They might've made over a billion dollars at the box office, but Star Trek legend George Takei has an issue with the new film reboots.

Takei - the iconic Mr Sulu - told Digital Spy that the movie series, which began with 2009's Star Trek and continued with two sequels, is missing a vital part of the original '60s series.

"They're all great action-adventure space operas," he said. "But it's missing that Gene Roddenberry element - using science fiction as a metaphor to address issues of importance to our society."

Paramount

He highlighted 1986's Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (y'know, the one where Kirk and co save the whales) as an example of how to balance big-screen spectacle with issue-led storytelling.

"We dealt with it in an engaging, entertaining way, but also in a very enlightening way," he said. "So the big screen can tell it just as well as on the small screen. It's just how you do it. It's the writer's talent."

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Takei told us, though, that he's "very excited" for Trek to return to television with new series Discovery, since writer Bryan Fuller has "the opportunity now to deal more specifically with issues of our time".

"The potential for storytelling in the new TV version is going to be enormous and absolutely tantalising," he enthused. "I'm sure with Bryan Fuller at the helm of the TV series, it's going to have that Gene Roddenberry element."

Michael Loccisano / Getty Images

And with rumours that the new series could feature classic Trek characters, would George be up for reprising Sulu if the opportunity arose?

"As long as they want me to [play Sulu], I'll be there," he said. "I'm proud of my association with Star Trek and I want to see it live even longer and prosper even more than it already has!"

Star Trek 50th Anniversary TV and Movie Collection Blu-ray Boxset is out now.

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