SeeQuant
Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction
Marva-nova
Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.
Lela
The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.
oscar-35
*Spoiler/plot- The Captains, 2011. Bill Shatner finally embraces his Star Trek geekiness and produces, directs, and stars in just another self-serving documentary exploring the many careers, lives, impressions, and experiences of himself and the many performers playing any Starship captain's roles in the billion dollar Paramount franchise that he was part of.*Special Stars- William Shatner, all captains of Star Trek starship EXCEPT Jeffrey Hunter.*Theme- Star Trek franchise can make you rich and famous.*Trivia/location/goofs- Filmed at homes, scifi conventions and theaters where the varied actors are to talk about their Star Trek production experiences and moods. Mr. Shatner walks through the Las Vegas Sat Trek convention garnering the fan worship of his faithful.*Emotion- This documentary was only interesting for the candid non-Star Trek confessions of some of the interviewees involved. The canonization of Star Trek actors like Shatner has been done by him and other sycophantic unbiased fans to the death of this subject. That makes this documentary pedestrian, boring, uninspired, and ploddingly unexciting. I found this film to be unoriginal and a waste of my time.
Nagused
The best moments.... Shatner on convention floor with fans. Patrick Stewart interviews and interviews with Scott fun too. The recognition that fame is not worth the price of family... Very touching stuff!!!! Kate reminding me of the imbalance of parenting... She is awesome!Odd moments... Everything with Avery, my favorite Captain. Stoned? Or just weird? Discontinuity of editingBad moments... Crew...from bad cinematography to friggin annoying reflectors blinding the actors during the interviews (the gold reflector is for morning, not middle of the day ya doofases... oh and the piano underscore was too loud and far too dramatic. As others have said, such golden moments were missed to chat up memories, anecdotal stories, etc. but still, a must see for any trek fan for those great moments here and there :)
Henry (hen3d45)
I have fallen in love with the documentaries on Netflix.I found this movie, and was very pleased with it's insights and depth. People love to have an easy target, and William Shatner has been that for a lot of critics, but I think this movie will show his deeper side. William Shatner seems to have such an easy time talking and getting people to interact with him. Seeing the scene where he walks through the convention floor shows his talent for identifying with people. It was a wonderful glimpse into the lives of these great actors. Thanks William for making this film.You should watch this film, and I hope when you do you enjoy it as much as i did.
Erikwk04
Being born in '88, the original Star Trek series starring William Shatner had long stopped running and the new series Next Generation starring Sir Patrick Stewart was in full swing. It wasn't until TNG hit the daily reruns on the BBC that I got my first taste of Star Trek, mind you I could not have been more than 8 years old at the time. As a young adult now I look back at the shows with a great sense of nostalgia and joy and have come to admire the original two Captains of the Enterprise for their influence on previous and current generations. I'm not a trekkie, as I have never been to a convention or felt the need to sport Spock ears, but I am for sure a fan.So let's be honest about this, would I have watched Shatner's The Captains if it weren't for so many fond childhood memories? No. Would I have enjoyed it if it weren't for said memories? No. Is it a quality documentary by its own right? No. Is William Shatner a talented or even competent interviewer? No, although the other reviewers would disagree with me on that one. From my point of view Shatner makes some basic and rookie mistakes in his technique as an interviewer, best shown during his interview with Avery. So is it all just a wash and 90 mins of my life wasted on a pursuit of childhood nostalgia? No, and here's why. What Shatner does in The Captains, is to give us a look into his own Star Trek experience. What it was like as the first captain, what it did to him at the time and in the years after. How it affected his personal life (failed marriage with three kids) and how he has struggled to give Kirk a place in his life. Shatner's journey of discovery is deeply personal as he, with the help of his fellow captains and Stewart in particular, comes to terms with the legacy he will eventually leave behind when Scotty beams him up one final time. This theme of mortality works brilliantly as a stark contrast to the immortality of the Star Trek franchise as it lives on to this day still. The Captains gives us fans a never before seen glimpse into Shatner's mind and heart. It is dirty and messy at times, but always honest and genuine.Watch this if you are a fan and interested in the man that made the captain that inspired millions to boldly go where no one has gone before…P.S. To Shatner and all the captains, much love and appreciation for your work.
