Star Trek's Catwoman: M'Ress

[Agent Richard07]

I was just thinking the other day that it would be nice to see M'Ress make an appearance in a new Trek movie? What do you think?

The first movie's bigger budget combined with the best of modern effects technology gave us some pretty good looking aliens, so why not a humanoid feline?

 

[Therin of Andor]

I was just thinking the other day that it would be nice to see M'Ress make an appearance in a new Trek movie? What do you think?

According to an interview I once read with the makeup staff of ST IV, we've already seen two live-action male Caitians.

William Shatner put a feline, triple-breasted "cat dancer" into ST V.

http://www.reocities.com/therinofandor/ufpbio/Cait.html

BTW, the team behind the "Star Trek: Phase II" fanfilms recently added a CGI Lieutenant Arex over a live-action actor - and he's voiced by Christopher Doohan, son of James Doohan, the original voice of TAS's Arex.


Star Trek: Phase II's Lieutenant Arex by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

 

[Captaindemotion]

^That looks pretty cool, especially for a famfilm.

 

[F. King Daniel]

M'ress was WAY too goofy with that insipid purring and speech in The Animated Series.

Mr. Arex, however, is utterly fantastic and should STAR in the next Trek movie!

 

[Drago-Kazov]

I would prefer Arex or the Andorian guy to show up instead.

 

[Ryan8bit]

That Arex looks awesome. I'm surprised because usually even the starship scenes in those fan films aren't very good, and that stuff is easy in comparison.

 

[Gojira]

Lets leave catwomen for Batman but I too would love to see Arex in a Trek movie.

 

[trekkiebaggio]

M'Ress...Mmmmm yes

Arex would be cool too.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Arex would be cool too.

"Phase II" originally said they wouldn't be doing Arex's third arm, but lots of people complained - and the FX artists persisted in their efforts. The last time I saw an update on the CGI on James Cawley's Facebook page, there was amazing preview footage of the three arms moving!


Arex, coming soon to "Phase II" by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

 

[nightwind1]

That Arex looks awesome. I'm surprised because usually even the starship scenes in those fan films aren't very good, and that stuff is easy in comparison.

Apparently, you've never watched Phase II/New Voyages.

 

[Redfern]

Agent Richard07, since she would likely be a background character at most (if Abrams even considered the idea), the final illusion would probably be achieved via makeup, possibly something similar to the excellent appliances designed for an early David Tennent Doctor Who episode to depict a group of "cat" nuns (the "Sisters of Plenitude"). Unless she had a significant part, I can't imagine the production investing the resources to go the Gollum or Avatar route. And as much as I humorously carry on about the character (as posters here will attest), I'll be the first to admit she was nothing more than a token alien with even fewer lines than Nichols as Uhura.

Still, it woud be fascinating to see her presented in her full digitigrade glory with her tail flicking about during a tense situation.

I'd imagine something like this, but with high end fur "dynamics"...

True, this is "old school" design, what with the Matt Jefferies bridge station and William Ware Theiss uniform, but I hope it adequately presents the idea.

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Captaindemotion]

^Background would suffice. It would be a nice little nod to fans, without being intrusive to those who've never heard of or seen TAS. Just to have her and Arex walking along would provide a nice little moment for oldies.

To the uninitiated, it would just be another couple of odd looking aliens, like the various ones we had in the 2009 movie, nothing to take them out of their enjoyment of the film.

 

[Kruezerman]

Arex would be cool too.

"Phase II" originally said they wouldn't be doing Arex's third arm, but lots of people complained - and the FX artists persisted in their efforts. The last time I saw an update on the CGI on James Cawley's Facebook page, there was amazing preview footage of the three arms moving!


Arex, coming soon to "Phase II" by Therin of Andor, on Flickr

Dear God they'd complain about anything!

 

[Therin of Andor]

Dear God they'd complain about anything!

Well, the point was, the SPFX guys went to the trouble of putting a CGI head over an actor to turn him into Arex, as a bit of an experiment - but, at first, James Cawley said that their Arex would only have two arms and two legs. Fans urged the "Phase II" SPFX guys to keep pushing the envelope. And they did!

 

[Kruezerman]

A third arm will be interesting, I'm sure, but it seems to be a bit... well, silly.

 

[Redfern]

Here's a hi-def clip on YouTube that was posted earlier today.

Tou see the shots with Arex, jump yo the 7:00 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JzExIBdSgY

Uh, Therin? Last I read, the original plan to upgrade the ship to the "Phase II" design (when I say "Phase II" in this case, I mean the aborted 1977 4th network project) had been dropped. Cawley said in summary, that the idea was met with resistance, so he backed off. But this clip clearly shows a vessel very close to those famous Mike Minor paintings. I guess he changed his mind again?

Sincerely,

Bill

 

[Kruezerman]

Here's a hi-def clip on YouTube that was posted earlier today.

Tou see the shots with Arex, jump yo the 7:00 minute mark.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JzExIBdSgY

Uh, Therin? Last I read, the original plan to upgrade the ship to the "Phase II" design (when I say "Phase II" in this case, I mean the aborted 1977 4th network project) had been dropped. Cawley said in summary, that the idea was met with resistance, so he backed off. But this clip clearly shows a vessel very close to those famous Mike Minor paintings. I guess he changed his mind again?

Sincerely,

Bill

I assume so, but good God Almighty does that ship look better. The refit has always been my favorite.

 

[Agent Richard07]

Agent Richard07, since she would likely be a background character at most (if Abrams even considered the idea), the final illusion would probably be achieved via makeup, possibly something similar to the excellent appliances designed for an early David Tennent Doctor Who episode to depict a group of "cat" nuns (the "Sisters of Plenitude"). Unless she had a significant part, I can't imagine the production investing the resources to go the Gollum or Avatar route.

Some of the minor background aliens did appear to get the appropriate CGI treatment. That nurse/doc with the big eyes who delivered Kirk comes to mind, so I don't see why M'Ress couldn't be done the same way.

Background would suffice. It would be a nice little nod to fans, without being intrusive to those who've never heard of or seen TAS. Just to have her and Arex walking along would provide a nice little moment for oldies.

Agreed. I wouldn't have expected much else anyway.

 

[nightwind1]

A third arm will be interesting, I'm sure, but it seems to be a bit... well, silly.

Why silly?

Arex actually had three arms and three legs in TAS. So, nothing silly about it.

 

[Therin of Andor]

A third arm will be interesting, I'm sure, but it seems to be a bit... well, silly.

Arex: Who are you calling "silly"?


M'Ress and Arex landing party by Therin of Andor, on Flickr