The New Old Star Trek

[MA-Caver]

Decoding the 'Star Trek' Trailer


by Matt McDaniel  

  November 18, 2008


If you were one of the millions of moviegoers who saw "Quantum of Solace" in theaters this weekend, you may have also seen the trailer for director J.J. Abrams' new film version of "Star Trek." It's the first look we've had at Chris Pine in the role of the young Captain Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock. But the preview is edited so quickly even if you saw it on the big screen you might not have deciphered all the information packed into the 2-minute trailer. So we've broken it down to uncover the biggest revelations it contains, plus we have the video so you can watch it yourself.  Watch it now >>
Scroll up for rest of story...

"Listen kiddo, Jim Kirk was many things but he was NEVER a boyscout..." ~ Carol Marcus -- The Wrath Of Khan

Who knows this might be pretty good. Remains to be seen. :uhyeah:

 

[Sukerkin]

I'm hoping it's going to be great but making sure that everything ties in with what has come 'before' in a film made 'after' is never an easy job.

Also, throwing a great car off a cliff is not the way to endear the young Kirk to a petrolhead like me :lol:.

 

[terryl965]

I am hoping they remember what is was that brought so many viewers to Star Trek.

 

[Empty Hands]

I'm hoping it's going to be great but making sure that everything ties in with what has come 'before' in a film made 'after' is never an easy job.

From what I understand, they aren't really going to bother. This is a "reboot" in the sense of Batman Begins, that isn't terribly interested in harmonizing the details from previous work. I'm sure it will drive the Trekkies/ers absolutely banannas, since they are the most continuity obsessed bunch around.

 

[zDom]

Zachary Quinto definately has the LOOK down — enough that I probably won't be thinking "That's Sylar!" the whole time.

I think he has done a great job as Sylar, btw. Hope he is able to pull off this role as well.

 

[Sukerkin]

I don't reckon he should have too much trouble. His acting is good enough to get you to 'buy into' both Good Gabriel and Evil Sylar after all.

Oh and "Reboot" is not the word I wanted to hear about this film . That's a non-anagram of "Too Lazy To Make Sure This Story Fits".

 

[Big Don]

This is like the remake of the Karate Kid, fans of the original WILL go see it, just to see the differences for ourselves.

 

[MA-Caver]

I am hoping they remember what is was that brought so many viewers to Star Trek.

Absolutely... like Lt. Uhura, Yeoman Rand, Miramani, Orion Slave Girls, T'Pring and just about every other hot babe that was on the show. :uhyeah:

Oh, and the stories were great too ...

 

[Sukerkin]

Mmm ... Yeoman Rand .. ahem, excuse me ... just revisiting my youth there :lol:.

 

[Lisa]

Reboot or no reboot, ties into the other stories or not, the trailer looks really good. I am looking forward to it.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I also watch goings on at http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/ -- the site of Star Trek Phase Two. They are essentially continuing the original series in online webisodes. It's unlicensed, fan funded, no profits. They're currently promoting an upcoming episode in which Kirk's Enterprise is destroyed, paving the way for a ship similar to what we saw in the first movies. Apparently Roddenbury had envisioned bringing the original series and cast back to television with a bunch of upgrades in the seventies but ended up doing it in movies instead.

Phase Two's volunteer production has grown substantially over the years, attracting writers and cast members from previous licensed Trek franchises. The guy who runs Phase II and plays Kirk, James Cawley, has grown so influential in the Trek fan community that JJ Abrams sat down with him to talk about the new movie and cast him in a minor role.

I think the prequel idea is great. The post original series spin-offs have gone as far as they can go. I thought the Enterpise prequel series with Scott Bakula was quite amazing. I'm a fan -- I don't have any uniforms or phasers, if that's what you're thinking -- and I'm really looking forward to a big budget Trek with a new cast.

 

[Sukerkin]

Aye, the 'Phase Two' stuff is pretty good considering the tight bugetary restrictions. Just goes to show that the story is the thing . Plus, 'production values' (and acting) really did improve as episodes continued.

I think I linked to them a while back but it's one of those things that always benefits from being 're-upped' in a genuine way (thread bumping being frowned upon generally).

I too was a fan of Enterprise when it first aired. I lost touch as Series Two kicked off for various RL reasons and then it was cancelled . Bean Counters really don't 'get' SF, do they?

 

[Gordon Nore]

...I too was a fan of Enterprise when it first aired. I lost touch as Series Two kicked off for various RL reasons and then it was cancelled . Bean Counters really don't 'get' SF, do they?

Roddenbury had an uphill battle with network bean counters. I believe he left the original series in its third and final season after he got tired of fighting over scripts and money. They were just as cheap with the early movies. Outside of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley, original cast members often didn't know if they'd be cast in the movies until the last minute, after the three principals ironed out their wages. Sets and uniforms were deteriorating so badly, that producers had to borrow from The Next Generation series. They were shooting around cigarette burns and tears in the costumes.

What sold him on The Next Generation was that the series was syndicated, not sold to a network. I think both Voyageur and Deep Space Nine were also syndicated. Enterprise aired on UPN (a US cable channel, I believe) -- I remember reading that UPN never really promoted it. Very unfortunate, I thought, as the series grew stronger over its brief run -- interesting chemistry among cast, season-long storylines, and without a doubt the only good fight scenes ever seen in Star Trek.

 

[Sukerkin]

Voyager is still probably my 'favourite' Star Trek after the Original Series. I loved STNG when it first came out but even then was predicting that it was too stylised on present fashions to age well ... recent attempts to re-watch it have proven me right (at least to me ).

My missus is a huge Deep Space Nine fan and gets wound into a cushion throwing rage when I taunt her about it just being badly re-written Babylon Five plots :lol:.

 

[Gordon Nore]

I loved STNG when it first came out but even then was predicting that it was too stylised on present fashions to age well ... recent attempts to re-watch it have proven me right (at least to me ).

I loved STNG when it was on, but I really can't watch it anymore either. There was virtually no tension among the characters. Worf got a little testy every now and then, but that was it. Romantic interests, between Troi and Ryker, Troi and Worf, Picard and Crusher, never seemed to percolate.

The original always had a counter-foil to the Captain. When necessary Spock or Bones would stand up to Kirk's authority. Picard, on the other hand, would ask everyone's opinion about everything. During its run, though, I always thought it was a must-see.

They also overused the worst plot device ever -- the stolen shuttle craft. Sensors can detect an alien heartbeat from orbit, but they can't keep the bloody garage door locked.

 

[MA-Caver]

I loved STNG when it was on, but I really can't watch it anymore either. There was virtually no tension among the characters. Worf got a little testy every now and then, but that was it. Romantic interests, between Troi and Ryker, Troi and Worf, Picard and Crusher, never seemed to percolate.

The original always had a counter-foil to the Captain. When necessary Spock or Bones would stand up to Kirk's authority. Picard, on the other hand, would ask everyone's opinion about everything. During its run, though, I always thought it was a must-see.

They also overused the worst plot device ever -- the stolen shuttle craft. Sensors can detect an alien heartbeat from orbit, but they can't keep the bloody garage door locked.

Yeah that always sucked didn't it? :lol:

Anyway here is the official movie site... with trailers and pics and a pitiful short story line... supposedly it's still under construction.
http://www.startrekmovie.com/

 

[SensibleManiac]

I think it's a good idea and will probably rock.
I've been watching Trek since I was four years old, I'm now 36. I remember every Sunday at 10:00. I have every line in the Original TV series memorized.
I'm the biggest pain in the *** to watch it with, and I think it's totally cool that they're still putting stuff out with Kirk and Spock I hope they remake the original series next using today's special effects.

 

[Kreth]

I also watch goings on at http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/ -- the site of Star Trek Phase Two.

I've been watching these as well. It just screams rich guy fulfills Kirk fantasy, but the episodes are decent considering the budget limitations, with one glaring exception. Obviously they have no interest in canon there either, since they killed off Chekov!

 

[zDom]

I enjoyed the Enterprise series, too.

I watched and enjoyed pretty much all of them except Voyager which, for some reason, I just couldn't get into.

 

[MA-Caver]

I enjoyed the Enterprise series, too.

I watched and enjoyed pretty much all of them except Voyager which, for some reason, I just couldn't get into.

Well that's understandable... it's an easy show to get LOST in...