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Trekkies 2 (2004) More at IMDbPro »

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10 out of 10 people found the following comment useful :-
An endearing portrayal of the modern fanbase., 11 December 2004
Author: Firehawk from Toronto, ON

Trekkies 2, like the first movie, is an endearing portrayal of the Star Trek fanbase. This time the producers go on the road and travel around the world to meet Star Trek fans from Australia, Brazil, Italy, France, Germany and even Serbia, documenting their experiences with Star Trek and going into the lives of several fans.

In between each segment of the travelogue are pieces that can be described simply as an open forum for fans to discuss issues relating to fandom, such as what makes a "Normal Fan", should you wear your uniform in public, etc. This helps give the fans more a of voice, which many found lacking in the first film.

One thing to note about the DVD is that it in fact features 2 documentaries, as the deleted scenes are cut together in a coherent way to complement the main film, raising issues that may not have fit well with the main film.

Of course, the film also features 'characters' from the first movie, like Gabe Koerner, Brian Dellis, Barbara Adams and Daryl Frazetti, making the movie feel like one of several other documentaries that have followed its subjects over the years, like 7-up.

Moments that stood out for me were the interview with Robert Burnett and the Sacramento segment that feature five Star Trek tribute bands. The Serbia segment was also quite effective because it felt more 'important', going a bit into the recent war and how some fans looked to Star Trek as a way of coping with the war. In fact, the film documents the first ever convention held in Serbia.

As a casual Star Trek fan, it was interesting to see that there was still a fanbase that existed given the current nature of Trek. Given that Star Trek: Nemesis pretty much flopped and Enterprise is on the verge of cancellation, it's kind of nice to see that there are still fans out there who are enthusiastic about Star Trek. It was also nice to see fans that were self-deprecating and could joke about the fact that they're fans. There are also poignant, philosophical moments that get to the heart of the film, such as when one of the fans says, "When reality stops being so lame, we'll stop doing this."

The film not only works because of its content, but also because of its style - irregardless of it's content, the film is just a great documentary. Given this, and the fact that you actually get two films on the DVD, I think everyone should pick this up.

8/10

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6 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
The good sequel, 12 June 2004
8/10
Author: danleary25 from United States

I was very fortunate to catch an early viewing of this film at Fanzillacon in Worcester Massachusetts and was very happy to get the opportunity. Trekkies 2, though a documentary, uses has all the keys to any good sequel: The film stands well without seeing the previous, though rewarding if you have, old elements are revisited without overshadowing new ones and everything is made bigger and bolder. The movie itself is a sort of reply to the first, addressing the effect that Trekkies had on many of its interviewees and the fanbase as a whole. The documentary strives for a fair balance of 'normal' fans with the amusing 'over-the-top' fans that were plentiful in the first film. I think this balance is achieved, though not everyone will agree for whatever reasons they might. Aside from being the obvious way of expanding the first movie, seeing Trekkies from around the globe was just a fascinating addition.

The major difference between this movie and the first is this one is more is concentrated solely on the lives and activities of the fans and does not include much discussion and history on the Star Trek phenomena on its own. Which makes prefect sense since that subject was covered well enough in the first, making this more what the first would have been if that background information hadn't been necessary.

My only problem was no inclusion of major Star Trek cast members like the previous film had. But director Roger Nygard answered a Q&A after the screening and explained that getting them was simple for the first film when the filmmakers had no limelight on their production and didn't have to pay the cast members for their interviews.

Altogether the film is a strong followup to the first. I look forward to seeing it again, along with the supplementary material, when it is released in August.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Some great moments, but overall - not nearly as good as the first, 26 June 2005
4/10
Author: mstomaso from Vulcan

The original Trekkies was a raw, politically unconcerned look into the lives of followers of the greatest TV sci-fi franchise, and one of America's great marketing successes. It was fun, Trekkie/Trekker- friendly, and yet not entirely uncritical. Trekkies is much more of a fan movie, and despite the fact that some of the scenes are actually better than most of what appeared in the original, this isn't half the film the original was.

There are many directions Trekkies 2 could have gone in. It could have been a rebuttal of the Star Trek mythos - perhaps engaging some of the writings of Robert Justman and Herb Solow. It could have dealt with the themes of the series directly and engaged their commercialization and their near abandonment after the cancellation of DS9, or perhaps the hiring of sex symbols as a way to boost ratings once the writing team began to fall apart. It could have focused on sociological issues within Trek fandom - such as the somewhat schizophrenic politics of the older and newer generations of Trek fans, or the amazing marketing of the franchise. Instead, Trekkies 2 is mostly more of the same stuff we saw in Trekkies, with a few nice new stories (the segment on Trek-based punk rock and metal bands was the highlight of the film for me), and a lot of plugs for the now defunct Enterprise series.

Don't get me wrong, as one of the original Trek fans (from TOS in its original run to the present), I love this film. I just can't in good faith, recommend it to any non-fan. If you're not a Trekkie, see the original Trekkies. It's a lot more fun.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
More Infinite Diversity and Combinations, 5 November 2005
6/10
Author: Bogmeister from United States

This sequel (rare for documentaries, but this IS the Trek universe) diverts from the first by expanding its outlook to other parts of the world, such as the continent (Germany, England, France, Italy), then Australia and Brazil, as well as returning to parts of the USA. Host Denise Crosby (aka Tasha Yar) returns as producer in what begins as a sort of travelogue, visiting Trek conventions all over the globe. The fans throughout the world turn out to have the same exuberance as American fans. The most touching portion of the travels is in Serbia, where it seems only recently have fans there discovered each other. A new theme touched on briefly is the intent of fandom and Trek culture to bring aid to those less fortunate, of actually helping people as a life mission. There are also similar scenes to the first "Trekkies" - showing converted apartments or staged plays. These are always interesting to watch. There are brief appearances by some of the later Trek actors, from the "Enterprise" TV show. All in all, it's not a bad follow-up to the '97 original, expanding on the universal themes, and a completest should have or view both. The DVD also contains a couple of fan films, which have a 'in the backyard with a video camera' feel to them, but you can't deny the energy the fans brought to their work.

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3 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
An Ongoing Enterprise, 9 February 2005
7/10
Author: rsyung from United States

Trekkies 2 is the logical continuation of Trekkies, as it follows the Star Trek phenomenon outside the borders of the United States, to the far reaches of the civilized world. Which makes me wonder why they focused as much as they did on the United States as well…I think I would have preferred the international angle exclusively. That said, it is still an enjoyable, and at times touching, look at a fan experience that is both benign and in many cases, beneficent. What this documentary has to offer is the striking realization that Star Trek (in its various incarnations) has become a mythology and even a religion for the disaffected of much of the world, and that its influence seems to be expanding, despite the concerns of fans as to the future of Trek. Substitute a belief in an afterlife with a belief in a better future, and you have a group of acolytes who have faith that they'll get there, if they embrace the precepts of Trek. There are no agnostics when it comes to Star Trek. Either you're a believer or not. As of this writing, the fate of the latest Trek show has been sealed, and the future of the franchise is in doubt. But those of us who have loved Trek since its inception in 1966 know better. After some time off to re-group and re-think, we know that Star Trek cannot die, just as faith in the future cannot die. Just wait and see.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
unnecessary sequel, 31 May 2005
6/10
Author: Charles Herold (cherold) from United States

I watched this just after watching the original Trekkies, and to be fair, if I hadn't just seen the other movie I might not be as critical as this one, but it is very weak in comparison.

Trekkies 2 feels like it was made out of left over material from the first movie. Not literally, since they did go out and film new stuff, but thematically, since they covered the topic quite thoroughly in the first movie and simply had little left to work with. The movie feels less focused and more random than the original; a bunch of disparate elements poorly tied together by an international theme. It also has rather cheesy narrative dialog introducing each section that sounds like the sort of artificial patter you get when people introduce an award at the Emmys.

It does have some interesting things in it, and if you haven't seen the first one you might think this was decent, but for fans of the original movie the most interesting part of this one will probably be the end in which Trekkies discuss their reaction to the original movie.

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7 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
"I've met some of the people in this documentary", 26 January 2005
Author: simon-trek from Sydney, Australia

I believe Trekkies 2 is defiantly worth watching if you enjoyed the first Trekkies film. Some of the Trekkies interviewed in the first Trekkies film appear in Trekkies two so it is interesting to see how they have grown and how they have continued using Star Trek as part of their lives in the past several years. But what I think is most interesting is seeing Star Trek fans and conventions in other countries. The first Trekkies film only had American fans, but Trekkies 2 takes you to Star Trek fans and conventions in France, England, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Serbia and of course my country: Australia.

I've attended three Star Trek Conventions in Sydney so far. Including the one in June of 2003. Denise Crosby was a guest at this convention, she was here in Sydney to film Trekkies 2, I even briefly chatted with one of Denise's cameramen. Some of the Trekkies attending this convention were interviewed for Trekkies 2 but I wasn't one of them. I've met several of the Australian people interviewed for this documentary. One of them is Peter the host for the Sydney Star Trek Conventions. He claims that he's been attending conventions for twelve years. I also know Tammy who you see briefly dressed as a Romulan. I've also seen the huge teddy bear which is dressed in a Starfleet uniform. I've also met this "Admiral". I've forgotten her name but she is wearing a red Admiral's uniform and has these two white tentacles on her head. She calls herself a Human/Andorian (She appears during the end credits).

So it was nice to see some of the people I've met in this documentary and I am surprised that I'm the first Star Trek Convention attendee who has commented about this film.

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1 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
Kind of bland, but the end redeems the film, 7 April 2005
5/10
Author: Agent10 from Tucson, AZ

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

After watching the first Trekkies film, it seemed like it was capable of standing alone and being a true testament to the wild and fanatical side of the Trek fan spectrum. But no, they made this rather sub-par film that really lends very little to the idea of being a Trekker. Sure, they explore the phenomenon and it's world-wide spreading, but it was just more of the same old, same old from the first film.

What I did like was the update on the weird kid from the first Trekkies. To see that he hasn't been ridiculed to the point of killing himself is a good thing, and he's even married!! What was even worse though, was the fact they went half-assed on this project and used video tape instead of regular film. Quite a waste indeed, Mr. Spock.

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Umn, 6 July 2009
2/10
Author: ctomvelu1 from United States

For those who could not get enough of TREKKIES, here comes TREKKIES 2. Denise Crosby travels the globe to speak to Trekkies, who insist on being called Trekkers, which makes them sound even more loony than they already are. One Trekkie makes it very plain that Trekkies are a disenfranchised lot as a whole. Actually, this sequel is pretty dull and has nothing on the first film, which makes me wonder why anyone bothered with a sequel. Trying to find something I could enjoy about this documentary, I focused on one older woman with a butch haircut and no makeup who wears a Star Trek jersey everywhere she goes, and vociferously defends her right to do so. Her, I could get into. She reminded me that many years ago, my wife and I ran into a Trekkie on a bus ride to Florida, and this was pretty much before people started labeling themselves Trekkies. She had horrible body odor and halitosis, and suckered me out of the cost of a meal at one stop. She said she was headed for one of the first Star Trek conventions somewhere. Hey! Maybe this little old lady in the movie is the same gal we ran into four decades ago. If so, she still owes me for that meal. Skip this puppy. As one guy states in TREKKIES 2, STAR WARS has a lot more going for it than STAR TREK ever did. Amen, brother. Even though I used to love STAR TREK (at least the Captain Kirk version).

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1 out of 2 people found the following comment useful :-
very enjoyable, but reediting could improve it, 1 March 2005
7/10
Author: CaptainPiecesofEight from London, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I didn't see the first Trekkies movie, but I enjoyed this one. I thought Denise Crosby was a good choice.

I appeared briefly in the documentary on the 1995 Glasgow Worldcon, so I can sympathise with some fans' sensitivities. (Some overlap re filk)

On the negative side, I thought two discussions went on too long: whether one should wear Star Trek uniform on jury service, and the definition of an anorak. What I would like to see more of is the artifacts of the fans who had turned their homes into replicas of the Enterprise. I liked the international character of this documentary. I was fascinated by the visit to Hinckley, a small town in England which is hosting this year's Eastercon. I would rate Trekkies 2 above some of the later Star Trek movies, but not the first five. I would watch it again.

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