To celebrate the 30th anniversary of Star Trek: Generations, a video titled 765874: Unification was released. Produced by OTOY for the Archive app and directed by Carlos Baena, the eight-minute Star Trek short film had an immediate impact on the Star Trek community as it reunited Captain Kirk and Mister Spock. 765874: Unification brought these two iconic characters together as a final send off utilizing technology, prosthetics, and archival recordings to provide a moving glimpse at the friendship and legacy of Kirk and Spock while providing fans with some closure.
There is no dialogue in 765874: Unification aside from one line taken from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,
“’There are always possibilities,’ Spock said. And if Genesis is indeed life from death, I must return to this place again.’”
That single, replayed line is more than enough for this short film which has been able to convey more in eight minutes than what has been on screen for the past 20 years. That, without dialogue, but with facial expressions, conveyed deep emotions and extracted emotional reactions from fans who have watched it.
765874: Unification is a homage to Star Trek that fans can easily pick up on. From seeing Gary Mitchell at the start of the video and the flashbacks, it is easy to determine that this takes place after James Kirk dies at the end of Star Trek: Generations and that Mitchell is the one responsible for bringing Kirk and Spock together for a final farewell. It’s also a great example of “show, don’t tell” which has been sorely missing in the majority of modern movies and shows.
This short film provides an answer to what Kirk might have seen as he died on Veridian III and uttered the words, “Oh my…” But it goes beyond that as the film shows Saavik, reprised by actress Robin Curtis, who shares a look with Kirk and then to a male Vulcan with the implication that this is Spock’s son. There is also the scene where a young Kirk sees the old Kirk and all three versions stare at each other for a moment. Finally, the most poignant scene of Kirk sitting at Spock’s side as his friend is laying down, they grasp hands, and both watch the sun.
It’s emotional, heartfelt, cathartic, and is an outstanding example of what made Star Trek so great.
765874: Unification is also a stunning display of technology and prosthetic makeup combined to provide such striking likenesses of both William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy characters. It was amazing to see how closely the actor, Sam Witwer, looked and moved like Kirk, even getting some of the facial gestures right (William Shatner was an executive producer on this project). The same for actor Lawrence Selleck who played Spock and Gary Lockwood who reprised his role from The Original Series as Gary Mitchell.
It makes the possibility of seeing movies and shows with the original Star Trek crew more likely. Though, given the lack of talent associated with Nu Trek, it is also terrifying to think about. But think about it. Being able to pick up where Star Trek TOS left off or a new series based on their second five-year excursion. The possibilities are endless, though limited by the talent and respect of the people who would work on such projects should they ever be made.
The lack of talent and, more importantly, lack of respect is what has been a huge problem in Hollywood as we have seen with other franchises such as Star Wars, Doctor Who, The Witcher, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, and other examples.
In the end, 765874: Unification serves as a reminder of the enduring legacy of Star Trek and the love for this franchise by its fans. It could bridge generations of Trek fans by kicking off discussions about technology, storytelling, and the emotional bonds that have made Star Trek the cultural phenomenon that it is.
While 765874: Unification is not canon, it certainly is as close to it as we are going to get when it comes to getting closure for James T. Kirk and Mister Spock. But this little short film will have an impact on the Trek community for the better. I also hope that it will convince those who got into Star Trek via the Abrams/Kurtzman era to go back and watch the older shows.
To experience the real Star Trek that knew how to show and tell a proper story.
To finally let their imaginations go where no one has gone before.
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