Why Not Copy The Look of the Original Series More Closely?

[Gepard]

Liotta looked a little like Hunter, before all Liotta's bad plastic surgery - although Hunter was northern European whitebread all the way and Liotta is more mediterranean. Aside from that general physical resemblance there has never been any case made for casting Liotta as Pike, at all.

That's the only case that needs to be made. Bridge, ships, props...people; as we all know, only the surface attributes of things are important to making Star Trek be Star Trek.

What are you, shallow?

 

[milo bloom]

I loved seeing the old designs in Trials... and In a Mirror..., and was pretty disappointed that they made such a departure for the new movie. Even considering the argument about the bridge upgrades for TMP and the rest of the movies, it still felt like it organically came from the previous design. While I am mostly onboard for the new movie, that bridge (and the new ship design) don't look like alternate Starfleet engineer designs, they look like a Starfleet historian in the 24th century making a holo program about the early days of Kirk and crew. I mean, when I first read somebody describe the bridge as like an Apple Store, my first thought was "yeah, sure does".

If the movie is still true to the spirit of Star Trek it can be overlooked, but it will always be one of those "if only they had...."

 

[Franklin]

The funny thing to me is in making TMP, they decided not to go with the gold, blue, and red uniforms because they were afraid they'd appear comic-bookish on the big screen. Yet Abrams used a variation of them in his movie.

The uniforms in TMP were definitely bland, but I think the ones in the new movie look silly, especially given how everything else has been redesigned. The material with the delta woven in looks like an unfortunate result of the fascination with such materials ever since they redesigned Spidey's costume, and the colors and cuts of the new uniforms look, to me, like pajamas. Sorry - of all the things they redesigned for the big screen, I can't for the life of me understand why they kept these!

To be brutally honest, I have never really cared for the TOS uniforms. And these aren't really an improvement. In my opinion, the uniforms worn at the Academy in this movie are much more convincing as real uniforms. Give them black pants, make the tops gold, red, and blue for the starship departments if you must, and they could've worked.

 

[urbandk]

The funny thing to me is in making TMP, they decided not to go with the gold, blue, and red uniforms because they were afraid they'd appear comic-bookish on the big screen. Yet Abrams used a variation of them in his movie.

The uniforms in TMP were definitely bland, but I think the ones in the new movie look silly, especially given how everything else has been redesigned. The material with the delta woven in looks like an unfortunate result of the fascination with such materials ever since they redesigned Spidey's costume, and the colors and cuts of the new uniforms look, to me, like pajamas. Sorry - of all the things they redesigned for the big screen, I can't for the life of me understand why they kept these!

To be brutally honest, I have never really cared for the TOS uniforms. And these aren't really an improvement. In my opinion, the uniforms worn at the Academy in this movie are much more convincing as real uniforms. Give them black pants, make the tops gold, red, and blue for the starship departments if you must, and they could've worked.

I look at the ones worn on the ship as duty fatigues and those at the academy as dress uniforms.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I was thrilled to see the TOS uniforms back again. I hate the overworked designs used in the later TOS movies - the maroon bell-boy outfits - and the grey-and-black jogging suits. Gimmee lots of color, it's Star Trek after all.

 

[FlyingLemons]

Also, as Abrams stated in interviews, he also intended it to be a depiction of OUR future like the old series was intended to be. Seeing as my laptop is far less clunky than "24th century" tech depicted in films during the 90s, and has graphics capabilities that put the (admittedly still awesome) Genesis simulation to shame, it would also appear kind of hokey to have the original bridge in this day and age (unless there was a 60s revival in the 23rd century) with all of its rather primitive looking push buttons and switches.

Also, see "Star Trek XII: So Very Tired" for an idea of the spoofing the Original Series had as well...

As well...

Spoiler: Captain Pike

I think the Admiral's uniform he was wearing at the end had the same color scheme as Kirk's dress uniform in TMP.

 

[AdmiralSteven]

I haven't seen it yet, but I'm glad they didn't make it look like the original; I think it would have looked campy if they had.

You have proof of that?

I didn't say it had to be flat out identical to the Original.

No one expects plywood sets that shake when the ship takes a hit.

Or background monitors that display nothing but vague nebula (because the original series couldn't afford to have a unique and dynamic display for each monitor).

But the general looks and design I think could've looked good on a modern screen.

At least based on what we say in the Enterprise episode.

I don't need proof because it's an opinion. Even with the sets updated a bit, actual screens instead of painted nebula and the what not, I still think it would look campy.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

I don't think Liotta would have had the range to play Pike.

Yes, I find Liotta to be a shockingly limited actor. I can't think of one role of his that's been memorable.

 

[Dayton3]

I haven't seen it yet, but I'm glad they didn't make it look like the original; I think it would have looked campy if they had.

You have proof of that?

I didn't say it had to be flat out identical to the Original.

No one expects plywood sets that shake when the ship takes a hit.

Or background monitors that display nothing but vague nebula (because the original series couldn't afford to have a unique and dynamic display for each monitor).

But the general looks and design I think could've looked good on a modern screen.

At least based on what we say in the Enterprise episode.

I don't need proof because it's an opinion. Even with the sets updated a bit, actual screens instead of painted nebula and the what not, I still think it would look campy.

I don't.

 

[TremblingBluStar]

I'm surprised they copied the look of the original series as much as they did, to be quite honest. When I heard this was going to be a remake of TOS I was expecting something radically different, like the LoS remake from 1997.

I'm glad they did copy much of the original show's look. However, I'm glad they updated it. If anything, I wish the Enterprise looked more like the original. I mean, if you are going to copy most of it, why not all? Why this mismashed mix of the TOS Enterprise and the first movie Enterprise?

 

[Mr. B]

I think it would have been quite possible to follow the look of the Original Series more closely in such a way that would still be palatable on the big screen. IMO, Vektor's modified Enterprise proves a faithful exterior of the ship is possible.

However, it would be pretty hard to mimic interiors such as corridors which were admittedly spartan.

 

[perigee]

NOTES FROM MY MOTHER'S BASEMENT:

I've been down here listening to Sergio Mendes and the Brazil 66, and I have to agree with the disappointment some here are feeling. The whole world is so wrong anymore. All this hippity-hop and alternative junk on the radio - why doesn't anyone sound like The Beatles anymore? And somebody tell me what's wrong with bell-bottoms? It cost me a small fortune, but I managed to keep all my appliances down here a lovely shade of Avacado, and apart from having to defrost the thing a couple times a year, it works great.

My TV clicker is getting a little dodgy, and you still have to get up to change the UHF channels. But generally, the picture's OK, when you let the tubes warm up. I think that Castro is responsible for cable TV. People look at me funny, I guess because my leisure suits are getting a little threadbare, but what do they know? William Shatner wore them - that's good enough for me.

I cut marbles in half, and replaced all the keys on my computer keyboard, so they'd look right. I'm sure critics of the new movie would agree this is what a computer Should look like now. I've carpeted the basement with grey indoor/outdoor capet - the Only carpet to have - and only use 3.5 inch floppys, because who ever heard of flash drives on Star Trek?

Yes, the real future looks like the past, and as long as I live in Mom's basement, I can defend retro-design without being a hypocrite. I am insulted and agrieved that Paramount didn't spend 150 million for me and those like me, opting instead for those idiots that grew up and want something other than a turntable with Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, a 14-inch television with "Adam-12" and "I Dream of Jeannie" on it, and really, really wide ties.

It's unfair. Now - see? You've got me crying again...

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Dude, do not mock vacuum-tube television sets. "Mad Man" Muntz rules!

 

[Dayton3]

I think the look of the Original Series holds up better than many aspects of later Star Trek.

For example, the basic bridge design on the Original Series has never been equaled by anything later.

At least, I don't think the U.S. Navy was ever interested in replicating the ST:TNG, Voyager, Defiant, or other bridges for an aircraft carrier.

 

[Squiggy]

Why Not Copy The Look of the Original Series More Closely?

Reboot.

 

[saddestmoon]

Just saw it last night...

A fantastic movie!!!! Abrams is Awesome, IMO!!!

The look, the pace, the storyline - the characters - were all fantastic!!!

I'm glad he didn't try and replicate the look of the 1960s Trek - especially as this is an alternate timeline.

Well done JJ!!!!

EDIT: The new Enterprise looks fantastic!!!! It's now my favourite starship design, overtaking by a narrow margin, the TMP Refit Enterprise design, which has held sway in my books for soooo long now...

 

[iguana_tonante]

I think the look of the Original Series holds up better than many aspects of later Star Trek.

For example, the basic bridge design on the Original Series has never been equaled by anything later.

At least, I don't think the U.S. Navy was ever interested in replicating the ST:TNG, Voyager, Defiant, or other bridges for an aircraft carrier.

Duh, because they have the same identical layout of the TOS bridge. There is no operational difference. Try one, try all.

 

[-Brett-]

The Star Trek: Enterprise two part mirror universe episode featured the original Constitution class Defiant (the one that vanished in the Original Series "The Tholian Web") very heavily.

You may or may not have noticed that Enterprise was cancelled.

Not the best of examples.

 

[Dayton3]

I think the look of the Original Series holds up better than many aspects of later Star Trek.

For example, the basic bridge design on the Original Series has never been equaled by anything later.

At least, I don't think the U.S. Navy was ever interested in replicating the ST:TNG, Voyager, Defiant, or other bridges for an aircraft carrier.

Duh, because they have the same identical layout of the TOS bridge. There is no operational difference. Try one, try all.

Actually, the Enterprise-D, Voyager, Defiant and NX-01 bridges differ considerably from the original Enterprise.

 

[Dayton3]

The Star Trek: Enterprise two part mirror universe episode featured the original Constitution class Defiant (the one that vanished in the Original Series "The Tholian Web") very heavily.

The second part of the two parter is set aboard the Defiant with the main cast members wearing original series uniforms and the interiors of the ship copying ST:OS VERY closely.

Not to mention the external views of the Defiant.

I was surprised.

The look of the original series worked extremely well on the modern television screen.

Given that, why doesn't this Trek movie more closely copy the look of the original?

You may or may not have noticed that the series was cancelled.

You may or may not have noticed that the series had MORE VIEWERS on average than DS9, Voyager, or Enterprise.