Discoprise: Extra Large

Taken a while to get hold of this one but it would be remiss not to review one of the mot controversial starship designs of the franchise. Is there any chance that tinkering with the classic TOS USS Enterprise design isn't going to anger anyone/everyone?

Eaglemoss have two versions of this one around. One a part of the now defunct (also read amalgamated into the larger Starships Collection) Discovery series. The box is a familiar size to anyone who's dipped their toe into the Specials (or the other XLs) with the USS Enterprise nestled nicely in secure polystyrene along with its chunky stand. 

Love it or hate it, this is an impressive model. A good mix of metal and plastic she's naturally front heavy due to the weighty saucer with the detail and quality evident all over the hull. The finishing pattern isn't the aztec you would expect, offering much more of a worn, beat-up and asymmetrical look that adds a few years onto the Federation flagship. 

Now it's hard to be a reimagining of such an iconic ship much less the Star Trek franchise where fans can be less than forgiving at the best of times and whether you like it or not, Eaglemoss have certainly recreated a more fitting and realistic starship here. Ok, the upper senor dome over the bridge is a little too clean for my liking but the detail, ringing of the saucer the phaser emplacements and the substantial increase in windows are all signs of just how much model making and CGI have moved on since 1966. There had to be adjustments for the TVs of today which have 1080dpi of unforgivingness built in. 

The secondary hull mirrors what's started on the saucer with extensive windows reminiscent of the movie refit and the connecting neck section a slight bit more squat and angular. Even the Federation pennants on either side of Engineering are embossed onto the hull and look better than ever. 

Remember too that the special issue here was produced off the back of a sole appearance at the end of season one of Discovery when we were still waiting for more tantalising season two detail. There are a couple of evident join lines in the underside of the saucer and around the forward piece of the secondary hull a few centimetres behind the main deflector dish although that's as big a gripe as I can manage. Will there be an updated Strange New Worlds super version - you can bet on it.

What I don't want to do is descend into the rabbit warren of critiquing the ship based on its representation in the series as much as the model is a quality reproduction of the rebooted Enterprise. Eaglemoss have excelled in it into the angled engine pylons and the envisaged more primitive nacelles that are something of a mix between the NX-01 units and the tubular propulsion of the TOS starship. Wisely Eaglemoss went with translucent orange bussard collectors and warp field grilles to give the design a touch of tangible realism to the replica. 

The more you look - and you can have a good look all over - the more you see how John Eaves pulled elements from other ships in the franchise history to keep the lineage in there but still managed to update and keep true. Yes, the shuttle landing deck is larger; yes the impulse engines are meatier and the deflector grid lines right across the hull surface are more distinct, but these are necessary conceits to move things on. 

As for build quality, the Enterprise is incredibly solid. The thickness of the engine pylons helps with this plus the scale means that those more flimsy parts on the small magazine scale ships are avoided. Where these larger ships do succeed even more - and it's easy to see here - is the accuracy of window and paint alignment. The embossed pennants are a good nod to that as are the secondary hull windows. The painting as a whole seems much more in sync with the body of the ship and stabilises the impressive nature of this replica.

Older fans and those who are more inclined towards TOS may well be offended but for anyone who is interested in Discovery, maybe an Enterprise completist or intrigued just how a classic is brought into the 21st Century, this is a good illustration of that CG progress.

The magazine accompanying is very two-sided with a quick series of stats from Pike's USS Enterprise before an in-depth look at how such a classic was rethought for Discovery along with even more extensive photos and first person accounts from (re)designer John Eaves. There's a lot of get into here both in the written word and the photos with a decent explanation of why the ship evolved into its Discovery form. 

As a model, Eaglemoss have been faithful in every way to recreate the Discovery-ised starship and it's a credit to them that it's come out so well and so fascinatingly well made. I think it's a great ship with a lovely, faithful update although it's not to everyone's tastes I understand. To have every iteration of the USS Enterprise you are going to need this on the shelf but whether you do... that's a hard question!

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Blocked Up: The Official Starships Collection Issues 84 and 85

Firstly my apologies fellow starship collectors for this comes out of sequence due to a house move and a missing delivery (should be here this week...).

So skipping (for now) issues 82 and 83 we arrive at a rare Starfleet coupling. Two issues in one delivery from another two ends of the timeline in Enterprise and the penultimate The Next Generation movie, Insurrection.

So first to the NX-Alpha and a ship featured in the episode First Flight. On appearance it's actually a fairly small craft with a slender fuselage and two very abrupt wings carrying the warp two engines.  It's also immediately apparent that the design is heavily influenced by the Phoenix which carried Zephram Cochrane into the Star Trek history books especially since the cockpit section of that craft was used to film the forward section of this test vehicle.

The nose section is virtually a carbon copy from the Phoenix and that missile structure echo continues as you head back along the body. Eaglemoss have replicated some beautiful detail onto the plastic upper hull section here including that cockpit canopy design and those twin tail fins connected laterally with a strengthening bar/stabiliser. On the underside that plastic twin fin/stabiliser is repeated with the same curve angle but on a slightly bigger scale and the fit and finish on it is perfection. 

The etched panelling and open engine details on top of the craft add to its experimental, early Starfleet history undertones as does the huge first-stage rocket exhaust that bursts from the rear. Worth noting that the join between the plastic and metal components of the NX-Alpha fit together exceptionally well here and there's little evidence of gaps or any misalignment between the two sections.  In fact the join is hidden by that rear fin stabiliser to some extent. 

The whole underside is forged in metal and continues the detail started on the dorsal section precisely and that's most evident around the raised sections marked out on that nose section. As you get further back the surface detail does lessen significantly on the underbelly but you can still make out the pylon fold lines at least. What is very prominent on the main hull are the understated Starfleet markings (red circle, yellow chevron) and the NX project emblem just behind the cockpit on the starboard side. Microscopic but yet these would have been conspicuous through their absence. Also on both sides of the starboard wing is the Greek "alpha" symbol indicating precisely which of the two ships from the episode this is. 

Ok; at the end of those strong metal pylons we have the stumpy warp three engines bearing the familiar red bussard collectors to the front and the "golf ball" exhausts to the rear. There is some finer red highlighted edging in place but what does catch the eye are the air bubbles used to give the bussard collectors a bit more definition and depth. Perfectly aligned they are clearly not an accident and bring the early warp engines to life on this great collection addition. The engines even have inset blue venting which you'll have to squint to make out but I can guarantee Eaglemoss have managed to squeeze it in beneath the piping.

On first look the NX-Alpha is fairly plain and almost a re-run of the more famous Phoenix we've already added to the collection but spend a few minutes to really get to know here and its the smaller details that make her stand out much in the same way as we saw with the ECS Fortunate in its finishing touches. The stand clip around the warp pylons is a sturdy fit here, holding the NX-Alpha from the rear rather than the mid section although the more central placing over the base works well on the eye.

There are a couple of gappy joins around the warp engines towards the rear yet this remains a decent replica to have. Fans will unquestionably prefer the Phoenix but the inclusion of this craft in the series does mark out a very specific journey from that converted missile through to the warp five Enterprise captained by Jonathan Archer. 

Issue 84 packs in a lot of backstory here, running us through the whole warp programme from the Phoenix to the warp three flights and then onto Enterprise. The section covers everything from the ship design through to the tests themselves and of course an overview of the episode First Flight as you would well expect. John Eaves' section on the realisation of the Alpha is essential reading as ever and explores a very different path before the issue of money and available, existing sets tightened the reins and made him steer into line with the craft used by Cochrane for his first warp flight. As always Eaves' sketches and thoughts are a delight to experience and understand what could have been had there been more cash on offer. 

There's also an unusually techie article here on The Road to Warp 5 which offers an impressive insight into the warp scale and precisely how it's supposed to work (if you ignore the bulk of The Original Series) in relation to speed and also in terms of construction materials and techniques. Definitely a great piece for new fans to read and understand some of the deeper parts of the franchise but also a handy bytesize refresher for us more seasoned fans!

Next up and jeez, this is a duffer. I could try and big this one up but I fear we may have one of the most disappointing results since records began with the Federation Holoship. It's wonderful that Eaglemoss are packing in the ships from Insurrection and this makes three after the Cousteau Captain's Yacht and the Mission Scoutship but in essence it's a moderately well detailed plastic block.

Referred to by the wife as "looking like a remote control", the John Eaves designed Holoship looks impressive on screen especially when cloaked in the Baku lake but sadly that doesn't translate well into a three-dimensional display item. 

It's not that it's presented badly because there's a good covering of detail from front to back and top to bottom it's just that, well, it feels a bit cheap given that it is two pieces of plastic stuck together. On the upper hull there's a ton of panelling detail, the prominent forward-placed bridge module as well as computer relay blocks and other greebles to break up the otherwise rectangular design. To the front are the reds of the bussard collectors and to the sides two blue lines indicate the locations of the warp engines themselves within the body of the craft. At the back; two yellow lined indents mark out the placement of the impulse engines and flipping her over there's once again a high level of surface panelling to feast your eyes on.

Problem is, that's it. No translucent engine sections, no metallic fiddly bits and a recess at the front which steps back to - a blank wall. Admittedly the surface is packed with various levels of plastic BUT it truly is one of the most bland and uninspiring ships in the collection. It might even give the Malon Freighter a run for its money as the worst entry to date. Even the rear-grip stand doesn't help it and instead makes it look even more clumsy than it is. I just hope that including this now wasn't just a knee-jerk reaction because there's been so little from Insurrection and nothing so far from Nemesis.

So once you've taken a cursory look over the details of the Holoship it's much more productive to open up issue 85 and get a recap on the craft's part within Insurrection to fool initially the Baku and then later (spoiler!) Ru'afo and the Son'a. There are a couple of new CG images of the flying brick as well as the standard views of the ship. Heck, I can see why there aren't a lot of points to note on those this time round.

Not only is it a double bubble Starfleet month but also a double John Eaves spectacular as he also worked on the design for the Holoship. His original designs were very cool and held those familiar Starfleet lines with a more bulbous shape before he was redirected (as with the NX-Alpha) towards something else; in this case a freighter/old tanker style craft and due to time constraints it's not actually the right way round... 

Closing out the magazine ahead of the standard Key Appearances (Insurrection) is a fitting piece on the screenplay for the ninth Star Trek movie. Given that Sandra Piller has recently had her late husband's book on writing Insurrection published. It's a movie that does come in for its fair amount of criticism but these few brief pages on its evolution do go some way to explaining Michael Piller's decision to take the story in a whole different direction to that posed in First Contact.

What a month huh? The NX-Alpha is a nice piece, well crafted and presented as has become the norm from Enterprise but the Holoship, despite the design work and efforts of John Eaves, just doesn't hold up. Sorry, it's poor and I was actually lost for words with the latter of this month's issues. End of. Nothing more to see.

What's your thoughts on the NX-Alpha and the Holoship?

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Version 1.5: The NX Refit Special from Eaglemoss

While I'm still waiting for the arrival of my (second) replacement NX-01 special, Chris Groves takes us into the realm of the ship that never was...

One of the great tragedies of Star Trek’s TV history was the abrupt cancellation of Enterprise in 2005 after just four seasons.

Over the years many have campaigned for the return of Enterprise, even a petition to Netflix to create a ‘Season Five’.

Sadly this was not to be, but the NX-Refit lived on in the Enterprise books albeit as a museum piece for some time. Now we have this amazing model as part of the Eaglemoss Star Trek Collection and it is indeed a most impressive article. The thing that is immediately noticeable upon opening the box is it’s size and sheer weight!

Compared to previous specials this one seems to be constructed of much more actual metal and in the hand it feels wonderfully substantial and hefty. Then there is the incredible detailing, the whole model is covered in the essential aztec markings (all accurate to the original NX screen model).

The additional line work and panelling patterns are so accurately interspersed with the aztec feature; this gives the model a breathtaking ‘realism’ if you will. But then the model keeps on giving, when you look at the underside there is the new engineering section that defines the ‘Refit’ description.

Every specific feature has again been attended to, detail, shape and colour are all impeccable.

There is a slight colour variation on the engineering section, a feature that was originally included to show a status of ‘upgrade’ an artistic touch to create that realism again.

The model even has this variation faithfully re-produced a copper type metallic sheen that defines the engineering section as a ‘new addition’. The only tiny shortcoming is the deflector dish; it stands out as a little dull coloured in just plain orange and no specific details. This is completely ignorable overall, as collectors will be too much in awe of the other features.

Ship registry and decals are perfect, defined and sharp and the nacelles are sturdy, constructed of plastic but solid and straight.

The display stand is a bit problematic, I found that the ship is very front heavy and the plastic ‘claw design’ is not secure enough and NX-01 escapes and falls very easily.

Included with the model is of course the magazine, and again this issue is also a genuine special.

The history of the NX class is featured with stunning art and pictures from Doug Drexler and Matt Jeffries early proposals for the ship design.

The Star Trek Official Starships Collection has been a rollercoaster of hits and misses, but this time it is a definite hit, in fact this model is so good that it leaves you hopeful that Eaglemoss will produce more specials to this standard.

All good things indeed, and this model was very much worth waiting for!

After a few months of will-it-won't-it-arrive, the fifth Eaglemoss Starships special beamed in rather unexpectedly.

As Chris has already said, this is an absolute dream of a model and its arrival just enhanced that experience for me.

As with all specials she's packed in polystyrene in her own fully enclosed box ensuring that she arrives in perfect condition.

First impression on opening that box is that, well, she is just damn big and top heavy. We've had both the Enterprise and the ISS Enterprise NX-01 models (same ship let's be honest) and this SS Enterprise refit easily dwarfs that mould in every respect.

The hefty model has a huge metallic saucer that is exquisitely detailed at every millimetre with that underlying aztec paint scheme shimmers in the light playing out a glorious two tone silver coupled with a whole range of decals from cargo loading bay door markings right across to the bold ship registry adorning the front of the vessel. The detailing is blatantly superior to its smaller, original version with much more trim around the central bridge module in particular. Even the paint on the bridge dome and underside sensor module are more precisely finished than they were on the issue four NX-01.

The underneath of the saucer is every inch as good as the top with a full paint job and again that wonderful attention to the decal detail including the two "NX-01" registries on the port and starboard side. What becomes apparent even at this point is just how much there is to see and even on a couple of good scan overs there are still bits that I failed to catch or saw again in a different way. The only real error I can find here - or anywhere as will become apparent is a bit of an uneven paint job on the blue around the saucer's deflector dish. Seriously, that's it and just look at that end result.

Moving towards the rear you can see how this design has been altered from the original we saw in the show to this Version 1.5 evolved by Doug Drexler. Retaining the warp nacelles, the warp field regulator is dropped down into the new secondary hull which offers some familiar styling but more on that shortly.

With the warp engines the exterior vents are now encased and the Starfleet pennant adorns the exterior plating. Look at the tips of the bussard collectors too which now carry the antennae that were a feature of the USS Enterprise in the two pilot episodes. Both of the nacelles are plastic and on their inside edge the warp venting is fitted in translucent blue plastic which keeps this ship very much "alive".

Every space has something new to see as you traverse down the pylons to the new location of the warp field regulator. Again this has been enhanced with more red trim decals and marks the model's transition from the metal saucer. For note the stand positioning on this one has also changed. No longer does the clip fit to the rear of the primary hull and into the recess for the maintenance hatches rather it now slides, much more securely, around the edges of the saucer. Much better position and fit all round, Eaglemoss.

 

While everything about the saucer has been a change in finish, the new, tubby little secondary hull makes a huge difference to the NX-01. Echoing the lines of the engineering section of NCC-1701, the silver tube's most striking feature has to be the golden deflector dish sitting prominently at the front. It's a wondrous homage to the original 1960's starship design as is the SS Enterprise font that reflects the script used on The Original Series' Galileo shuttlecraft. Just for note it would have been nice to see the new engineering section rendered with the same aztec paint scheme afforded for the saucer but given the overall effect it's one of those things I didn't actually notice until much later in writing this review.

Even down to the Starfleet pennant on the side of the hull you can see just how Drexler was retrospectively guiding the form of the NX Class towards what would become the Constitution Class of the Kirk era. It's a huge, huge shame that this was never able to be a part of the TV series and as the magazine notes, a real downer that it's probably the most canon non-canon starship that has come into existence as part of the extended Star Trek universe.

I for one have to say that the SS Enterprise NX-01 has to be among the absolute best, top class starships that the collection has produced either as a special or as a regular issue. Everything about it screams quality, care and attention to detail. It is the ultimate starship masterpiece without question and possibly contender (perhaps only Deep Space Nine for me). Every place you look there is detail, embossing, a greater level of precision than we've had before and certainly more than you will ever see on the smaller and less expensive regular issues.

Just being able to see and assimilate such a brilliant model reinforces how disappointing it is that she never got to take a proper flight. Maybe, just maybe, a certain Bryan Fuller might drop a fleeting glance at her in the future of the Discovery series just so this can be 100% canon.

Is this one of Eaglemoss' greatest Star Trek achievements? Did we miss out on a TV treat?

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Polished Mirror: The ISS Enterprise NX-01 Special

As only their third web-shop starship exclusive, Eaglemoss have now brought us the Mirror Universe version of the Enterprise from In a Mirror, Darkly.

Fairly short-lived, this is, in essence, just a repaint of the issue four NX-01 model plus a brand new magazine dedicated to the two part Mirror Universe prequel and The Tholian Web sequel. I'm hoping this isn't a sign that all of the future web specials will be just slight reworkings of main issue craft since the only other larger craft in this "M" series was the ISS Enterprise from Mirror, Mirror. However, the fact that we've had the shuttles set (and potentially more of those to come) does negate that a little.

So to the Mirror Universe ship and the quality of the model is undeniable. So often do I refer back to issue four with a loyal fondness that every one since has to live up to that level of detail. It set the bar early on in the way in which the aztec paint job had been applied, the intricacy of the engine construction and the attention to the precision of the decal application. The stand attachment to the base is still unique to this craft and while a tight fit it does the job more than adequately.

The Mirror Universe NX-01 continues the fine tradition established by its Prime Universe counterpart. While the magazine notes that there are several differences internally, there are only a few changes that mark the two apart from the outside. The ship's name has been changed to reflect the ISS addition plus there are two smaller Terran Empire emblems to the rear of the saucer as well as the large sword and planet front and centre. Perhaps the biggest and most noticable change are the two bright yellow "pincers" that reach around the curves of the primary hull to the port and starboard.

The underside and the engines are unchanged from the Enterprise of issue four although the accompanying magazine does reveal that things could have been very different had Rob Bonchune and not Doug Drexler been responsible for the final design.

The ship is, of course, a damn fine model but the magazine is just as much a highlight. Based purely around In a Mirror, Darkly, we have in depth info on the differences between the Prime and ISS versions of the warp five starship in regards not just to the craft but also to her crew who are quite unlike the characters we came to know in the rest of the Enterprise series.

Designing the craft does offer a look at the NX-01 that might have been complete with teeth and a striking red paint job that extended beyond the saucer alterations that Drexler brought into sword markings on the engines and on the lower side of the primary hull. I actually think the Bonchune design is much more striking and interesting but I also get why they chose the Drexler adaptions since they would be easier to see on screen given the bright yellow contrast.

Rounding out the issue - which is standard length rather than the bigger "specials" magazines - is a feature with In a Mirror, Darkly writer Mike Sussman explaining the origins and desire to do a Mirror Universe story much earlier than season four. I'd also go back and read the article from the M1 edition to link the Shatner Mirror Universe story from the Reece-Stevens into the other potentials that never happened. 

Will we get any other "M" series ships? Who knows - I can only think that we might get something from Deep Space Nine but that Defiant was an absolute carbon copy of the original so that seems very unlikely. As for now this is a good addition from a solid early entry to the series that is still one of its best in every single way possible. Maybe one for the ultimate completest given the minimal changes but that takes nothing away from the quality of the final product.

What other ships should appear in the "M" line? Are there other online specials that should be done?

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Events on the Horizon

While the dust is kicked up around the Axanar situation, you may well have missed the arrival of Star Trek: Horizon.

Based on the franchise, Tommy Kraft has brought a fresh new story to the universe and, most importantly, it's not set during the oft-used Kirk-era of The Original Series. Oh - usual warning, SPOILERS ahead.

Horizon instead takes us back to the time of the Romulan War and the years we glimpsed through Enterprise. This time we're not on the NX-01 but the Discovery under the command of one Harrison Hawke.

Horizon is very much a story of time, reintroducing us to the Iconians and introducing us to a terrifying technology that they managed to steal away from the Elway before they could use it. It's a scene we actually saw a few months ago as a teaser but my god did it leave a lot for us to discover.

Flash forward a few thousand years to the Discovery making a run for Earth territory carrying a Romulan defector. The escape results in the loss of Hawke's helm officer who, it also turns out, he was romantically entwined with. Seeing Romulan Birds of Prey laying down a barrage of fire onto the NX Class starship is incredible. The acting alone is spot on from everyone involved even at this early point in proceedings and, to be honest, it just gets better and better from there.

Turns out that the Romulans are preparing for a big push just around the corner from Earth and someone needs to go and sort it out before it gets nasty. The Discovery, Enterprise and a couple of Vulcan ships take on the mission. The Romulan defector, T'Mar, joins the crew at the helm although her presence isn't welcomed by all.  On the flip side, the Romulans are being aided by their own "Future Guy" in the effort to win the war but this time it's not a big help as the coalition fleet manages to save the day and destroy the weapon. Problem is that in the process the Discovery's brand spanking new tricobalt torpedoes set off a reaction which throws the ship out of time and into a distant galaxy where they arrive at Horizon. Without giving too much away, the movie tells the story of that mission and the need to stop the Elway weapon from being used plus some hallmark Enterprise Temporal Cold War elements mixed in for good effect.   

So let's get into the movie a bit more. For one thing the acting on all accounts is damn fine and spot on. Paul Lang as Captain Hawke provides a solid element of control as the commanding officer of the NX-04 and manages to sprinkle his performance with some more "human" touches than you might expect from a character who has been relentlessly experiencing the horrors of the Romulan War. Marc Bowers as First Officer and Science Officer Jackson Gates is a more calming influence within the crew and steps up to the plate when required. Ryan Webber perhaps has the most interesting role to play within Horizon providing the foil to Callie Bussell's altered Romulan T'Mar. 

Their relationship develops from hostility to a mutual "cease fire" but not friendship across the course of the movie and I think that's a good choice should this ever be expanded into other episodes. It is a cast which is fully utilised and everyone gets their moment in the limelight and for that Tommy and the production team must be congratulated. No-one hugs the camera and there is a use and purpose for every character. I actually expected Ensign Sutherland (Ashley Croft) to be a bit of a side character but she's well included during the away mission to Horizon plus she helps open up some more to T'Mar's character during an early interaction.

As for the Romulans, there are two key players. Firstly in the early events of the story, Admiral Verak, ably portrayed by Ryan Husk and latterly Daekon played by Rocco Guirlanda. The two "villains" of the piece do split the narrative with Verak being the main opponent when the coalition fleet attacks the hidden Romulan weapon and Daekon holds his own in the events surrounding Horizon. They are pretty standard Romulan characters although Daekon is perhaps provided more breathing space in terms of development moreso because of his role in the conclusion of the story. 

There is a little bit of moustache-twirling villainy in the air with Guirlanda's character but it does help up the ante. Also significant to the story of Horizon, Daekon and the Temporal Cold War is Amelia Yarris. Seemingly killed off in the opening few minutes of Horizon during the Romulan battle, she flits in and out of the show through Hawke's dreams and actually has a decent part to play when all the different strands are brought together. Her path is a little forecast and won't take a great amount of thinking to work out where it's heading by the halfway point but the payoff, at the least, makes sense and actress Jeannine Thompson carries the part off very well and makes it believable.

The story itself is very clearly set out as I've noted. It is quite simple, easy to follow and well explained from the start. The hectic battle which introduces us to the Discovery and her crew is excellently executed and for a one-off production I was blown away. Kraft and the production team have utterly amazed me with their attention to detail in every way. The phasers, uniforms, tricorders, consoles and overall environments are just as you would expect and have seen during the four years Enterprise was on our screens.  A lot of the production does use green screens/backdrops to create the full environment but the way in which it's filmed draws your eyes away from the backgrounds and onto the main characters. Their performances do make you forget that a lot of what you're seeing is all being created inside a computer and really helps you invest in the story.

I actually think this way of producing, as opposed to the standing sets of Continues or New Voyages means that Kraft and co have been able to be a lot more expressive in their artform and do a lot more than you might chance with "real" props. Certainly the pounding the Discovery gets in its first appearance is testimony to that in the least. It also means that we are granted some stunning vistas and alien environments and technology when we are taken to Horizon. 

There are definitely a few sequences I can immediately think of which would otherwise not have been possible if not for the use of CGI. Saying that about the internal visuals it also has to be said for the space battles and realisations of the Earth, Vulcan and Romulan ships that appear throughout. The texturing, the lighting, the finished article is just beautiful to watch and I think it's actually an improvement on some of the visuals even CG Enterprise gave us 15 years ago. 

The space-bourne sequences are in the minority and act as an accompaniment rather than a major part of the story. They are important but are used effectively with the narrative rather than being a good excuse to have some stuff blowing up. What CG has done for Horizon is allow it to really embrace the universe and do whatever it wants. Bridge of a starship? Check. Alien world complete with killer drones? Check. 

Horizon is unique in the fact it has avoided doing the "inexpensive" classic 60's Star Trek and has broken the boundaries to passionately embrace the prequel era and the technical wizardry that those later produced episodes brought viewers. It's a brave move that could have easily looked cheap and nasty but the commitment of the actors plus the brilliance of the digital recreations on screen had me captivated and enthralled from the first scene. If you've yet to see Horizon you are missing a true diamond from the fan film community. I fear we may never see a sequel but this rally does go to show what a limited budget and total belief from all involved can produce. 

Tommy Kraft should be proud of this achievement and I'm sure that his skills will be in great demand particularly from other fan productions in the future. Horizon is a great action adventure story which sits perfectly in the Star Trek universe. It has heart, it has a soul and it has dared to explore something and somewhere different, drawing on elements from the franchise's past but yet successfully adding to it and remaining faithful to the core material. At an hour and a half this is perfectly paced and totally enjoyable. Get yourself a brew, get comfy and watch it. This could well be the film future productions use as their benchmark and could well be a turning point in how fan movies look for the next fifty years.

Were you impressed with Horizon? Will it have an impact on future fan productions? Let me know your thoughts below!

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Star Trek: Enterprise: Rise of the Federation: A Choice of Futures

My last encounter with Enterprise as a series was the final episode back in 2005 and that was, as we will all remember, less than stellar.

So this latest Enterprise novel from the halls of Simon and Schuster is something of a voyage into the unknown. A lot seems to have happened since the final episode and in essence only the characters actually align this to the show in any manner. So be warned there might be SPOILERS as we open the pages and read on...

There is no Enterprise and for me the whole nature of the show was about those first exploratory steps and initial technological advances. It's a difficult concept to grasp but in some respects it is honouring the memory of the short-lived series by expanding the story into the evolution of the Federation.

In A Choice of Futures things have moved on and the beginnings of the Federation are starting to evolve but as always there are some dark nasties looking to cause trouble from the wings and disrupt everything. Our familiars from the series have all moved on, whether into command of other starships or more senior positions at least. Even dead ones seem to have, as seems to be the trend with Star Trek, the ability to return from beyond the grave.

I have two differing opinions on this novel. One says to me that Enterprise novels should be confined to the arc of the series but in another heartbeat I know that moving events forward in time and defining the galaxy of the 23rd and 24th Centuries. What we get is kind of a mix up of lots of things and at the end of it not a lot to show. 

I spent a great deal of the first 200 pages not really getting where this was going. There were some nice chats about promotions, lots of talking about what they might do, some chats about relationships, a few words about an enemy called the "Mutes", a bit of eating and two thirds of the book seemed to have drifted by. I was not impressed and I got the sense that there was a lot of filler here. Most of the focus is on Archer, T'Pol and Reed with Sato and Mayweather filling out the background. For a lot of the time they are barely more than bit parts which is a shame but reflects exactly how they were in Enterprise.

Don't get me wrong, Christopher L Bennett tries to make this interesting but it's as though he's not got a lot to work with and fills out the novel with lots of nice little character bits but no serious, hard-hitting stuff until much later but the problem is that by that stage I really didn't care. I was looking forward to getting into this book BUT the problem is that it's all buildup with a group of characters that just don't seem to lift off the page and do anything vaguely interesting.

Archer for one seems totally neutered as an admiral, spending time hoping around between ships and the Federation Council playing mediator. Sitting on that very council is Enterprise guest-star favourite Shran and his initial introduction belays that the character has chilled out since we saw him in the series. That in itself is a real shame as I would have hoped that this individual would have managed to light some kind of fire within this book and make it engaging. Sadly that's not the case and Shran spends a lot of time doing a lot of time sitting around...chatting.

The villain here in the form of the Mutes just don't get that threatening and I never really believe their case because the bulk of the book does what it does best - talks about them, builds them up and then leaves them in a position which can only make them something of a disappointment. Their reveal could have been great and pivotal to the plot but after dragging out the "action" for a long time I didn't care that much. Sorry; I just wasn't fussed.

Aside from the fact that Enterprise is missing the Enterprise in all but a few off-hand "oh yeah, this is based on that series" references the crew are just bland, even more so than many fans may regrettably recall from the series. Bringing Trip "back" from the dead might have seemed like a great idea somewhere along the line but it just adds a further insult to the injury that was These Are the Voyages.... While that might not have been the author's fault you do get the sense that he's had to work with it. Trip should have stayed dead because it only makes that error of a final episode even more horrid and his return feels apologetic - did we even need him to be in Section 31?!

OK, OK, it's pretty apparent that I am not giving this book a good review but there are some great redeeming points within the pages that are worth finding through all the misjudgements and stilted pacing. Bennett works a treat in around the transporter systems and their potential dangers. It's a great notion and something that only a couple of characters (McCoy and Pulaski) ever really hint at. Here those concerns are met and covered; the only thing is it's thought another one of Those Chats that litter this publication. 

Nicely for those who like a good bit of continuity we also get to meet one of the former Dax hosts, Tobin who is working on a project for the Federation of, without doubt, the utmost importance. It's a nice nod to the franchise and Deep Space Nine in particular which I would never have expected to be referenced in an Enterprise novel. There are more nods to the Kir'Shara, the Xindi and even, oddly at a time when I've just discovered a show is being made about Garth of Izar, Axanar which played such a pivotal role in his life and career (here's the link to their Facebook page)

Perhaps though a highlight of the book and one that did stick with me throughout was a section dealt with starship design and why the Federation would be going along the lines of Earth's ships rather than those of the Vulcans or the Andorians. It's a decent answer and I'll give that one to Christopher L Bennett, it's a question that I'd never asked but when it was proposed here it did make me think. The reasoning is particularly nicely explained. I also did like the way in which one story strand brought back the USS Essex and Captain Bryce Shumar who were featured in The Next Generation's Power Play. I didn't expect their addition so it was a nice diversion in the plot. The challenge with these s well as the extra crew involved on the Endeavour and the Pioneer is that they aren't the main cast and as such their relationships and input into the story just don't excite. Sorry, but while it does feel like they are essential to the story their personalities are a little on the flat side.

In the last year I've read a lot of Star Trek novels for SKoST and this has to be bottom of the pile by some distance. It would even make me reconsider reviewing any more Enterprise novels in the future. The recent Eaglemoss release of the NX-01 relit my interest in this much maligned spawn of Star Trek and when I come to rewatching the series in some months time I hope that time has been kind and that A Choice of Futures isn't how it was back in the day.