Renegades: Rubbish or Revelation?

I'm finally putting finger to keyboard about this one but it did take me until the eve of Star Trek's 49th birthday to do so.

There have already been a ton of reviews of Renegades out there especially since it's more public release on YouTube a couple of weeks ago, but with September's anniversary coming along I thought; "OK, what would Gene have thought of this? Is this truly what Star Trek is now and will be in the future?"

Flashback; it's taken around two years and then some to bring Renegades to reality and there have been some sizeable breaks between pre-production, then filming and finally the good old post-production polish but is it living up to the hype that the stellar Star Trek cast and co. have brought whether it was wanted or not? 

At a surface level it looks great. Renegades is a really shiny production that takes the Star Trek universe beyond Nemesis and into much darker times for the Federation. There's a ton of action, phaser battles, CG space combat and some seriously gorgeous ship sequences that rival anything we ever saw in Voyager and Enterprise. You certainly won't get bored watching it as the journey to the credits is one event after another with lots to keep you occupied visually. However it's when you start to get past the screen gloss and look into the heart of the movie that my appreciation begins to waiver. 

Let's handle the plot itself just to get us all on the same page. Renegades sees still-active 147 year old Admiral Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) and apparent Section 31 chief Commander Tuvok (Tim Russ who also pulls directorial duties) releasing genetic super-person Lexxa Singh (played by Adrienne Wilkinson and yes, a relation to Khan) from an Orion prison so she can lead her "motley crew" and stop a deadly super force from wreaking havoc on the galaxy. That's basically it in a nutshell aside from the array of set pieces which drop in to make this last more than 15 minutes. 

Koenig's involvement will certainly have bolstered interest but his scenes are very, very average and he's playing Chekov in his sleep here albeit carrying some big troubles on his experienced shoulders. When I watch his performance and compare it to something that I might see in Valiant, Continues or Dreadnought Dominion there's a passion that I see in those productions which I don't see within Walter's eyes or many others for that instance. I just don't believe in the characters nor in the desire of some actors to do this. 

On that note, what was with the great-granddaughter element in this? I wasn't sure where that was going but there is a moment which actually did shock me and was totally unexpected. Again, the acting is OK from this younger actress and I suspect we will see - and I would like to see - her story expanded in future episodes of Renegades.

Aiding Chekov is Andorian hacker Shree (Courtney Peldon) and Romulan assassin T'Leah (Larissa Gomez). Their appearance might seem like window-dressing to some degree but they are fairly important to protecting the admiral and uncovering some of the darker plot elements. The problem with both characters is that due to the other events and the cast size they really don't get a lot to do once they've had their "moment".

The Syphon, just to fill that in, is a race attacking planets, including ones which provide vital dilithium for the Federation, and  are therefore threatening the survival of the inter-planetary organisation. Since the activities of the Syphon are happening outside of Federation jurisdiction and they are not controlled by Federation laws the situation will need to be handled by someone else so if you can find them and no-body else can help maybe you can hire the - sorry slipped into another show there for a second but I'm sure you get the drift. They get shockingly little time here and the concluding events of the movie seem rushed and I didn't have any strong desire for the Syphon to be defeated. Their motives seemed lacklustre and they received little to work with. 

So let's look at the renegades themselves. Enter Lexxa; driven by the possibility that her mother, killed by Section 31, might still be around(?) and lots of angst all built up ready to let fly at the first opportunity. She's also the (deposed) captain of the renegade vessel, Icarus and is certainly keep to reacquire her position from it's Nausicaan encumbant. Lexxa's feisty, ass-kicking leader you'd expect to lead such a band and it gives Adrienne Wilkinson the chance to snarl at the camera and do some slow-mo walking. You know she's important because no-one else gets that treatment and her return to the bridge of the Icarus is fairly swift after a brief punch-up in an Orion prison and Tuvok letting her out. Adrienne Wilkinson does a fine job to work with what she gets and her story is at least interesting. I pray she gets better material to work with in the future of the series as once the prison fight had gone I didn't think her supposed superior skills were utilised to any degree.

There's an impressive ensemble just in the crew itself; Sean Young, probably most memorable for her performance as the Replicant Rachel in Bladerunner is Doctor Lucien an expert in holographic technology and typically on the run it seems although she has regular contact with guest-starring Robert Picardo's Lewis Zimmerman. The Young/Picardo scenes are probably the best pairing in the movie and are certainly played with a little more emotion and care.  Seeing Picardo back is a pleasure and he does genuinely look like he's enjoying being on the screen and back in Star Trek. Mind you, the Zimmerman we see here is nothing at all like the grouch we became familiar with in Voyager. 

We also get introduced to Chasty Ballasteros as Betazoid Ronara. Not quite what you might expect, Ronara can't do that whole empathic emotional bit that Troi was so good at in The Next Generation, rather she can manipulate people using her mental abilities. Nice trick and a nice twist on an established trope but it doesn't make her character any more memorable. Y'see, there are a lot of people in this production, a lot of main and guest characters and the 90 minute duration only just gives them all time to get a few lines and some shoe-horned character exposition. Given that these guys are supposed to have known each other for a while they spend a lot of the movie talking about basic information you would assume they already know. It's obviously for the audience but perhaps they didn't need to do as much and leave a lot of stuff unsaid to be explained in future installments? I actually felt this detracted from the pace of Renegades and stalled the motion of the story.

Also on board is Edward "Terminator 2" Furlong as Fixer. Seemingly the Icarus chief engineer, Furlong only really comes into his own towards the last 15 minutes of the film. He's OK but the performance is fairly forgettable except for that key section of the movie. At least he fares better than Manu Intiraymi as Icheb. While it's great to see a second Voyager character back in the fray and for Manu to be onboard, the Icheb character betrays a lot about what is critically wrong with Renegades. 

Gone is the intelligent, slightly withdrawn teenager from Voyager replaced by an almost vengeful soldier. Ok I get the whole Section 31 piece surrounding his evolution since Endgame but it seems a bit too far and nothing like the person we knew. Intiraymi does the best with the material he's given - in fact having spoken to him about Renegades I understand some of the issues a lot more and seriously feel that his character is underused and under-explored. He should be a major player but is at times relegated to a background role.

Same goes for Tuvok in that Russ seems to be playing him by rote and forgetting all the nuances that made him interesting particularly towards the end of the show. These character changes feel forced and likewise this movie feels forced. I enjoyed it but I couldn't buy into the nature of the renegade force or their very existence. Nor do I feel that anyone was done full justice or written properly given the numerous returning characters we had here. The whole point of Section 31 I thought was to deal with these kind of problems so that the Federation could deny all knowledge should anything go wrong. I'm really not sure if the writers got to grips with their source material properly here as it's much more a guns-blazing action piece than anything else. 

What they have attempted with Renegades is admirable but the cast is wasted on a basic action flick. Vic Mignogna's Cardassian is killed off early and could have been a fairly interesting character but now we'll never know.  Worst is that it's also taken me this long through the cast to remember that Gary Graham is in here as Ragnar, some form of mercenary type. I have a feeling he's going to be better treated as a character in Axanar than he does here. Truth be told both Ragnar and Sean Penn's Doctor Lucien benefit the most when they are alone aboard the Icarus evading the Archer. Again, a bit of a token character with not enough screen time to be fully developed in this installment.

From the very opening this feels like a 90's episode of Babylon 5 in the style of filming, the low tech sets and the amount of very evident green-screen really made this feel a little bit raw and retro. It's not a complaint because, hey, they have to reduce costs and this is never going to have quite the same feel as a TV episode but it's very telling what an independent production can complete versus the power of somewhere like CBS. Nor am I a great fan of the Syphon. The make-up is not that great, as an enemy I didn't buy into them and all we seemed to get was a lot of grunts and snorts through the monkey-esque mouthpieces. Borrada, their leader played by Bruce Young, could have been much better developed than just the archetypical villain role. I know he could have brought more depth to the role but the script, once again, is just as unforgiving and inflexible as his excessive makeup.

The plot point surrounding the use of portals to collapse planets into space and time is a really neat concept. It's not exactly new but the idea of encasing or destroying planets using it was fairly cool to see and did enhance the sense of danger especially when it turned to Earth as a potential target. The effects with this part were a bit iffy and some of the tension build up seemed to drag on a little longer than necessary. That's actually one of the directional points that did grate since it happened a few times - an angle lingered too long, a scene could have cut earlier or started just a fraction later.

There's a lot of blasting and battles but there doesn't feel like any form of Star Trek core; no morality, no deeper meaning that you would expect. It's almost as though Renegades is attempting the fast, visual gratification that modern blockbuster movies attempt, possibly aiming for a younger newer audience a la JJ's movies? I just found it lacking anything substantial. Many other popular fan series chose to stay in The Original Series era because it can be done less expensively and still look pretty good which is where Renegades vision and ability come into conflict quite drastically. With Renegades the intention is to make it look 24th Century but given the budget it just doesn't hit the mark. I'm sorry but unless you've got the millions that produced The Next Generation and the rest it's always going to look like a cheap knock-off however hard you try. Walls are a bit plain and shaky, sets look empty and there's a lot of obvious green-screen however, a lot of the visual effects added in post-production look great especially the tech on Icheb, some of the clear padd devices and the intensity of the ground battles.

Costuming too really bugged me. Not so much the renegades attire but the production's take on Starfleet's uniform which,  in every case be it Corin Nemec on the Archer,  Tuvok or Chekov looks like something you would buy from a fancy dress shop. It seems strangely oversized and in comparison to the clothes the main renegade characters receive they look really shoddy and poorly made. Sorry,  just an opinion but they aren't the best. The bridge set for the Archer too was very cramped, oddly shot and felt like it had been constructed in about five minutes. Sorry, I have major gripes with this as you can see....

Renegades is a heck of a lot darker and much less Starfleet than you will have experienced with even the conflict-filled world of Deep Space Nine. The appearance of the USS Archer with it's oddly wide deflector dish, as well as the inclusion of admirals Chekov and Paris (Richard Herd) keep a tag that we are still in the same Star Trek universe but I can't shake the feeling that this isn't quite Star Trek. Indeed as I asked at the start, would Gene have approved? I'm not sure he would have.

We know from interviews Roddenberry gave that he wanted other people to take on the franchise, to add their twist to it but the hopeful future he spoke of and believed in which in turn brought life to the Star Trek universe does not seem to exist in Renegades. The universe seems to have gone Bad (purposeful capital "B" there) and is only getting worse. Even Starfleet seems less optimistic and after the Dominion War, the multiple Borg attacks and the rest you'd probably not blame them but it there was always a sense of hope that seems to have been sapped from Renegades. If I was to understand the universe from this perspective I'd assume that s**t happens and deal with it.

We always knew that Renegades would not look as good as the TV show but I personally expected better given the time, effort and names associated with the project. It may not be the Star Trek we could have expected nor will it ever be canon but fans deserved something much more in keeping with the feel of the franchise. It's all well and good taking the idea in different directions but at its core anything Star Trek still needs to remain true to its founding principles to be truly considered Star Trek and I think that Renegades falls short of the mark with its desire for action over genuine character interaction and development.

I'll be the first to admit that I didn't donate to the project. OK, say what you will, I didn't and regretted it to the point where I did donate to Axanar. My problem is that I'm not sure how all the cash really was spent here. The cast is incredible but it just seems bloated in comparison to the plot needs, development (written that word A LOT here) and pacing. Less characters would have given more exposure to the necessary ones and potentially helped thicken out the story with something more meaningful. I know this comes across as an utter slating but it is still an improvement on productions from the 00's however while Renegades has been in production other units have caught up and passed what this movie has attempted to do in so many ways. 

Admittedly there's no-one trying to do post-Nemesis Star Trek so they do get a gold star for that and for effort but without the backing of a proper studio it's never going to hit the heights it needs to. Yes, yes, I know that's the point of the web-pilot to get that interest but so far I've not heard anything to suggest it's going to get that. Even more concerning is that the cast is going to be increased with the recent announcement that Terry (Jadzia Dax) Farrell will be boarding ship for the next episode - even less time for the existing crew to blossom?!

Renegades may well not be the optimistic future that Gene Roddenberry envisaged and brought to the screen on September 8th 1966 but it is still a vehicle to carry the name and keep the franchise alive in some form. While we are getting numerous series expanding the tales in the era of The Original Series, Renegades has been brave enough to move forward into new, uncharted visual territory and stake a claim. 

I look forward to the next phase of it's evolution and expect that a lot of lessons will be learned from the production of this movie. I have felt this has been a huge disappointment given all the factors that have gone into making a "new" Star Trek but I am hopefully confident that Renegades II will certainly be a step forward from here. Heck, we can't go backwards can we? 

How did you feel about Renegades? Was it as "miss" as I felt it was or am I being unjustly critical on something that's keeping Star Trek alive?

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The Stories We Never Saw: The Potential of Captain Pike

Just when you thought it was safe to get ready for some New Voyages, a bit of Axanar or the long-anticipated Renegades, one more massive Star Trek fan project manages to slap you in the face and demands attention.

That's not a bad thing either since the project we're talking about is Captain Pike and unless you've been living with a Horta for the last few months, you'll already be aware that it could be the next Big Thing as far as fan productions go.

The brains behind the operation is writer/director/producer Todd Shawn through his production company, Rigel VII (wonder where that name came from...?!) and I have to say, the scope looks mouth-wateringly good - even CG legend Tobias Richter is on board!

"I came up with the idea because it was something I wanted to see." said producer/writer Todd Shawn. "We never saw him [Pike] in The Original Series. We saw The Cage and that the mission [to Rigel] was something that affected him but we never got a chance to really explore that character. 

"I thought that at some point in The Original Series they would go back and show something with  him, maybe a flashback but we didn't. I can see from our Facebook page and the Kickstarter campaign that I'm not the only person who thought this way and people really wanted to see more Pike, see his history and when he first takes command of the Enterprise.

"Everybody wanted to know more about Pike and there really has never been anything in film explored about this man's story or who he was, the missions he went on, the people he encountered and how he paved the way for Captain Kirk."

Walter Doty, a good friend of Todd has been helping to bring the characters and story to life through the script; "I came up with the story and knew Walter was a writer and asked him to take a look at it." continued Todd, "We came up with something great and once we got the script out to the actors  they were hooked and really liked where the story was going. They thought it was original and loved the whole feel of the film. They felt it was original that had not been done and that was important to me."

For us fans that cast alone is dynamite with some major heavyweights on board. For starters there are former Star Trek main cast actors Robert Picardo and Linda Park from Voyager and Enterprise respectively. Add in there recurring Star Trek guests Dwight "Barclay" Schultz and Chase "Leeta" Masterson and you can already start to see the heights that this production is aiming for. But then there's even more to come with Ray Wise (Arturis from Hope and Fear), Bruce Davison (Jareth in Voyager's Remember and Menos in Enterprise's The Seventh), Sean Kenney (Lieutenant DePaul and the scarred Captain Pike in The Original Series) and finally Jorge Pallo (from The Secret Life of the American Teenager, Sons of Anarchy and many more) all taking up roles onscreen.

But how do you get such names to sign up to your Star Trek project? "It comes down to the script." noted Todd, "One person gives it to another if they like it and so on. I've already worked with Ray Wise and showed him the script. If one actor has connections with another actor who then gives it to another or mentions someone who could be involved it goes from there."

"It also helps if they are interested and it excites them!" added Walter with the pair also revealing that seven months work went into the script before they campaign to make the pilot even came into existence.

In relation to the vision of Captain Pike, Todd has very specific ideas on where his production will be heading; "We're not doing a reboot as far as the new movies we will be much more based on The Original Series ideas. We're just doing it in a different look and a different tone. It will be a darker tone and something that has more of an edgy feel than you saw so it won't be the same music, the same lighting. 

"It won't be a duplicate of The Original Series because there are so many series that do that now and do it well. We don't want to copy that we want to do something new and exciting that people haven't seen before.

That story is the one we only saw and heard glimpses of during The Cage and would flesh out the back story of the Enterprise's second commanding officer - but before that, the production team want to show fans and backers what they can do with the 45 minute pilot that will take us even further back into Star Trek history and the first time Captain Pike took command of the USS Enterprise. This pilot will introduce both Pike and Spock, see start of their friendship; their differences as well as show a younger Spock coming to terms with his emotional side. This Spock is less experienced, less confident and not the First Officer. The Captain Pike writers will be illustrating how he's trying to fit in and find his place in Starfleet especially as he's the first Vulcan to join the ranks.

Said Walter; "You think of Kirk and Spock being so close but yet Spock was willing to go against Kirk and the Federation to help Captain Pike (in The Menagerie) by putting his career and his life on the line but yet we didn't know anything about this guy. Why would you be that loyal to someone? There has to be a reason. He has to be a very strong character in your life if you're willing to betray Kirk....As a fan of Mr Spock a lot of people want to know why he made these emotional choices, who he was and his relationship to Kirk and the Enterprise."

"You'll also get to see Number One who is a very strong female officer and first officer. We get a chance to explore her character and who she is. We'll get to meet a lot of new and established crewmembers in the pilot and to explore some of the captains we met in The Original Series and find out what they've done and who they were. We will address that."

To the sets and costumes, everything will be as seen in the original pilot so expect the gold and blue velour as well as some amazing finishing touches. For example, the patches on the uniforms are all being custom-made. Captain Pike will also be making use of the Phase II bridge set thanks to show executive producer James Cawley. James has also said they will help to redress the sets to replicate The Cage with black railings and silver doors which will help provide that feel of the earlier era.

While they will be utilising the standing sets from Phase II, the episode is also set to feature an away mission and a space battle providing a fair bit of variety and making sure not everything happens within the confines of the USS Enterprise.

If the campaign to get this 45 minute episode is successful then we can expect a lot more from the team as they are writing a Captain Pike saga which goes well beyond their pilot and has the involvement of Walter Koenig. The Chekov actor was impressed with the project, coming in to both write and also play a unique role in the film.

However, all these plans could be totally scuppered if the Kickstarter target isn't met and time is rapidly evaporating. So far over 500 fans have donated but of the $112,000 target only around $62,000 has been raised. If funding isn't reached there will be no production.

"We really need people to help and give as much as can or even if they can only give a little to give that." explained Todd, "If you can't give anything please tweet and share the project because that doesn't cost anything but time and if you can help in any way you will get to see an epic film.

If we get the funding we'll be filming in September, produce a teaser by Thanksgiving, a trailer by Christmas and then work on everything from the music to effects after that but we can't do anything without the funding."

Remember that if you don't hit your target with Kickstarter you get nothing and if that's the case it would be back to square one almost for Todd. "We'd be looking at promoting at conventions, trying to keep everyone involved and do another Kickstarter to get funding in the future but we have the opportunity to do it now and if people want it, please support us any way you can. We've had a lot of support and we can't thank everyone enough for their help."


Perks for the campaign are in four tiers ranging from $10 to $130 and offering everything from your name on the donors' page of the website through to PDF scripts, ship patches, exclusive making-of downloads and even specially produced clothing items as well as blu-ray copies of the completed movie.

So now is definitely time to get behind this production. The players are available, the script is done - now all that needs to happen is for filming to begin and it's us, the fans who can make that a reality.

You can donate to the Captain Pike Kickstarter right now by clicking HERE or visit their website HERE

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Supanova 2015 from the Inside

Please give a big SKoST welcome to +James Patrik as he leads us into the world of the convention from the perspective of the fan and the stall-holder - and in Australia!!!

Supanova – one of three gargantuan sci-fi conventions held in Melbourne each year. It's day one, and the fans have arrived in droves to meet the some of the actors from the original Star Trek series.

I work here; rather, I am an exhibitor working at a stall as part of a team selling collectables. 

Right now I’m waiting in line with the rest of the fans. It’s not so bad – there are only a couple of people ahead of me, so it shouldn't be long now. 

I glance around the room, taking in the sheer enormity of the event. Over the next 48 hours, approximately 50,000 people will make their way into the Melbourne Showgrounds like costumed pilgrims seeking autographs and action figures. For everyone else, it’s a circus – a day of fun and frivolity – but for me it’s a day of work, and this is my lunch break.

The queue lurches forward again. A couple more steps. In spite of the vomiting butterflies in my stomach, I take a moment to realise just how tired I am. Unbeknownst to the average convention attendee, these conventions are often hard work. Exhibitors arrive two days beforehand and join an army of hi-vis vest wearing men and women unloading trucks and setting up stalls.

This fluorescent army keeps working right up until the doors open on the first day. A strange electricity hangs in the air in anticipation of the day ahead. I’ll always remember seeing the waiting crowd for the first time - thousands of people restrained by glass doors, just waiting for the right time. It was quite a sight, and one that filled me with excitement and terror.

The line is moving again again, I reach for my pocket to check on my trading card – it is still safe – encased in its hard plastic toploader. Others have glossy photos signed, but I prefer the cards. They are smaller and I can stick them on my wall.

The anticipation finally too much, I nervously begin bobbing up and down on my toes. Up ahead, I catch a glimpse of a familiar face, a face that cannot possibly be real. 

My heart skips a beat.

In spite of my fatigue, I'm still energised. I have always loved sci-fi conventions. The costumes, the colours, the general over-stimulation. In fact, ‘Cosplayers’ have now become integral to these events. Walking attractions in themselves, they spend the day patiently posing for photographs.

These shows are the only time I get to talk to other fans outside of the internet. Each interaction quickly becomes a heated debate about the current season of Doctor Who or an angry review of the latest Ninja Turtles film. Cheesy as it may seem, I feel I’m among my own kind. Sci-fi fans are passionate, knowledgeable and warm. Though they are strangers to me, we are united by a common love, a shared history and a million nerdy conversations.

And so here I stand, in line with my brethren. Behind me, a green Power Ranger and a girl dressed as Deadpool compare tattoos.

“Next!”

A man up ahead beckons me forward as I nervously fumble for my trading card and place it down on the table in front of me. And there he is – the great man himself - George Takei.

Sat before me, his eyes are piercing and clear, his hair a little greyer than I expected, but there is no mistake – George Takei is right in front of me!

It is a moment frozen in time. This man – through books, VHS tapes and comics – has been a part of my entire life. The realisation is staggering, and the world seems unreal as he sits across a table from me breathing the same oxygen.

George picks up my trading card to inspect it. My mouth feels like it’s filled with peanut butter, but I manage to say hello. His brow furrowed, he reaches for his spectacles and gingerly slips them over his ears, now squinting at the card I have placed before him. 

I freeze. 

What could possibly be wrong? Does he not want to sign my card? Everyone else is having photos signed. I start to panic.

“Great. I've pissed off Captain Sulu”.

And then it happened – with a practiced flourish he signs my card, offering me a smile and a single word of approval in his familiar iconic baritone.

“Outstanding!”

I shake his hand and politely say thank you as I suppress a childish squeal and return to work, clutching my signed card.

The next day, I had the good fortune of also meeting Walter Koenig, who like his contemporaries is sporting a little more grey these days, yet is still recognisably Chekov. A little less shy this time, I decide to try some witty banter.

“You were one of my action figures when I was a kid”.

Koenig smiles.

“I take great pride in that young man." he replies quickly, himself a toy collector.

He too signs my card and sends me on my way. As I return to work, I ponder the iconic nature of these two men. Takei and Koenig – for me, no longer mere actors but pillars of my youth and a reminder of my 24 years spent trekking. As I write this, the world still mourns Leonard Nimoy, and I wonder if I will ever again have the chance to meet an original series actor.

The convention ended, my feet sore and my body exhausted, I return home and inspect my treasured autographs once again. The items themselves aren't important; they are merely props with which to tell this story – proof that one day, not too long ago, I got to meet Sulu and Chekov for real.

The Renegades Trailer: The Wait Is Nearly Over

Broken by several of its cast,  the Star Trek: Renegades trailer may well offer hope that the future of fan films doesn't just lie in the realms of The Original Series.

It seems to have taken an eternity to get to this stage but it now feels that we're within reach of seeing the finished product - but what does this brand spanking new trailer tell us about the upcoming Tim Russ movie?

"...Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade..."

It's a slow opener with some non-descript shots of seemingly alien tech, their ships (possibly) and introductory snaps of Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson) and Voyager's Manu Intiraymi.

The notable bit we get first though is a young Lexxa with her mother, played by singer Cela Scott from Automatik Eden and it tends to indicate that those two phaser-rifle wielding gents that we've seen in teasers before are out to kill the pair. Linking this to the susequent scene where Tuvok meets Lexxa in prison it's pretty clear that she believes her mother was murdered by the pair of phaser-toters. Finding out if she's still alive provides some motivation for her involvement in Tuvok's Big Plan.

The 143-year old Admiral Pavel Chekov certainly looks good for his age although the Starfleet uniforms we've seen in promo shots and here in the trailer do seem to be ill-fitting which is a surprise. Something that might also be levelled at Robert Picardo's outfit as Doctor Lewis Zimmerman - looking unusually happy for once as well you would be too getting to share the screen with Sean Young as Doctor Lucien - or Rachel from Blade Runner as you may know her better. Neither actually get any lines to say in this trailer so I can't pinpoint what their role within the Renegades framework actually is.

The USS Archer looks stunning in her first fly-by, giving us a shot of her registry, NCC-78101 and the detail is certainly impressive, even down to the numbering of the escape pod hatches. The ship gets her first appearance as we're introduced to the new alien race playing nemesis in Renegades and they're stopping at nothing to prove a point, dragging unnamed round corners screaming or killing those who get in the way. Called the Syphon, their introduction isn't the best here and nor does the make-up seem to have any amount of flexibility around the mouth area which could prove difficult in the longer movie.

"The Federation has made a great mistake of interfering. We will not be stopped by you."

That said, they do have a different look and seem to provide a genuine threat, destroying worlds and causing a headache for Admiral Chekov. I'd really like to know what "interfering" the Federation has been doing to get them unsettled and lead into this tale. Certainly there's a lot to fill in about this and more importantly about the crew of characters on the Renegades' ship. What is the path that leads Lexxa from punching seven shades out of Vic Mignogna's Cardassian prisoner Garis to the bridge of that same vessel?

Opposing her or at the least getting in the way for some of this is Corin Nemec as Captain Alvarez on the USS Archer - again in that ill fitting uniform style that everyone in Starfleet appears to be taking on. Note the homage to the Enterprise-D in the style of the bridge console right behind him when we get a glimpse on board as he faces off against Lexxa. Tarah Page gets a brief snapshot on screen in security mustard as Commander Petrona but blink and you'll miss her. Indeed, trawling the main cast there are a few notables who get no screen-time at all but I like that as it means we still have tons to look forward to.

One person who does crop up in a flash here and there as well as on the bridge of the Renegades ship is Edward Furlong, almost unrecognisable as Fixer. So much so I had to cross-check it against the movie's website cast list to reassure myself. From a later shot in the trailer it might be he doesn't last the whole movie since that looks like one of the Syphon is coming up from behind him.

"You will be hunted."

"That's the way we like it."

Also on that rag-tag crew is Gary Graham as Ragnar but more significantly shown in the trailer is Icheb wielding some impressive Borg technology and a neat little effect where the weaponry appears to grow around his arm while Lexxa and a Bajoran look on. Talking of Voyager characters here, Richard Herd's Admiral Paris also pops up, giving some sage words of wisdom to Admiral Chekov as the screen erupts with explosions and phaser fights. Those scenes tend to indicate the team's very survival could be at stake here - will they all make it to the end credits? I'm not convinced that everyone will.

From the latter moments of the trailer there's a heavy sense that this is going to be very, very action orientated with Lexxa and Icheb being in the thick of it accompanied by one Breen at the least while Courtney Peldon's Shree and Chasty Ballesteros' Ronara do get a few seconds of screentime but little more than lip service to their involvement at this point. I suppose the good thing about that is that we'll discover more about them with the arrival of the finished product.. The effects look good so far with the space shots of the Renegades ship and the USS Archer twisting around Klingon battlecruisers demonstrates how far tech has come since Of Gods and Men. 


As a trailer it does reveal that this crew have been placed together to assassinate the leader of the Syphon before he destroys more worlds. The Federation has to remain whiter than white so Lexxa's crew become their only, unlikely, option to resolve matters.

This movie certainly won't be Star Trek precisely as we're used to and for once it does feel that we'll be viewing the universe from the wrong side of the fence if you excuse the cliche. My fear is that this is a very sketchy trailer only really giving us a nod that the effects are complete and that it's going to have some pace to it. A few of the more static scenes did feel a little stale - those with Admiral Paris or Chekov for example and those featuring characters on more brightly lit stages did feel more false than I would have expected. 

Renegades has certainly become one of the most anticipated fan films of the last few years if only for the interstellar Star Trek alumni associated with its creation. The premier is indeed set for the German FedCon in May less than a month away and then the rest of us mortals will be able to see if the wait has been worth it. Heck, it was mid-2013 when the original Kickstarter campaign closed! The trailer is one of the most opaque pieces of promo material ever. There's no real idea of the story here (expected) but there is a lot going on, a lot to anticipate and the potential to be the fastest-paced, darkest fan spin-off ever. Here's hoping.

"Be careful Pavel; this could get out of hand very easily..."

What did you think of the official full-length Renegades trailer? Did it meet your expectations or is it falling short of the target or other fan productions? Let us know below!

Images screenshot from the Renegades trailer. No copyright infringement intended.

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Russ, Renegades and a Review

This begins our dark introduction into the world of Star Trek: Renegades, the trailer descends on what appears to be a jail cell; a lone woman chalks her words onto a wall... 

As this trailer unfolds it becomes very clear that this will be more than your average Trek. Tim Russ definitely intends to take us to the outer edges of the Federation, and possibly beyond.

This is just the beginning of both the teaser trailers, click here to see them both in full length, plus some very fascinating interviews with cast members! 

Maybe it's the unexpected all star cast? It's quite one thing to have Tim Russ directing this, let alone reprising his role as Tuvok (Voyager). Then we look at the caliber of actors all along for the ride, the mix of talent available to this production is truly impressive. You'd be forgiven thinking that this is your run-of-the-mill fan fiction. Don't be fooled however, as we have truly seasoned Star Trek actors involved...

Tim Russ - That's right, he's not only the director, but he'll also be slapping those pointed ears back on (and likely slapping down some more ensigns too!). Logic has never been so dark.This will be Tuvok's first on screen appearance since 2001 and Voyager's finale, Endgame. 

No pressure then. In the intervening years it's good to see Mr Russ has been honing his skills on such wonderous TV programmes as I, Carly... Seriously, should be awesome to see him back in action as the joint lead with...

Walter Koenig - It's nice to see him beyond commander, but whatever you do, please don't ask him to say Nuclear Wessels or he vill haf to stun you.

Yes, the original Chekov will be back on screen for the first time since 1994 (Star Trek: Generations) because officially we don't class his appearance in Phase II ...although we probably should if we're talking about another fan-made production. Oh, hang on. We are.

Robert Picardo - Stop the press... He won't be playing our neighbourhood EMH so we won't get to know the nature of the medical emergency this time around.

Instead, he'll be reprising his brief role as Dr Lewis Zimmerman, a character not seen on our screens since 2000 in Lifeline from season six of Voyager. Actually Zimmerman wasn't around that much at all - fleetingly in the first few years - Projections, The Swarm to name a few before he turned up in Deep Space Nine's Doctor Bashir, I Presume as an actual real person. How Zimmerman is going to fit into what looks like Star Trek mixed with Rambo is up for discussion.

Now I imagine at this point you're thinking "Great, but why am I going to bother with ANOTHER spin off?"

Well, as the full teaser suggests, the Federation is faced with yet another threat, however this new nemesis is beyond the reach of the Federation's typical 'good will politics'. 

Tuvok, now head of Section 31, is tasked with answering this unknown enemy head on. Not an easy job considering this adversary has the ability of cutting the Federation off from dilithium, and also appears to be annexing planets from space and time. Nice.

As you peruse through the library of information on the Renegades website, the trailers, masses of interview footage, promo videos, even the new comedy segments. You definitely get an idea of the work that has gone into making this a reality. 

Although I was a little disappointed with the second trailer if I can be honest. How can I put this... it was a Transformers take on Star Trek. The deep soundtrack behind it, the transforming title at the end, the mash of apparently random scenes. I was intrigued, but not satisfied. It felt, incomplete. 

Now, as you can tell, I watched both trailers in completely the wrong order, something in fact I recommend as an introduction to Renegades. The first trailer, whilst it lacks the 'epic' text segments, does trump the second. There is better introduction and explanation, they haven't tried to mash it together and hope for the best. The structure is very well done for this, a short briefing, melding into an invigorating and progressive background sound piece, with the scenes building up into... *enter transforming title sequence.*

So what's exactly in the trailers? What can we take from the limited glimpse? Well, you have some curious segments from Chekov and Tuvok, setting the story, it leads us to believe that this new threat could provide a tipping point in the Federation's affairs. The fact they have resorted to bringing Section 31 in to deal with the crisis I believe is meant to portray the seriousness of the situation. So what of moving forward? 

At present, we know of this new enemy the Syphons, we don't know anything of them other than one Syphon in particular, Borrada, has a serious grudge with the Federation for an incident with portals? This is the full detail at present, other than this new species appears to be particularly aggressive. I guess we'll have to wait and see as more information feeds through.

When +Clive Burrell and I were discussing Renegades (amongst many other upcoming titles), it became clear from the outset that this was something special. It immediately gave you a 'Where No Man has Gone Before' thrill. Sure, you can throw many examples of promising fan fiction at us, but there is something quite different about Renegades - something I'm yet to put my finger on.

To say that these are just the tip of the iceberg would be quite an understatement, having looked at the accompanying cast, we can see echoes of other popular shows.. Stargate SG-1, Charmed, ER, That 70's Show, CSI: Miami, this list is endless and well worth a click here for the full cast listing, we think you'll be surprised and excited (Edward Furlong?!).

It's a unique situation, which requires a unique crew. Cue the Renegades (would have screwed the title if this wasn't the case...). A rag-tag crew whose abilities - and lack of restriction to Starfleet regulations - are just the right kind of crazy to possibly get the job done. Even the audio wasn't up to scratch, with imbalances between the background and the scene audio. Not to say it wasn't good, I was thoroughly hooked on the first scene. It certainly teased my curiosity. If this is their worst, then it would appear promising.

But I can't shake the feeling that Tim and Walter's involvement in this story will actually be quite limited, the Hors d'oeuvre to the Renegades crew. I can certainly understand though, given how much time Tim must be putting in to direct this as well as acting in it. 

Captain Lexxa Singh (Adrienne Wilkinson pictured left) on the other hand... she appears to have quite a major role and back-story in this. Even from the first trailer it is clear she will be a lead role as (the sexy) captain of the renegade starship, her appearances in this trailer alone are quite a few. 

It's curious to find from the website and trailers, this character delves once again into the Eugenics Wars sub-story that has been present throughout canon Trek. However, this time there's an interesting twist - her character is apparently a direct decendant of one Khan Noonien Singh. I certainly hope moving forward, there is good explanation for this, as at present there is no evidence that Khan had any siblings or indeed lineage (being genetically engineered). For the moment, I'll stick to saying Kirk would be crushed to hear this...

Hang on a moment, surely if Admiral Chekov knew of this, he'd never let her out of that cell in the first place? Wow, the explanation had better be award winning to explain away this curve-ball! One other thing I have noticed even though principle photography finished in October 2013 is the lack of CGI - ships, planets...or anything aside from a glowy globe (trailer one) and the title effect...I suspect that's being kept under wraps and will need to be pretty impressive to beat Axanar's CGI tests and the work of Phase II among others.

All of this leaves me (I'm almost ashamed to admit), priapic with anticipation. You can blame the influences of one Jeremy Clarkson for that...

But where does this leave us? I'm sure by now you've watched both the trailers, and have come to your own conclusions. But it would be very remiss of me not too provide my own thoughts, in true SKoST tradition. We aren't however, above reproach. If you feel there's even more than meets the eye, why not get involved? Drop us a comment below!

All images taken from the Star Trek: Renegades trailers available on YouTube. No infringement of copyright is intended.
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