The Morning Watch: 'Star Trek' Battles 'Star Wars', 'Lost In Translation' Video Essay & More

The Morning Watch is a recurring feature that highlights a handful of noteworthy videos from around the web. They could be video essays, fanmade productions, featurettes, short films, hilarious sketches, or just anything that has to do with our favorite movies and TV shows.

In this edition, the crew of the USS Enterprise comes up against a threat the likes of which they've never seen in a mash-up of Star Wars and Star Trek. Plus, a Lost in Translation video essay shows how Sofia Coppola uses the frame to define her characters, and cartoon voice actors Rob Paulsen and Charlie Adler recreate a scene from Mission: Impossible III with some interesting character choices.

First up, a trailer mash-up called Trek Wars (by YouTuber CaptainJZH) imagines what it might be like if the crew of the USS Enterprise had to team up with Han Solo and the Rebel Alliance in order to stop the Death Star from destroying Earth. With some clever editing, these two franchises fit together rather well, even if this meeting of characters would drive both sides insane.

Next up, a video essay by Fabian Broeker takes a closer look at Lost in Translation, specifically how Sofia Coppola represents the characters played by Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson as being lost in different parts of their lives. Using parallel images and even mirrored framing, we see how these two characters feel so alone. It makes their interaction when they cross an imaginary line between them that much more significant.

Finally, on Talkin' Toons with Rob Paulsen, the voice actor donned the voice of Carl Wheezer from The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius to read lines as villain Owen Davian from Mission: Impossible III with fellow voice actor Charlie Adler playing Ethan Hunt as if he were Cow from the Cartoon Network series Cow & Chicken. These are always a blast.