STAR TREK by JJ Abrams - new photos

[Morrus]

I"m all for making a remake, but Star Trek is one of those things you don't remake because it has an established universe that is iconic. Not only that, it has 3 somewhat sequal series that has established a canan history. To remake it is worse than adding three prequels to your movie. Essentially you are taking the world that has been created for decades out back and saying it never happened this is what really happened. I think someone mentioned earlier, like Highlander 2.

This movie is like publishing fan fiction. Interesting story, b;ut doesn't fit in the universe.

Star Trek, as a franchise is dead. Dead, dead, dead.

The owners of that franchise have two choices: shelve it forever, or reboot it. Given the decades of effort and invenstment in that franchise, trying to get some value out of it is hardly a bad thing.

This is the best thing they can do, in my opinion. A reboot, going back to the Kirk era. That single thing has the best chance of keeping Star Trek alive.

 

[Morrus]

Arnold Schwarzenegger played Hercules.

Kevin Sorbo played Hercules.

A lot of people have played Hercules.

Captain Kirk is a mythic character now, like Hercules. The core story concept remains the same -- "half-god son of Zeus deals with challenges mortal and divine" or "Iowa boy becomes daring, sexy captain of the Starship Enterprise" -- but the specific stories change. As long as you're true to the character, and tell a good story, who cares about the details, or continuity with a version that came out before you were born, or what actor is playing him?

Yeah. Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Robin Hood, King Arthur, James Bond, Zorro.

 

[The Grumpy Celt]

But the very teenage looking Kirk is annoying me a bit.

Works for me. Kirk was always young. I watch the show now and he seems kind of brash.

I wonder how Urban will handle the Southern accent. Kelly was actually Southern, so he didn't have to fake it.

Uruha is hot.

Edit: So what does the Big E look like from the outside?

 

[Eridanis]

The new bridge design is jarring, but well-executed. I'm looking forward to this. Bad reviews or no, I'll be in the theatre to see this next summer. (Hell, I saw ST V on opening day - if I can sit in a theatre and watch that, I can watch anything Trek-related.)

 

[Umbran]

...but when I see a Shakespeare play I am listening to the exact plot, characters, and dialogue as originally written.

Um, you realize that usually, that's not the case?

For one thing, for most of Shakespeare's works, there are multiple versions, and there is much argument over which is "correct". There is no single originally written dialog.

For another, most individual productions make changes in the staging (because Billy gave almost no staging instructions), as well as dialog. Kenneth's Branaghs' film Hamlet is the only one around that tries to use every single line, and it is usually considered a slow, turgid piece. Most stage and film productions cut things out. And then the actors get at it, and usually change it somewhat.

And then, you get to things like West Side Story - which really is Romeo and Juliet, but darned sure, there's probably not a single line of Shakespeare in there.

The history of human storytelling is a history of re-tellings: Shakespeare's plays are mostly stories that already existed before he got to them, that the audience knew before they entered the theatre. Norse mythology, greek mythology (basically, every mythology or legend ever) King Arthur, Robin Hood, all retold more often than the sun rises. Modern comic book characters pass through the hands of many authors and artists, each putting their own spins, twists, and alterations. And we won't even get into Doctor Who...

The more iconic a character or plot is, the more ripe it is for this treatment - for an iconic character, the audience already starts with a handle on the beast, so the authors and performers can spend less time giving you the basics, and you can concentrate on the nuances, and differences in interpretation. The best way to explore the depth of an icon is to look at it in as many ways as possible.

The problem with Hollywood remakes and sequels isn't that they're remakes and sequels - it is that they're bad remakes and sequels. If someone who understands the tradition of Shakespeare, mythology, and legend gets a hand on Trek for a reboot, it could be nice.

I won't be surprised if it is crap, but if it is, it won't be because retellings stink by their nature.

 

[Umbran]

But them Shakespeare took those plots and themes, remade them in the way he wanted and Gave Them Their Own Unique Name and did not try to represent what he did by pretending it was the same as what came before.

Um, sorry, that's just not correct. The history plays, especially, blow that right out of the water. Shakespeare did not rename King Henry III, or Anthony And Cleopatra.

And, to be clear, the audience knew this. That was part of the point. Other playwrights of his day were producing their own versions.

 

[Hand of Evil]

The guy playing Kirk is 28, Kirk was 30 when he became Captain of the Enterprise.

Fans of Star Trek and Star Wars can be some of the worst, it is a small group that seem to live and crap all things related to them. It is these people that seem to think they own the franchies and everything must pass through them, they pick and worry things apart.

This killed Star Trek, because the producers wanted to make their fan base happy. The problem, what they saw as the fan base was the fanatic base. Most fans want a good movie! The producers want a movie that makes money. The meeting ground is a re-boot or leaving it alone!

 

[Arnwyn]

This killed Star Trek, because the producers wanted to make their fan base happy.

While I don't necessarily disagree with your assertions, the above is a highly specious argument and a load of bunk.

I see absolutely zero evidence that the above was even remotely true. Quite the contrary, actually.

(But I generally agree with the rest. The franchise is dead, and something 'wild and crazy' will have to be done to revive it. There is a good chance, though, that it will turn out that it simply can't be revived... and that a reboot would simply waste everyone's time and money.)

 

[Hand of Evil]

While I don't necessarily disagree with your assertions, the above is a highly specious argument and a load of bunk.

I see absolutely zero evidence that the above was even remotely true. Quite the contrary, actually.

I may be remembering wrong but for both ST:V and ST:E there were fan sites and groups that were consulted for feedback and the activly promoted the shows. But that was a long time ago.

 

[Rykion]

Meh. According to Wikipedia, Kirk got command of the Enterprise at 31. Chris Pine is 28. And this is supposed to be the Academy era. Looks pretty much spot on, age-wise, to me.

I know Chris Pine is actually close to the right age, but he doesn't look it. Like a lot of people in Hollywood, he looks about a decade younger than he actually is. My understanding is that they scrapped the Starfleet Academy idea and that the movie takes place with Kirk as commander of the Enterprise, or that he gets command during the movie. I'm definitely seeing the movie. I'd just prefer a more mature looking Kirk.