If Nothing Else, At Least They Will Have Gotten One Thing Right In The New Star Trek Movie

 



 

It looks like Leonard Nimoy won't be the only original castmember to be in the new Star Trek film.  The Sci-Fi channel is reporting that Majel Barret-Roddenberry will be coming back to be the voice of the Enterprise...or to be more specific, it's computer.

 

Barrett-Roddenberry--the widow of Trek creator Gene Roddenberry--started in the franchise as Number One in the pilot and as Nurse Christine Chapel in the original series. Since then, she has appeared in or provided the computer voice for all six Trek TV series--the only actor to be in all of them--and also voiced the computer in most of the movies. Star Trek opens in May 2009.

 

This news makes me very happy.  Having been a Star Trek fan as long as I have, you tend to sometimes forget some of the tiny little details that make the world you love so recognizable.  I hadn't even thought about Majel Barret and her contribution to the franchise, but now that I'm thinking about it I realize that nobody else should be the voice of the computers in the movie.   For over 30 years now she has been the voice of technology in Star Trek.  Her role in the overall saga may be small, but it's crucial.  Always having the same voice for the computers in all of the shows and the movies has been one of those tiny little touches that make the fans go, "Hey, I recognize that!" whenever they hear it.  It's kind of like The Wilhelm scream.  Once you've gotten used to one voice as the computers in Star Trek, you can't imagine any other person doing it.

 

The fact that JJ Abrams went out of his way to bring back someone for something that is so small in the overall scope of making a big hollywood film speaks highly to his commitment to make a film both Star Trek fans and non Star Trek fans will love.  It's a nice little shout out to the fans that says, "Hey, I know you guys are out there, and I'm trying to do right by you too."

 

Also, on a completely unrelated topic...what the hell is going on in this picture?

 



 

You know, there are just some things about James T. Kirk that I don't want to know.