “darker” than the previous shows.

Stargate Atlantis began filming in February, and is due to air in October.

Farscape is quite singular in the science fiction world.

It is predominantly Australian television program. I giggled with delight as I recognised Cronulla plaza in one of the main character’s flashbacks, and when Sydney Olympic Park was masquerading as a top-secret military base.

The actors are all Australian as well, except for the main character, who is American. Farscape forces us to picture the greater universe as all coming from New South Wales. Even the producer is Australian.

The universe that Farscape forces us to picture is also, like the rest of the series, quite different from any other science fiction show. The brilliant use of prosthetics to actually create aliens that aren’t humanoid is just the tip of the iceberg – the environments are gritty and colourful, as well as completely and utterly chaotic.

The writers of shows such as Star Trek and Stargate would have us believe that the only other life forms in the galaxy are like us. That is, with two legs, two eyes, and the same fundamental principles that make us distinctly human.

Farscape throws all of that out the window as John Crichton, an astronaut, is thrown through a wormhole and plunged deep into a place that is trying to kill him and steal the knowledge he possesses. Pursued by a half-humanoid, half-reptilian creature named Scorpius, he travels from place to place, trying to find a way to live out his life in peace.

Farscape is light-years ahead of any other science fiction television show. It is warm, funny, horrific and breathtaking, all at the same time. It is an “either you love it or you hate it” kind of creation, something that will either draw you in, or spit you out.

There are shortcomings – the series ended abruptly after its five season contract was cancelled shortly after the conclusion of the fourth season, leaving the show dangling from a cliff. The movie that completes the series, whilst tying up the main story arc, leaves one feeling abandoned after four seasons of excellence.

However, this is a minor gripe in the grand scheme of things. Farscape is a spectacular production that cannot be missed.

Caprica details the lives of the Greystone and Adama families, and is set before the events of the 2003 remake of Battlestar Galactica.

The Greystones are the family who brought Cylon artificial intelligence technology to the forefront, and the Adamas go on to lead the human race after the devastating attacks of the second Cylon war.

It has also been revealed that Caprica will be released on DVD a full eight months before its release on television.

You can see Caprica on DVD from April 21.