The Captains Kirk

There’s an ongoing debate among Star Trek fans as to who was the best captain of the USS Enterprise. My stand has never changed. Hands down, it’s James Tiberius Kirk.

Nowadays, there’s a second level debate raging: who makes the better Kirk? My stand on this one is a bit less definite. Like my position in the case of Connery vs. Craig as the better Bond, it depends. In the 1960s 23^rd century, William Shatner was perfect. He made Kirk smart, sexy and self-assured, laying solid groundwork for Chris Pine to take over some 40 years later.

In the 21^st century’s 23^rd century, Kirk has by necessity become street-smart and somewhat wild-eyed, prone to decimating Starfleet’s rules rather than bending them to his purpose. The elements of Shatner’s Kirk are present and respected, but this kid Pine has propelled our hero to courageously crazy heights. His Kirk is caught in an alternate reality brilliantly devised by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci that has honoured the history of Trek while opening up a literal universe of possibilities for the captain and his crew. Tinkering with a cast of iconic characters could have been a disaster, but it’s proved to be genius. For me, it was Kirk who would make or break the reboot.

I was sold from the first moment in 2009. Yesterday, Ter and I saw Star Trek: Into Darkness. With no idea what to expect, I was blown away again. It all works so well, as well as or maybe better than the original series, but whether the vision is Gene Roddenberry’s or JJ Abrams’, it’s all about the Captain. (Sorry, Spock fans.)

So kudos to Chris Pine for doing proper homage to a character whom I have loved since I was a kid. His James Kirk is the perfect hero for our modern future, just as Shatner’s was perfect for it in the 60s.

Best of all, the rear view swagger is just as captivating now as it was then.