Boy's Own Universe

WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD

I went to see Star Trek Into Darkness yesterday, a movie that has left me feeling strangely conflicted. I went brim full of happy expectations, a carry-over from a Trek loving childhood that still causes me to get tingly all over when I hear the theme music or hear the words to boldly go, and yes, I laughed at the banter, oohed at some of the special effects, cheered on our heroes, was moved by the lets-go-explore-the-universe-rather-than-make-war message, and generally loved it.

And yet...

The first shudder of uneasiness to pull me from the movie was a scene depicting a gathering of senior Starfleet officers. It looks like a modern boardroom, was the most unwelcome, very un-twentythird century thought that popped into my head - mostly blokes and a couple of ladies. I might prove wrong if I go back and freeze frame the scene, but while I was in the theatre, instead of listening to the dialogue, I found myself searching for more than the two women I'd spotted. And to add insult to injury, their sole purpose in the movie turned out to be sprawling in their skirts in the debris and looking more helpless than the trousered blokes when the expected crap hit the fan. It took me a while to get over that.

But the damage was done. My brain split in two, and while the ST fan watched and enjoyed the movie, the disappointed part of me went into analytical mode and noticed that the only two female main characters were mostly defined by being someone's girlfriend (who wanted to talk about personal issues with her boyfriend in the middle of an away mission) or an Important Man's daughter, that one was validated by getting Kirk's 'you're hot' seal of approval when she gratuitously stripped down to her undies, and that worst of all, when Uhura finally got to be a brave Starfleet officer despite Kirk's obvious lack of faith in her, she was made to look afraid and not up to the task. This can be an effective dramatic device - facing a challenge and conquering one's fear to finally triumph and show one's worth, and all the male characters got to run the full gamut of various versions of this personal journey - but Uhura was ultimately denied the opportunity to prove herself. She looked vulnerable and deep in over her head, and just when I was expecting her to master her jitters and strut her stuff (hah! Take that Kirk!), biffo happened and the boys got to have a shoot-up. She was left looking somewhat inept. We'll never know whether or not she really had it in her to take on those Klingons with her professed smarts.

I know how the world works, alas, but 1960's reboot or not, I wish that in 2013 we could at the very least try to imagine the future as something other than the same old wearisome same old with jet packs attached. To me, STID says that starships are for boys. And since I've always wanted a starship of my very own to command with all of my science fiction-loving heart, and I like to believe the future will accommodate my as yet unborn, like-minded sisters, this aspect of the movie made me sad.