News

MaH ja'ta' soH vaj.

That's Klingon for "We told you so."

As the once-moribund Star Trek franchise prepares to fly into the mainstream at warp speed this weekend, Trekkies - that most maligned of sci-fi obsessives - are awaiting their moment of vindication.

The movie, which opened last night, is expected to have a bonanza opening-weekend box-office gross of $80-million (U.S.) to $100-million; its director, J.J. Abrams of Lost and Alias fame, is renowned for turning almost everything he touches into pop-culture gold; and companies from Kellogg to Burger King have jumped on the bandwagon with Trek tie-ins.

"It's not just that Star Trek is back. It's that it's bigger than ever," says Anthony Pascale, who runs the fan site TrekMovie.com.

And with most reviews of the film suggesting viewers should be prepared to have their phasers set to stunning, he says there's a good chance it will attract not only new fans, but what he calls "lapsed Trekkies," those former diehards who eventually lost interest as the shows and movies ran out of steam.

Gene Roddenberry's story of space adventure has attracted fervent devotion since the original TV show starring William Shatner as Captain James T. Kirk first aired in 1966.

Trekkies, those fans so devoted to the franchise that they dress up in Klingon costumes or sport Spock ears to conventions, have become such a laughable subculture that Mr. Shatner himself told them to "get a life" when he hosted Saturday Night Live years ago.

"There are different groups that really have a following," says Doug Simpson, manager of Paradise Comics in Toronto. "You have your Buffy fans and Lord of the Rings fans and Star Wars fans, but Trekkies are on a different plane."

They look forward to adding to their ranks.

"Hopefully, this movie will spark new interest and get new people involved," says Debbie Hodgins, 48, who works at a nursing home and runs Avenging Dragon Squadron, a Star Trek fan club in Oshawa, Ont. "It's not only about fandom. It's bringing people together and having a good time."

Canada's head Klingon, QelIv Satir, also known as Paul Carreau, a 56-year-old from Calgary who runs an information technology company and is the senior command officer of KAG Kanada, a fan group with about 200 members, says that while the main appeal of Trekkiedom is escapism, fans often connect with one another stronger than with civvies. "The friendships and the bonds are so much tighter," he says.

The hype surrounding the new movie comes at a time when the franchise is in desperate need of revitalization. Star Trek has waned in popularity since Star Trek: The Next Generation went off the air in 1994. Later TV shows such as Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise, as well as later films, saw the franchise losing fan interest and whatever vitality it once possessed.

Indeed, while Star Trek may have lived long, it hasn't exactly prospered. "A few years ago, Star Trek was pretty much dead," Mr. Pascale says.

But there are already signs the movie is working some tractor beam magic to pull people into the Trek universe.

For one thing, Star Trek comics are selling better than ever. "It used to be that you would sell five or 10 copies. Now you're doing 25 and you're selling out," Mr. Simpson says.

As well, the small town of Vulcan, Alta., which has dedicated itself to all things Trek, including hosting an annual convention, has received record numbers of visitors recently.

Last year, the town's visitor centre saw close to 17, 000 people, a 19-per-cent increase over 2007. This year, the town is expecting to beat that record, all thanks to the movie, according to Dayna Dickens, Vulcan's tourism co-ordinator.

About 300 Trekkies from Vulcan were bused to Calgary yesterday for a special screening of the movie, hosted by Paramount Studios.

Some fans may not be happy that Star Trek is bigger than ever. With any subculture such as Trekkies, Mr. Simpson says, there will be some who aren't glad to see their personal obsession become a mainstream phenomenon.

"There's always the sellout factor," he says.

The vast majority of Trekkies, however, will likely be happy to see a return to popularity.

Of course, anyone who does become a Trekkie needs to prepare for the inevitable barbs.

"When I get the whole, 'Get a life' thing, I look at the person and say, 'You're right. I'll take yours,' " Mr. Carreau says.

"A lot of people do have fun with the fact that I'm a Trek fan and I do put the costume on," he adds.

But Mr. Carreau knows how to set them straight. He has something of a prepared statement: "Yes, I'm a Star Trek Fan. No, I don't live in my parent's basement. I own my own."

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Newbie guide

Trekkies debate every single element of the Star Trek mythology with passion. If you're a newbie looking to keep up, don't worry about the minutiae. No one's going to blame you (that much) if you don't know Uhura's rank. But you better know a few of the biggest debates in Trekkiedom.

WHO'S THE BEST CAPTAIN?

The two largest camps: James Kirk from the original TV series on one hand and on the other, Jean-Luc Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Pick carefully because who you side with speaks volumes. "It's almost a test of what kind of person you are," Anthony Pascale says.

Words to win cred with: "Kirk never had to grapple with Q."

ORIGINAL SERIES V. THE NEXT GENERATION

"It's a very long-standing and still non-standing Star Trek debate," Mr. Pascale says.

Words to win cred with: "Both are fine, but Deep Space Nine is totally underrated."

CANON V. NON-CANON

Mr. Pascale likens those who support canon to strict constructionists of the U.S. Constitution. "It's someone who looks at it and says, 'It is what it is and nothing can change ever.' Then there's the people who believe in the spirit of the law." It's a question of what, if any, Trek fundamentals can be ignored or toyed with.

Words to win cred with: "J.J. Abrams really did a great job of respecting the canon."

Dave McGinn