ThommyMac Oh, where to begin? I started to work on this while still watching it but decided that was not a good idea. It is THAT bad, but it is very hard to write about it without swearing. The review took multiple viewings, so I should get the Star Fleet equivalent of a Purple Heart (NO offense to the mighty men and woman who are holders of the OPH.) I never swear in mixed company. I checked the 'spoiler-warning' just to stay on the admins good side, but how could you spoil this? I guess there is something about myself I should toss out here first. I was so into Star Trek, I got a paper route at age 11. Why, pray tell? Well, Start Trek syndicated re-runs in the 1975 Pittsburgh market ran on an independent station the same time as the news. My dad watched the news at that time and that was that. To any youngster's reading this, 1970s Pittsburgh had maybe 6 channels and we got 3 of them, since the steel mills were between us and the rest of town. Hopefully THAT establishes my credibility as a Trekkie or Trekker or whatever they call themselves.The first one is an uncut gem, mostly lazy with unintentionally brilliant moments. Two things really cheesed me off, well 2 and a half. First, James Doohan lost his finger at Normandy. You know? That BUZZSAW of a battle that pitted mostly green troops against the Fortress Europa. Denise and the dentist yucking it up about a gardening accident ticked me off bad. Look it up, kids, and you will be equally ticked. Second is the dentist's gold-digger I mean receptionist turned dental assistant turned wife riding the staff. Watch closely when Denise **cough** interviews the help. Mrs Gumbo is there riding herd. The girls cannot say a word without the dragon lady watching closely. The half? Denise Crosby gets to make fun of Trekkies yet gets to travel and make money, no doubt basking in the loyalists glow while poking at them. Maybe I am just jealous at the combination of sheer brilliance and audacity.OK, on to the anemic and completely unnecessary sequel's good points. The 'Where are they now segments were pretty good. Gabriel turned out working in the movie field as some sort of computer animator or modeler. That is quite an accomplishment.He also landed a very pretty and seemingly intelligent wife. His dad shows a good bit more of the creepiness that was hinted at in the first one. My personal favourite from the original Trekkies, Barbara Adams, got a segment. She still works at the print shop. I would like to share one thing, Miss Adams. I heartily applaud you wearing your Federation Alliance to jury duty, truly. I am a former member of the 101st Airborne and really was an infantryman. You would do well to not compare wearing it (the Fed. Alliance uniform which I purposely did not call a costume)to a soldier wearing his or hers. Security guard, Eagle Scout, Prison guard are more reasonable comparisons. OK? I was very curious as to whether that cute couple who hosted 'Talking Trek' came out of the closet yet. Sadly, the sequel left that (possibly null or moot) question unanswered.The European segments were interesting most of the time. Why did the guy in the UK who did up his flat wonder at Yanks wanting to buy and have shipped? There is a former London bridge in Arizona. Shipping a flat's worth of Star Trek stuff would be child's play compared to that. The German segment was fun because of the Germans. Watching that very expensive fan film being made was a little unsettling. It was like some alternate universe where they won, sort of like 'Fatherland'. The former Yugoslavia makes a very poignant segment, or could have been if done with a little more effort.Spoiler alert: There is a wretched segment about bands that drags on like 'MacArthur Park'. That's when it surpassed boring and aggressively went after painfully cheesy. As in cheese-like product that comes out of a spray can bad. It is difficult to guess Denise Crosby's age between the two, which is pretty cool when you think about it. The reason that is brought up is if they ditched 30 to 40% of the FIRST Trekkies and added the European stuff from Trekkies 2, that would of been an OK flick. As it is, I fast-forward through this one a good deal. The sad thing is that is something we NEVER do in my house, so why bother?

Bogmeister 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.

rsyung 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.

Firehawk 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