Star Trek XXX 3 (4 Stars)

This is the third film in Axel Braun's series of Star Trek porn parodies, and the first to be shot in 3D. Today I watched the 2D version. I might go back to watch the 3D version next month. We'll see. My regular readers already know that I'm a critic of 3D films. Even if the 3D is done well -- and in films like "The Hobbit" it was a mess -- it seems pointless to me. As far as I'm concerned, today's 3D films are a transitional technology. The films aren't really three-dimensional, they're just overlayed with special effects to make them look three-dimensional. A true 3D film would allow the viewer to move his head to see the action from a different angle. The final stage would be fully holographic films, but the technology needed to record and display such films is far off.

The film uses elements from the fourth episode from season two of the original series, "Mirror Mirror". It's also a bold attempt to make a crossover between the original series and the rebooted film franchise. Captain Kirk, played once more by Evan Stone, beams up to the Enterprise after exploring a planet. There is a transporter malfunction that sends him back in time to when he was young. But an evil Kirk from a parallel universe has also been sent back in time to the Enterprise, so there are three Kirks on the ship.

In my review of "Star Trek", usually referred to as "Star Trek XI", I complained that the actors used in the reboot didn't look enough like the actors from the original series. After travelling back in time Captain Kirk meets characters who look like the actors from the reboot; Michael Vegas looks like Chris Pine, Richie Calhoun looks like Zachary Quinto, and Ana Foxxx looks like Zoe Saldana. This is an amusing but effective way to reconcile the two Star Trek universes.

The two Kirks practise their lines while Spock checks out Uhura in the mirror

Judging by the information in the Making Of featurette, this film is the brainchild of Eli Cross, who is only credited as the camera operator, although he seems to be Axel's right hand man in the production of most of his films. Eli is a Star Trek nerd who challenges any fan to show who knows the most about the original series. He has whimsically added something to the Star Trek canon. After having sex with Spock, Nurse Chapel asks him what his first name is. He says she couldn't pronounce it, but she insists, and he tells her his name is Clark. "So you're Clark Spock? I can pronounce that!"

An in joke for Trekkies: in the opening scene two Enterprise shore party members are shown talking on a planet.

"Why did you transfer into science out of security?"
"I didn't. I just started taking blue uniforms from the laundry".
"Why?"
"Trust me, kid, red shirts will get you killed every time".