Has irreparable damage been done to Star Trek's brand?

[Sci]

I know I'm likely alone in this view, but in spite of Trek's (previously) languishing state, I always considered it above the fray in many respects. It had a certain integrity because it had not surrendered itself to the lowest common denominator.

Bullshit. Star Trek has always had episodes and scenes that pandered to the lowest common denominator. Orion slave girls? Kirk seducing beautiful, half-naked women? Planet of the Nymphos (aka "Justice")? Kira's uniform? Seven of Nine? T'Pol? Everyone in their underwear in the decon chamber? T'Pol's nipples in "Broken Bow?"

The idea that Trek has ever been a high-brow franchise is a ridiculous myth.

Of course, it has now done so unconditionally with this new film. Storytelling is out and attention span driven action sequences are in.

Absolute nonsense. Storytelling hasn't been put aside, it's just that this is one of the few Trek films to actually use the action-adventure genre properly. Are there action sequences? Yes. Is it fast-paced? Yes. There's also a wonderful story about two guys learning to put aside their differences and learn from one-another. To pretend that one doesn't exist is absurd.

I think the brand has been severely damaged,

The brand has not been damaged, it's been brought back from the dead.

 

[adamisme]

the brand is alive and well and undamaged, for a few years its been on life support but now its recovered, I know a few people who aren't fans but saw the movie and loved it and if a new approach a reboot can bring new fans then long may it last and the more money made, the bigger it becomes

 

[Mr. B]

The idea that Trek has ever been a high-brow franchise is a ridiculous myth.

I thought I worded my post carefully enough to avoid this interpretation but apparently not. Sure Trek has had it's share of questionably attired women, but neither that nor any other sort of cop-out has been a driving force until now. Story and plot are most definitely on the back burner now. Kirk and Spock choosing between bickering on the bridge or saving lives apparently passes for drama and character development now. It's pathetic, but lucrative.

 

[Sci]

The idea that Trek has ever been a high-brow franchise is a ridiculous myth.

I thought I worded my post carefully enough to avoid this interpretation but apparently not. Sure Trek has had it's share of questionably attired women, but neither that nor any other sort of cop-out has been a driving force until now. Story and plot are most definitely on the back burner now. Kirk and Spock choosing between bickering on the bridge or saving lives apparently passes for drama and character development now. It's pathetic, but lucrative.

You may not have enjoyed the execution of the story in the new film, but that doesn't mean that the story was put on the back-burner and it was all just an excuse for action sequences. There was a valid story being told, and frankly its action sequences were less redundant to the plot than, say, TSFS's or TUC's.

 

[cwl]

Star Trek is back from the dead, it's not perfect but it's pretty damn good.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

A summer blockbuster gets almost universal positive reviews. It has a well known brand name. It has a big budget. It's doing okay at the box office, but not that great.

Who is at fault? What has occurred over the past decade(s) to devalue the Star Trek image?

How do you figure? This movie is doing so much better than any Trek movie ever has, what has you convinced that the Trek "brand" was ever worth a farthing more than it is at this moment?

 

[CaptainCanada]

I'm very hopeful I can entice my dad to see the movie, thanks to all the buzz. He was a big Star Wars fan and went to see TMP in 1979, was bored out of his skull, and hasn't looked at the franchise since (despite all my efforts to get him to watch). It's taken a little longer than getting him to like The Simpsons, but I will prevail.

So, no, I don't think it's hurting the brand.

 

[Shieldsdown]

This movie will undoubtedly cause a significant upsurge in interest in all things TOS. Best thing that has happened to the brand in a LOOOOONG time!

 

[Zeppster]

Go to IMDB.com and look up each version of Star Trek ever made. You will see the interest is way up in every one. Over 100% for almost everything in Trek is up. This movie is causing more interest for all of Trek not just TOS.

 

[The Evil Dead]

It's already the highest domestic grossing Trek film of all time, non-Trek fans are going to see this film and are liking it and talking about it, it's 2nd weekend profit drop was very good for a summer film, we'll see a sequel in 2011 or 2012, Trek is back..............what damage?

 

[Therin of Andor]

It's doing okay at the box office, but not that great.

Compared to what?

What has occurred over the past decade(s) to devalue the Star Trek image?

ST IV did great box office and got wonderful reviews. Like JJ's film, it was a lot of fun and attracted the general public, many of whom stuck around for TNG. And many diehard ST fans complained that ST IV was the beginning of the "dumbing down" of Star Trek.

Irreparable damage? On who's planet?

 

[Jefferies]

Some people here are saying that the new movie is getting people interested in oldTrek. However, I don't think this is really true, because there is a significant number of people, in this very forum even, that denounce previous Trek as delapidated and a thing of the past that is "below the fray" when compared to the new movie. It therefore seems more likely to me, that people will think Star Trek pre-2009 = and post-2009 = , especially, as this opinion seems to be propagated by a fair share of Star Trek fans themselves. This means there will be no change in attitude towards Trek. People will simply differentiate the new movie from the rest.

 

[Vance]

Number one movie AND good reviews. When is the last time this happened?

It's a little trickier. Yes, the movie has a 'main-stream' appeal, but that popularity flocking is very short-term and is already set to move onto Transformers in a few weeks. For most of this audience, Star Trek will be forgotten just a few minutes after they finish their popcorn. Mass appeal is a very fickle and unsure thing.

So, we'll likely see a sequel or two on this part of the franchise, and some tie-ins centered around the movies themselves, but we're not going to see a huge renaissance of all things Star Trek - particularly homaging the 'old' stuff that Paramount/CBS kinda wants to ignore anyway.

And, when these movies play out, the stage is already set to just do another reboot (ala Batman or James Bond) for the next generation of mass audiences, once Chris Pine starts looking like he's not a teenager anymore and Zoe's boobs start to migrate south.

 

[Vance]

It's already the highest domestic grossing Trek film of all time,

Only in non-adjusted dollars. When the average ticket price is over $10 these days, that's sadly not all that difficult to do.

 

[Therin of Andor]

particularly homaging the 'old' stuff that Paramount/CBS kinda wants to ignore anyway.

So that's why they've just re-released a boxed set of the first six movies, with new commentaries and bonus features, and new season tins of the CGIed TOS episodes!

 

[Jefferies]

So, we'll likely see a sequel or two on this part of the franchise, and some tie-ins centered around the movies themselves, but we're not going to see a huge renaissance of all things Star Trek - particularly homaging the 'old' stuff that Paramount/CBS kinda wants to ignore anyway.

I agree with you, I doubt this movie will make Star Trek generally more popular. I also doubt that there will be a lot of material produced in this nuTimeline. They will make a few movie sequels that make decent money and once that has dried up who knows what will happen. Maybe they will Reboot TNG? Or maybe a new TV series that is unrelated to previous incarnations.

 

[Lindley]

Enterprise was an attempt at damage control, but it was like sticking a piece of gum in a leaky dam... made of gum.

Or patching a hull breach with mashed potatoes.

 

[CaptainJon]

Compared to Star Wars, it's doing "okay", but compared to most movies? It's doing exceptionally well. Not only did it pass $100 million by its second weekend, its second weekend is only going to see about a 40% drop-off in ticket sales. For a major Hollywood blockbuster, that's awesome. This movie has got some summer legs. Yeah, it's got bigger competition coming up in the way of Terminator and Night at the Museum, but it'll probably still do pretty well and easily pass $200 million.

Comparing its numbers to Wolverine, it'll probably pass that in box office receipts. Sure, Wolverine had a bigger opening weekend, but if you compare the drop-off between the two, Star Trek is faring very well and is gradually gaining ground. Will it beat the likes of Terminator or Harry Potter? Probably not, but I expect it to quite possibly be in the top 10 for the year, if not the top 5. And considering the box office grosses of top 10 movies these days, that says a lot about how the Trek brand is coming back.

 

[Praetorian]

Until Star Trek returns to the small screen with a sucessful television series I will not consider the damage repaired...
However, we are getting closer to it...

 

[Vonstadt]

I don't think the brand is in any danger at all from the film, in fact as stated I think its a step in the right direction publicity wise. I think the healing has begun...

People see that Trek can be fun again...now lets see if they can hold on to it and tell even better stories.

Its a good star in the right direction for the most part in my opinion.