Anyone else Prefer Pine to Shatner

[label]

My two cents....

One of the first things I said after had some time to reflect on what I had seen is that I enjoyed Pine's Kirk better. Not Sylar's Spock and certainly not Urban Mccoy, but I did enjoy Pine's Kirk better.

I've talked to a few of my fellow geeky friends and they've had the same reaction as me apparently.

 

[Vicki]

And there was quite a bit of first-year Kirk in Pine's performance. Not necessarily an imitation or carbon copy, rather something Pine was able to capture from that early Kirk/Shatner performance.

Pine. And I never thought I'd be saying that. He made the role his own.

Although I did think Pine was delibrately chaneling Shatner's Kirk in the very last scene. And very well too.

 

[Kirk1980]

Hopefully I'm not the only one who not only appreciates some of the more OTT parts of Shatner's performance but thoroughly enjoys that part of the Kirk character, as well. His performance was powerful (take that however you want) and it impressed on me heavily as a kid. My holy triumvirate of 'father figures' (growing up without a dad, I tended to have those, I think) was composed of He-Man, Tom Baker's Doctor WHO and Captain James T. Kirk. So yes, I am VERY biased.

I like my heroes hammy

That being said, I would like to echo a previous poster who said that although they enjoyed Shatner and consider him the iconic actor for the Kirk role, it's nice they found someone who did a decent job in such large boots.

 

[Captain Fine]

I think what sets Pine apart from the other's is that he specifically chose NOT to imitate Kirk. He made the role his own and breathed new life into it. I like Urban's McCoy, but on my second viewing (I've only see it twice) I felt it was a bit too imitative. Quinto is just kinda there. That is to say, I find him acceptable, but he doesn't blow me away as Spock. I guess it's just a hard role to do. Of the trio, I'd say Pine, Urban and then Quinto. But I'll definitely give them all a second chance for XII.

 

[PKTrekGirl]

I wouldn't say I like Pine MORE...but I do like him. In fact, I like him alot.

In fact, while I really liked Quinto and Urban in particular...I have to say that Chris Pine MADE this movie for me.

This kid could easily have turned this film into an epic FAIL if he hadn't had the necessary guts required to take on this legendary role and make it his own. But he did it. And it wasn't one of those 'just managed to pull it off' deals either. This kid just kicked all KINDS of ass in this role. And I was happy to see it.

Until 3 weeks ago, there were very few characters in modern pop culture as well known and associated with a single actor as James T. Kirk. To take on that sort of a role had to be super-intimidating. But Chris Pine rose to the occasion and nailed it.

Shatner is Shatner and I will always love him - not only for Kirk, but in truth, for Denny Crane as well.

But as of 3 weeks ago, he's gonna have to get used to sharing Kirk. Because Chris Pine is here to stay, folks.

 

[Captain Pike]

I wouldn't say I like Pine MORE...but I do like him. In fact, I like him alot.

In fact, while I really liked Quinto and Urban in particular...I have to say that Chris Pine MADE this movie for me.

This kid could easily have turned this film into an epic FAIL if he hadn't had the necessary guts required to take on this legendary role and make it his own. But he did it. And it wasn't one of those 'just managed to pull it off' deals either. This kid just kicked all KINDS of ass in this role. And I was happy to see it.

Until 3 weeks ago, there were very few characters in modern pop culture as well known and associated with a single actor as James T. Kirk. To take on that sort of a role had to be super-intimidating. But Chris Pine rose to the occasion and nailed it.

Totally agree.

 

[RAMA]

I prefer Pine in this movie.

 

[FabiusMaximus]

Hard to compare with Shatner's forty plus years attached to the role and Pine's one time version (albeit a fantastic one). I'll just say as fans we were lucky to get those years with the Shat and hopefully will get several years with Pine. And with the way the story was told, we truly don't have to show preferences -- Kirk is a great man in any universe.

 

[Bobatiel]

The Shat breathed life into that character and made him real. I enjoyed Pine's performance and I think he'll do well in the role in the future. But the Shat IS James T. Kirk.

Couldn't have said it any better!

 

[Pindar]

I don't even know where to begin with how wrong this question is.

Did I like Pine: Yes
Did I think he was good: Yes

Do I think he is better than William Shatner: Fuck no.

I have to wonder how much of TOS the Shatner haters have actually watched.

With so many years of material it's easy to pick bad performances, he also gave many excellent performances.

Regardless of how low some people hold the original series none of what came later would ever have been made without the success of the original series.

It's not a competition both old and new versions of Trek can be good.

 

[Classic Fan]

Oddly... Yes.


I liked Pines Kirk, not so much better than Shatners, but Pines Kirk was better. I would say they were on par with each other but i do kind of like Pines Kirk.

Its much like the way Shatner played Kirk in the movies differently from the Kirk in the show, I think Shatner mustve thought that as htye were bigger budgeted and better written (in some cases) he took on a more mature way to play the character.

I can say the same for Pines Kirk. He didnt over act, which personally is one aspect i didnt like with Shatners Kirk, and again, in the movies Shatner shed that aspect to a degree at least. Thats one plus side to Pine, i he didnt impersonate Shatner, he just emulated him in certain other areas.

Pine is better at incedental comedy than Shatner to start with. The scene where McCoy gets him on the Enterprise is a prime example. He can handle comedy a lot better and in some ways i could say he a better actor.

 

[dmleo]

I don't even know where to begin with how wrong this question is.

Did I like Pine: Yes
Did I think he was good: Yes

Do I think he is better than William Shatner: Fuck no.

I have to wonder how much of TOS the Shatner haters have actually watched.

With so many years of material it's easy to pick bad performances, he also gave many excellent performances.

Regardless of how low some people hold the original series none of what came later would ever have been made without the success of the original series.

It's not a competition both old and new versions of Trek can be good.

Not a TOS hater at all since watching it as a kid made me a huge fan of the genre. Kirk was never my favorite character due mostly to Shatner's acting style - it just doesn't appeal to me.

I prefer Pine and think that even at this early stage in his career he's a better, more nuanced actor.

 

[Cakes488]

Pine's Kirk is better.

Shatner never made Kirk as cool and badass as Chris' version.

Shat's over the top acting tended to drag his portrayal down....I prefer Pine's approach.

See that were I'm at. Shat had that overacting problem when some potentially serious and dramatic scenes just turned comical for me. Pine for me made Kirk the way I always wanted to see him. Don't get me wrong im still a huge Shat fan. But i really liked they new view of a great captain.

I haven't read the full thread...so I'm intersted to see how this is splitting...which it better be lopsided as in All Shat and Little Pine....but I really think that Shat gets a bad rap about the overacting. For such a bad actor he sure does get hired a lot throughout his carrer! I do have to LOL that you or rather anyone can say that Pine could be better than Shat who has 79 episodes in the can, not including the movies...but this kid is on screen for 2 hours and he's better than Shat's whole body of work as Kirk? Preposterous !

 

[miniglik]

Pine's Kirk is better.

Shatner never made Kirk as cool and badass as Chris' version.

Shat's over the top acting tended to drag his portrayal down....I prefer Pine's approach.

See that were I'm at. Shat had that overacting problem when some potentially serious and dramatic scenes just turned comical for me. Pine for me made Kirk the way I always wanted to see him. Don't get me wrong im still a huge Shat fan. But i really liked they new view of a great captain.

I haven't read the full thread...so I'm intersted to see how this is splitting...which it better be lopsided as in All Shat and Little Pine....but I really think that Shat gets a bad rap about the overacting. For such a bad actor he sure does get hired a lot throughout his carrer! I do have to LOL that you or rather anyone can say that Pine could be better than Shat who has 79 episodes in the can, not including the movies...but this kid is on screen for 2 hours and he's better than Shat's whole body of work as Kirk? Preposterous !

A quick perusal, and I'd say it's a pretty even three way split between: Shatner as timeless originator, Pine being an improvement, and the third option, "I like them both in different ways" or "it's too early to decide."

Also, I'd say quantity doesn't equal quality. I'd also say that much of what a liked better about nuKirk isn't just that he didn't pause randomly in his speeches, but that the movie didn't let him get away with being quite so sure of himself. He had five fist fights and lost every one of them. He didn't get the girl. When he got overly cocky he got: a) punched, b) greeted by a beam, c) an academic investigation, and d) jettisoned. From what I remember of TOS (I'm not a big fan), everything always seemed so easy for Kirk, and it was nice that things weren't that easy for this Kirk. So that doesn't have anything to do with Shatner and Pine, but who was writing them and the eras in which they're being written.

 

[Jeri]

miniglik, that is a great little summation, thanks. Pine Kirk took a lot of punishment.

 

[barnaclelapse]

Shatner's still my favorite Kirk and always will be, but Pine is doing a pretty damn good job with the role. That's about all I could ever really ask for.

 

[Cakes488]

See that were I'm at. Shat had that overacting problem when some potentially serious and dramatic scenes just turned comical for me. Pine for me made Kirk the way I always wanted to see him. Don't get me wrong im still a huge Shat fan. But i really liked they new view of a great captain.

I haven't read the full thread...so I'm intersted to see how this is splitting...which it better be lopsided as in All Shat and Little Pine....but I really think that Shat gets a bad rap about the overacting. For such a bad actor he sure does get hired a lot throughout his carrer! I do have to LOL that you or rather anyone can say that Pine could be better than Shat who has 79 episodes in the can, not including the movies...but this kid is on screen for 2 hours and he's better than Shat's whole body of work as Kirk? Preposterous !

A quick perusal, and I'd say it's a pretty even three way split between: Shatner as timeless originator, Pine being an improvement, and the third option, "I like them both in different ways" or "it's too early to decide."

Also, I'd say quantity doesn't equal quality. I'd also say that much of what a liked better about nuKirk isn't just that he didn't pause randomly in his speeches, but that the movie didn't let him get away with being quite so sure of himself. He had five fist fights and lost every one of them. He didn't get the girl. When he got overly cocky he got: a) punched, b) greeted by a beam, c) an academic investigation, and d) jettisoned. From what I remember of TOS (I'm not a big fan), everything always seemed so easy for Kirk, and it was nice that things weren't that easy for this Kirk. So that doesn't have anything to do with Shatner and Pine, but who was writing them and the eras in which they're being written.

I guess it's like comparing apples and oranges because it's not the same Kirk. See this is exactly what I mean about Shatner getting a bad rap about pausing and hamming. He gets blamed for it way more often then it actually occurs. And besides nuKirk couldn't pause randomly because there was no time for it (lol)...they had to move on quickly to pack everything they wanted in the movie. You also have to remember that this is a young Kirk, so he's bound to have a few knocks in life before he really "finds" himself -- lord that sounds corny but I'm sticking with it.

You're right that quantity does not equal quality but to negate or rather compare the whole of Shatners Kirk on TOS to Pine's two measly hours is ridiculous....there is no comparison. I like the nuKirk just fine...didn't hate him but I wasn't in love either. Of course nobody is going to be able to come close to any of the originals but I don't/can't expect them to.

But to see people who are TOS fans say they like this kid better or it's an improvement over Shat....it stuns me...yes it stuns me that a longtime fan of TOS could feel that way....

 

[Steven Of Nine]

Different eras, different purposes, different Kirks. Same response: love 'em both.

 

[indranee]

I adore Pine's Kirk, but seriously, folks, Cakes is right -- there is no comparison... yet.

Shatner is still The Kirk.

 

[Cakes488]

Different eras, different purposes, different Kirks. Same response: love 'em both.

And you love them both equally? Are you a long time TOS fan?

I adore Pine's Kirk, but seriously, folks, Cakes is right -- there is no comparison... yet.

Shatner is still The Kirk.

Thank you Indranee...can we pin this post and mount it around the board...??? Somebody is actually agreeing with me...and further said I was right so I'd like to remember this day for all time.