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Review: Of Gods and Men, Act 2 |
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Written by Derek Kessler on
Tuesday, 11 March 2008
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 To paraphrase Garrett Wang’s Commander Garan, “You’re going to enjoy this.” Building on the surprising, complex, and moderately confusing story of Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, Act 1, the second act of the alternate-universe saga plunges head-first into rich characters and a tragic universe. If you thought Act 1 was good, then Act 2 will blow you away.
Act 2 opens with a brief refresher as to the ending of the first act: Vulcan is obliterated, and Koval (J.G. Hertzler) delivers a perfectly Klingon “You must dominate! Or be dominated.” Unlike Act 1, the secondary characters – Ragnar (Gary Graham), Xela (Chase Masterson), and Yara (Crystal Allen), in particular – get more screen time and add a new level of depth of the film. They aren’t just props or sidekicks, they’re cohorts and players in the game.
Makeup work is just as good as last time, though the Cardassian makeup did leave a bit to be desired. Unlike most other fan films, Of Gods and Men uses a lot of prosthetic makeup devices, especially on the great number of Klingons on the set. Wardrobe is wonderfully detailed, with subtle touches like a buckle here or a sash there to complete the look.
The fantastic sets of provided by Star Trek: Phase II (formerly New Voyages) are used to full effect and are artfully augmented by the addition of new control panels and screens. Camera work and editing are for the most part very well done, and the lighting adjustments made to the Enterprise set that much more set the dark tone of this alternate universe. Sound mixing is occasionally off, with off-screen speakers sometimes sounding as they were picked up by another actor’s microphone, or a phaser effect not matching the time that it is fired, but overall it’s very well put together.
The dialogue is much sharper and well-delivered in Act 2, but physical acting in the action scenes is generally very clumsy and takes away from the realism of those sequences. Walter Koenig as Kitrick/Chekov gives a wonderfully emotional performance, as do Nichelle Nichols (Uhura) and Alan Ruck (Harriman).
Like Star Trek of old, Of Gods and Men tackles modern issues, though in our day and age it takes on non-interference vs. security, terrorism vs. freedom fighters, war vs. peace, and so on. Unfortunately, the debate isn’t always as entwined in the story as it ought to be, but at the very least it presents compassionate arguments for both sides of the story. Star Trek at its best has always tackled these sort of issues, but in a manner that meshed it into the story, not just in face-to-face dialogue between the combatants.
As before, the computer graphics are beautifully done, and the Justin R. Durban soundtrack is powerful, artfully orchestrated, and used perfectly to enhance the changing moods of Of Gods and Men. Thankfully, the Dragonfly internet delivery system this time has already been through it’s trial-by-fire with the release of Act 1 and InAlienable, and thusly we get a much higher quality picture than last time. All things considered, it’s easy to forget that this is not a professional production. The acting of Ruck, Koenig, and the others with the directing of Tim Russ bump the bar up another notch again.
Line of the film goes to Harriman, after Garan informs him that, “It’s a trap.” He nods subtly and glances at him from the corner of his eye, “No... really?”
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, Act 2, runs for 33 minutes and while it answers plenty of the questions left open at the end of Act 1, it leave much more to be explained in Act 3, and certainly leaves me wanting more. It will be available on Saturday, March 15, at 1701 hours (that's 5:01 EDT).
Read: Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, Act 1 Review
Watch: Star Trek: Of Gods and Men, Act 2 (online March 15)
Discuss: TrekUnited Forum
Star Trek: Of Gods and Men
Starring:
Crystal Allen
James Cawley
Gary Graham
Walter Koenig
Cirroc Lofton
Chase Masterson
Lawrence Montaigne
Nichelle Nichols
Ethan Phillips
Alan Ruck
Tim Russ
Garrett Wang
Directed by:
Tim Russ
| | Executive Producer:
RH McRoberts
Produced by:
Sky Conway
Written by:
Sky Conway
Tim Russ
Jack Trevino
Ethan H Calk
Music by:
Justin R Durban
Director of Photography:
Doug Knapp |
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