For those nerds who may not know this:
The first trailer for the new Star Trek movie was released earlier this week. Speaking for myself, I've watched it more times than I watched Star Wars when I was kid. It's pretty good. Okay, well, let's put it this way, the tag line for this movie should be: If you don't see this, you're stupid!
Seriously, though, this is something we need. This looks like a fun romp, and, what's more, it's a real guy film. To a certain extent, I've always related to Spock. This movie is largely about his choices as he tries to navigate between two worlds, Vulcan and Earth. It's also about Kirk and how he navigates from a young, fatherless man into the captain of the Enterprise. It also seems to contain a lesson for men: young men need responsible male role models. Pike, from what I gather, assumes the role of Kirk's father, when Kirk's father is killed early in the film. In today's feminized culture, this is a movie men need to see, not just nerds like Patrick Chan and I.
I would also point out that there are nerds whose heads likely exploded when they saw this trailer. Uhura is seen taking off her top (so warning for kids). This is, and all you nerds are just afraid to admit it, every young geek's dream come true. Oh, and she's wearing appropriate underwear - no thongs here, she's wearing a very 1960's white bra. Apparently Kirk sneaks into her quarters for a look, and knowing he's there, she gives him a show then promptly kicks him out and lets him know that he'll never have her. Good for her.
Shatner has now responded.
As a fellow nerd and trekkie, I cannot wait for this movie to come out (at least if I am still living in the US)!
ReplyDeleteBut you could at least post a link to a version of the trailer that wasn't recorded by a small handheld while playing in the movie theater. This trailer deserves to be seen in a much higher res. Try this link out from Yahoo movies.
It has always seemed like a logical next step to me for the Star Trek franchise to go back and re-do the original series using the current look and feel of the newer Star Treks.
ReplyDeleteIt'll be unfortunate in that Rodenberry won't be around to hold the new age influences in check, but I think enough time has passed that the old guys like me won't be too upset that Shatner is no longer Kirk.
Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI never got hooked on any of the Star Trek spin-offs. All my friends and family thought I was a fuddy-duddy for not getting hooked on Picard and Deep Space 9 like they were. Was always deeply faithful to original Star Trek.
Even read Shatner's book about his memories on the set and how he couldn't really understand why the rest of the cast disliked him so.
(Of course, that might have been the problem right there.)
And I was surprised to find out that Zulu (George Takei) is gay. But not surprised that he didn't invite Shatner to his wedding. I like Shatner's response on Youtube where he says that Takei needs to let all that long-time, pent-up bitterness go.
Truth -- I grew up watching the original Star Trek in the 60's, and then the cartoons (which I didn't like) and the reruns. Had those memorized at one point. I liked Next Generation a lot -- I thought it was true to the original vision. I think that series came up the absolute best villains ever -- the Borg -- and the worst moment of my life (up to that point) was the cliff-hanger at the season's end when Picard had been captured by the Borg.
ReplyDeleteI don't think they handled things well after that, though, and I agree with you, DS9 and the other series (with Janeway) were pretty bad. I did like what I saw of the newer "Enterprise" series (with Scott Bakula), but I really didn't see enough of it to get excited about it.
I'm really looking forward to this movie -- I hope they do a good job with it, and with whatever spin-offs they come up with. 'Course, there's always room for disappointment there, too.
I've been a huge fan of Star Trek since I started watching it as a kid in about the third season of The Next Generation. I also remember the first time I saw Kirk was watching a rerun of ST 2: The Wrath of Khan. I loved Kirk and I've loved ST ever since.
ReplyDeleteGranted, its humanism makes my stomach churn--no good Calvinist total depravity there... but in terms of sci-fi and story, I love it.
I remember being a kid and waiting all summer for some of the cliff hangers--especially when Picard was assimilated by the Borg. Waiting for the new movie I feel like a kid again! I'm geeking out--I must have watch the trailer 10+ times...
I'm a trek geek and I've watched it all the way up since the Next Gen. I'm very excited about the new movie... I like J.J. Abrams' work. I will love seeing the old characters once again and can't wait for the new eye-candy of the special effects.
-Tim
thevoyages.blogspot.com (yes my blog even has a trek theme)
The actor who plays Kirk in the new movie seems more like a fratboy cadet than the capt. of a star ship. That may make the movie more hip and all, but I seriously doubt Star Fleet Command (a stuffy, self-important bunch of senior rear admirals) would put a twenty-something swinger in charge of a star ship.
ReplyDeleteAs I understand it, Kirk is on an enterprise whose five year mission it is to explore strange new cocktails, to seek out new female dorms and to boldly sing "Louie, Louie" where no man has sung before.
ReplyDeleteNext Gen has some excellent stuff (Q, the Borg, some of the time-travel stories), but it was very late-80s PC and some of the episodes were rather heavy-handed in that regard.
ReplyDeleteI have to speak up for DS9, but not because it was Star Trek, because it wasn't. Well, it had Star Trek accoutrements but the whole situation was entirely different in concept than either of the preceding series. Great characters, very well-written episodes, no fear of ambiguity. The theology was cartoonish, but you can't have everything.
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ReplyDeleteBerny,
ReplyDeleteAny answer to that question would have to be off-the-record.
Also, would a keg party on the Enterprise involve Romulan ale and Kingon blood wine, or plain old Coors?
Gene said:
ReplyDelete"Pike, from what I gather, assumes the role of Kirk's father, when Kirk's father is killed early in the film. In today's feminized culture, this is a movie men need to see, not just nerds like Patrick Chan and I."
I should also note that Capt. Pike is Peter Pike's future descendant.
Major Hays, the commanding officer of the elite Military Assault Command Operations (MACO) forces, is a direct descendant of Steve Hays'.
And the entire Klingon people are descendants of Paul Manata.
Unfortunately, I'm not totally sure about Berny's descendants, but since we know that his predecessors include the noble Dunedain of Middle-earth (e.g. Aragorn), I think it's safe to assume his ancestors have an illustrious future as well.
Unfortunately, I have to disagree about the trailer. It makes me think: "cheese."
ReplyDeleteAnd I typically like Star Trek.
But really, as Dirty Harry pointed out:
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The trailer moves on to an adult Kirk, speeding through the desert on a motorbike, before stopping by a futuristic factory - suggesting it could be a take-off location for the Starship Enterprise.
Why not just go all the way and set the scene to Berlin’s “Take My Breath Away?”
http://dirtyharrysplace.com/?p=5735
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Or as was pointed out on Ace of Spades blog:
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Somehow Nimoy and Shatner managed to take that same pose without looking like they're about to make out.
http://minx.cc/?post=276842
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I'm just saying...
1. You all sound like the boys at Trekbbs in the Trek XI forum. Well not quite, but close. LOL
ReplyDeletePike, there is a discussion on the building of the Enterprise on the ground.
Personally, I think there's a parallel here between the Enterprise and Uhura. Uhura has always been the voice of the Enterprise, but she's no receptionist. She's actually an Engineer (thus, the red mini).
Kirk tries to pick her up in a bar in this flick. Her posse (Sulu and boys) consequently rough him up. She'll not have Kirk. On the other hand, even after the boys rough him up on Earth, he tries his best to sneak a peak at her when he sees her on the Enterprise. That's why she's taking off her shirt in the trailer. Apparently, she knows he's there, so she gives him a quick peek, but nothing beyond the bra and then dresses him down and kicks him out. She's giving voice to the Enterprise here, as if Enterprise knows why he's unboard and she's not going to have it. If he wants to serve on her; if he wants to captain her, she'll have to respect her and treat her like a real lady, like a queen - which is, I think, a lesson most men today need to hear. Unfortunately, most men today are too stupid to actually think about something like that when watching a film, but on the other hand the Trek fans can be a bit more cerebral, so we'll see about that.
There's a direct relationship here between Kirk sneaking a peek of Uhura shirtless and the Enterprise being built. He's trying to see the untouchable girl naked. He sees Enterprise when she's naked under construction and unable to hide. At first serving aboard her is a matter of pure lust. However, he grows to respect her, as he grows to respect Uhura, because Uhura, being a strong black woman and a woman of character teaches him to respect her. Enterprise does the same to Kirk. Enterprise turns out to be his one true love, the woman he marries (and at death do they part).
I have a daughter. Uhura will be her mentor!
ReplyDeleteNo Horatio Hornyblower is gonna get a sneak peek at my princess!