Kirk...
- Thread starter Bry_Sinclair
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Everybody is entitled to an opinion, for whatever reason they wish. Now, one may debate a reason given, but ultimately I wouldn't make a big debate about it.
I'm also someone who liked Kirk a lot in the 1st season, a little less so in the 2nd, and not much in the 3rd. Picard is compared to him by some, but I don't think it's very fair. The men who portrayed them are two very different kinds of actors, who had a very different production crew (writers, directors, producers).
Shatner portrayed Kirk in a great way... a very diverse individual. At times, he made some faulty decisions that I wouldn't expect a man of his talents to make... but then, it also showed a vulnerability within him. It was great to see him willingly rely upon his colleagues.
So, as far as the OP's original question goes, it's a resounding "No" for me. I liked him. And while at one point I had wished Jeffrey Hunter had been given a season to try, I later revoked that. Shatner made a very positive impact on the show.
I'm also someone who liked Kirk a lot in the 1st season, a little less so in the 2nd, and not much in the 3rd. Picard is compared to him by some, but I don't think it's very fair. The men who portrayed them are two very different kinds of actors, who had a very different production crew (writers, directors, producers).
Shatner portrayed Kirk in a great way... a very diverse individual. At times, he made some faulty decisions that I wouldn't expect a man of his talents to make... but then, it also showed a vulnerability within him. It was great to see him willingly rely upon his colleagues.
So, as far as the OP's original question goes, it's a resounding "No" for me. I liked him. And while at one point I had wished Jeffrey Hunter had been given a season to try, I later revoked that. Shatner made a very positive impact on the show.
I agree generally with your analysis. I like Picard more than Kirk but that could just be because Picard was allowed to develop over a much longer period whereas Kirk lost some depth before regaining it in STII-IV before losing it again.
More generally, I'm not a huge fan of too much focus on Kirk-Spock-McCoy as a unit. I always preferred episodes where other crewmembers were spotlighted in addition to them so we got to see wider interactions.
Kirk was fun, well written, and performed energetically. That's what appealed to me; Bill Shatner's own energy. He helped make Star Trek fun, above all else. As long as he's there, if an episode sucks, it's still fun. There's still something to watch that entertains me. With TNG, a bad episode puts me right to sleep. No other Star Trek lead has every entertained me as much.
Right... different acting... styles. Keep telling yourself that...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAvRBDQqSmY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UMxWrwPeto
Yep, comparing acting from the 60s to acting from the 90s.
Charlie Chaplin would probably considered a really bad actor by todays standards, too.
I wouldn’t say one actor is better than the other. Different styles, different acting traditions, different ways of approaching a character.
And Picard is a great big bore. Kirk is DA MAN!
This. I don't have anything against Stewart. I sold stuff on ebay last summer so I could afford to go to Las Vegas just to have my picture taken with the guy. It was worth every penny as he was awesome in person. I think he's a magnificent actor. The Picard character just doesn't impress me as much as Kirk does. I think Kirk is a more interesting character. I guess I just like my captains a little more action oriented.
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I love how smart Kirk is, what a linear thinker he shows himself to be. He's always seeing an element of the picture that is not obvious and immediately acting upon it. None of these conference room tediums, lol.
He's a very clever man. I was pleased in ST:XI when NuKirk was reffered to by Pike as "genius level" because his creative high intelligence comes through very clearly in TOS.
He's a very clever man. I was pleased in ST:XI when NuKirk was reffered to by Pike as "genius level" because his creative high intelligence comes through very clearly in TOS.
One of the things about Kirk that has always impressed me is how self aware he is. He's aware of his strengths, limitations, faults, etc. He questions himself and asks for help when he needs it. He's also very much aware of how his choices affect others. It is clear how much he regrets not being there for his son, David; and he often wonders how his life would have been different had he been. Though as I understand it Carol was behind most of that. Kirk has a lot of room in his heart for people. I like that he isn't distant. He feels things and isn't afraid to.
I'm glad that you mention that "apples versus oranges" because it is. And not because of different acting styles. Different *command* styles I think. I remember as a teen seeing all those 100 reasons why Kirk is better than Picard lists and vice versa and while they're funny I don't take them as seriously as I used to. I think they're both excellent captains. I just think Kirk is the more fun of the two.
There was nothing to indicate that Kirk the character was ever bald and wore a rug. Shatner, yes. Kirk, no.
Ever since TOS-R in HD it's canon that Kirk wore a wig.
Oh brother. I can be nitpicky, but oh brother...
I like him enough that I'm rooting for Pine's Kirk to keep migrating as a character more towards Kirk-Kirk.
Kirk is a very complicated character when you dig below the surface. He's a lot more interesting than the standard square jawed astronaut type. He has a lot of vulnerabilities, puts himself on the line emotionally, butches up, takes crazy risks, and then suddenly slams on the breaks and becomes reflective, and then goes too far into faux-profundity and teeters on the edge of self-parody. He's a mass of contradictions. He's unpredictable. He keeps things lively.
Pine's Kirk right now is just a cocky young guy. Boring. But the kid has potential...
THIS.
You've obviously never seen The Apple, where he lost a couple of crewmen and nearly his ship because he made a mistake...
Sounds like a pretty flawed commanding officer to me.
Merky said:
May want to rewatch The Man Trap or The Enemy Within for starters.
Or The Tholian Web, among others.
