Star Trek XI
 

Well, after reading this article my hopes for this movie just went up in flames....:doh:

J.J. Abrams Interview

Re: Star Trek XI
 

What? I see nothing wrong with revamping the series... it's rather stagnated these days; I'd been avoiding reading about this movie for so long because of where the series has gone lately but now I'm actually looking forward to it! :D

Somehow I find myself comparing this to Doctor Who... the last few Doctors have been a LOT different than the first seven, and I think that change was pulled off well! :D Just have to hope that Star Trek turns out as well as I think it will...

Re: Star Trek XI
 

I could've told you that after they spend 4 grand on desk lamps for the helmsman console. Not joking.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Re-launching the franchise isn't really an issue for me, as much as how they went about it.

Star Trek XI was originally billed as a sort of "prequel" for the previously existing material, and drummed up interest in it as such.

Now, it seems, after they managed to generate a fair amount of support and interest, they slip in "Guess what, it's NOT really a prequel at all, but actually a complete relaunch of the franchise aimed at a younger audience instead".

I seem to recall that being called the old "Bait and Switch" routine....

If it had been billed as a relaunch, I'd have been fine with things as they are. Telling the existing fan-base that it's to be filmed as a prequel, one that would loyally try to stay canon no less, and then redefining it as a relaunch much later down the road smacks of manipulation to me.

If you're going to sell me a cat, sell me a cat. Don't bill it as a cat and then later sell me a dog, telling me it'd be better be younger people will like it more than a cat.:mad:

Re: Star Trek XI
 

I suspect that if this film tanks, JJ Abrams might lose his "hot property" status in hollywood. It's actually likely given the film's budget of 150 million when you consider the best grossing and most popular star trek film had a budget of roughly 5 million

The reality is that trek does need a reboot, yes. What they are planning here is a reboot without corrupting the original storyline thanks to time travel ( if you depend on time travel as a plot device, the plot is damned weak ) and turning Kirk into a trek version of anakin skywalker ( joy. teenage angst. how new. )

Those, in all are a bad idea.

So is the bridge of the new enterprise. It's like someone took the genius bar and found a way to further "gay-it-up". My favorite touches are the 2000 dollar lamp next to the 600 dollar bar code scanners and all those round lights aimed at people's faces.

Sadly, JJ Abrams is one of those disgusting hollywood types that gets what he wants for fear another studio will give him even more. Like M Night Shamylan who hasn't churned out a clever plot twist that a five year old couldn't punch holes in how many years? Or how about Michael Bay whose films consist largely of spinning slow-mo camera shots, jarring jumps between scenes and explosives.

I think star trek would've been in more capable hands had they given it back to branon braga. At least then we wouldn't bother hating it since he made us trekkies hate everything else he does.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

I happen to know JJ Abrams and he's nothing of the sort. He honestly cares a great deal about what he produces and I'm looking forward to this film.

Bait and switch? No, and this sounds like sour grapes, BK. It's going to be an entertaining film, and staying with "what's been working so far" is not what Star Trek needs. It hasn't been working; it's been weak.

Reboot = Good. Look at BSG-RIS. Brilliant, and now much more relevant.

Not flaming, just saying.
Peace out,
TT

Re: Star Trek XI
 

My comment about "Bait and Switch" is a bit more valid than you may realize, as are what maybe seems to be my "Sour Grapes".

I'm a huge movie aficionado (having personally worked peripherally in the industry) as well as a big Star Trek fan, and generally try to attend a variety of Sci-Fi and Movie related conventions. Having attended a couple of the conventions that J.J Abrams and Paramount also attended, I managed to catch their presentations concerning the new movie. During their question and answer periods concerning the new movie they made certain things clear to the fans present.

1) - This new movie was to be a tie-in between the existing ST-Ent and ST-TOS, finally interconnecting all the ST franchises.

2) - They'd be going to great lengths to maintain the existing storyline canon and continuity.

3) - They'd be developing the early days of existing characters and their original individual back-stories, in relation to how they came together aboard the Enterprise.

They garnered a lot of praise and applause for these declarations.


Fast forward a bit to recent days, and now we're told it's not really any of the above listed things at all, they're rewriting everything, and ignoring "canon" and "continuity" altogether. It's actually a reboot of the franchise, intended to break new ground and aimed at a new generation of fans - Hehehe, sorry lads!

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not opposed to a relaunch of the franchise. I loved what they did with BSG and even Batman. I'd have had no trouble with that concept for Star Trek at all.

What I don't like is being played, or lied to. Telling me one thing, quite clearly and in person, then later saying it was actually something else all along grates on my nerves. I'd have supported a relaunch if that's what they said they were doing. I'm not thrilled with having my expectations built up for one thing, only to find out later that was all bunk and something different was actually planned all along.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Fine. Understood.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

After re-reading my posts, it occurs to me I might sound a bit hostile.

Just to be clear - I meant no hostility with any of my replies. I'm just trying to be as clear as possible about my points.:)

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Yes, I could feel the angst... guess that's why I went with the "sour grapes" comment. Sorry 'bout that.

TT

Re: Star Trek XI
 

I'm in favor of rebooting star trek, reinventing and re-imagining it because, as you said they've stayed the course far too long. My complaint on JJ abrams is his bait and switch tactic.

I also have a problem with using time travel ans a key plot device. It falls into the category of flashbacks. I enjoyed BSG:Razor greatly, but I was disgusted that they did a flashback within a flashback.

Now I don't feel JJ is violating star trek canon at all, in fact he was handed the time travel device by star trek itself and, I'm hoping with glee that He doesn't reset the timeline let the screw up in time stand. One of the things I loved with deep space nine was that there was a good number of episodes where a character did something and there was no going back to fix it.

I also don't doubt that JJ Abrams cares about his work, I just happen to feel his work is over-valued and over-budgeted like so many other hollywood hot-property people.

And as I said, had they given it to brannon braga, I'd hate it more than EA games products. So I'll more than likely be in a theater watching it

Re: Star Trek XI
 

http://www.trekbbs.com/showthread.php?t=74147

Found the thread that ID'd the scanner, duct tape, and lamps.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

yeah, and Joss Whedon is my cousin :)


ps. This isn't a joke.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Ok, here's the logic behind the new Star Trek movie. Enterprise changed everything. Archer ****ed with the time line and altered the future. No more Shatner Kirk, now we have an "I am angry at my dad," rebel without a cause, mid twenty something, hot shot, punk, me me me, spoiled rotten little douche bag Kirk. Gone is the tradition of character, gravitas, and respect that Shatner's Kirk represented. Replaced by aforementioned douche bag Kirk.

JJ isn't a dumb****, he knows how to tell a good story, so even though this isn't my Star Trek, it might not be bad Star Trek. So despite my utter repulsion at the though of yet another dismal remake of a once great thing, I will hold my breath and shell out the $9.50 to see this latest revision of Star Trek.

From War of the Worlds, BSG, Star Trek, to The Day The Earth Stood still, one right after the other, we are seeing remakes of good story telling crapped upon. Gone are the respectful youth replaced by spoiled I'm angry at daddy types. From the "I hate you dad" Apollo character of the new BSG to the punk attitude of the lead scientists step son in The Day The Earth Stood Still, a new format of writing has emerged. This new frustrated angry at the world method of story telling is getting on my nerves.

I liked the fact that Kirk was a strong 30 something leader, and the original Apollo loved and respected his father. I enjoyed the loyalty and down to earth reality of the way the first The Day The Earth Stood Still movie was made. I am so tired of this revisionist way to taking the old devouring its message and character, and ****ting out the new revised and "better" peaces of **** that directors are dumping on us these days.

I liked to see gun play, fist fights, and gun boat diplomacy in my star trek. I hated the new utopianistic vision of TNG and lapped up the darker view that DS9 offered. Star Trek's roots were based upon the military code. A code that lent itself to well to the strong willed characters that formed the core of the original show. McCoy wasn't afraid to cross the line and speak his mind, Kirk wasn't afraid to take risks and act on his own, and Spock wasn't afraid to do the right thing even when logic said not to. I miss my star trek. I do have to say though that the remastered version are very well done. I will buy the entire DVD set of the entire remastered original series as soon as I can. The new special effects work very well with the original show. Very nicely done.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Then tell him to get off his *** and make more Serenity films!

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Bravo and well-said, AT, to all of the above !!!:)

Re: Star Trek XI
 

From the looks of it, they aren't building from Enterprise's time travel nonsense -- with the exception of the Kelvin's art direction.

We have a whole new level of nonsense. In canon, Kirk grew up off world until his encounter with gov. Kodos
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Jame...#Early_History

From all indications, Nero (the film's villain and horribly named) goes back in time and kills Kirk's father. There he gets sent to his <<insert abusive="" father="" figure="" replacement="">> to live.

Skip forward, he washes out of starfleet after cheating the kobyashu maru test and lurks around starfleet bars trying to pickup girls. Like Uhura.

From there, it seems to get progressively star-warsian.
</insert>

Re: Star Trek XI
 

If memory serves, Gene Roddenberry hated the military code in star trek with a passion, even to the point where he forced paramount to choose. Him and star trek I's style or Star Trek II's military style.

They chose Star Trek II.

What I think you are trying to key into is the old west feeling star trek used to have. The idea that space wasn't tamed yet, and wouldn't be any time soon.

Re: Star Trek XI
 

Well my side of the family doesn't talk to his, not being on speaking terms and all that. Besides he's the American side of the family and I'm Australian.

Being at risk of letting the joke (or not joke) go too far I suppose I should explain. It went like this.

Family Genealogist: Do you know Joss Whedon?
Myself: Well not personally,[ramble] I mean I've heard of him. Can't say as I've liked any of his programs, except there was that epsiode I did actually watch where the main character got turned into a muppet, oh and I paid attention once when I saw a bit of his sci-fi thing which had nice big office block ships. The program itself was terrible, I mean cowboys in space :re:, a star system with hundreds of planets :doh:[/ramble]. Anyway, to answer your question, yes I know of him.
FG: He's your 6th cousin.
Me: [disinterested]humph[/disinterested].

If I ever met him face to face we wouldn't get on well, seeing as how the more I learn about him the less I like him. I just find it mildly ammusing to say we're related. Techncially we are but it's practically meaningless, except as a bit of a joke :)


interesting fact, Gerorge W. Bush and John Kerry are 9th cousins

Re: Star Trek XI
 

My 0,02 cents:

- Time travel is one of the most used plot gimmicks in star trek, a lot of episodes and even the First Contact movie use it, so it´s pratically canon...

- I love the series, i own all the DVD/movies/episodes and whatanot of star trek, but i too think it needs to be rebooted... (i´ll buy the remasterized TOS DVDs when they are available too...)

- Young angst have it´s place, i agree that its being overutilized recently in movies/series, but i disagree that the changes made in BSG are for the worse, the Apollo/Adama relationship got a whole new depth, and it was very well made... in the other hand, War of the Worlds was a mess.... so let´s see what star trek does with it, it can be good or bad, but i will reserve judgement until i see it...

- I´m looking forward to see how the Leonard Nimoy cameo is integrated in the plot...