Do you think Star Trek needed a reboot?

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe' started by The Overlord, Dec 28, 2012.

  1. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    You know, it's probably worth noting that we're talking about a spectrum when it comes to the audience's knowledge of Star Trek. At one end, you have people who don't know or care who the captain of the Enterprise is, and at other end, you have the lifelong fans who can quote chapter and verse on every episode. But those aren't the only options--or very representative of the general audience.

    In between, you have millions of people who have enjoyed the occasional Trek movie or TV series over the years, and maybe even watched TOS or TNG semi-regularly, but whom, for whatever reasons, had gradually drifted away from the later spin-offs and movies. But whom, yes, still know who Spock is and what "beam me up" means.

    Somewhere in the middle of that spectrum is where the vast majority of the audience lies, not out at either extreme. It's not an either/or situation pitting hardcore Trekkies against total newbies.

    Rebooting TOS, but without forty years of baggage, was the smart, sensible way to reach that huge middle ground.
     
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2012
  2. Set Harth

    Set Harth Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Shatner's gangster impression makes me cringe.
     
  3. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    Each to their own. I liked their in-universe reset, and enjoy the easter egg references in the post-Nemesis novels.
    From what I know of Into Darkness...

    Kirk makes a mistake and loses his command
    He needed to be captain to set that up.

    And as for Kirk and Spock...
    KIRK: If I were there and he were here, what would [Spock] do?

    McCOY: He'd let you die.
    They're allies, but not yet the friends they were in Old Spock's timeline.
     
  4. Awesome Possum

    Awesome Possum Moddin' Admiral

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    It's really the only thing they could have done if they made another movie. Paramount isn't in the business of making a minority of Trek fans happy, they want to make money. Kirk, Spock and McCoy are known on some level to a vast majority of audiences. It could have been done poorly and just a cash grab. But it is a really good and entertaining movie. A lot of thought was put into it and they took the time to put in a ton of references to the original series. Like the sound effects, the tribble and a ton of other details.
     
  5. Amaris

    Amaris Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm glad it got a reboot for several reasons:

    A) We were never going to see another TNG movie. The returns just weren't there. Not only that, but there wasn't even the faintest hint of a DS9/VOY/ENT movie, again, because the returns weren't going to be there. TNG was a highly rated TV series, and by their 4th outing, they had fizzled. It happens, but contrary to the wishes of a number of fans, subsequent series movies were not in the cards, and will not happen, not in the usable lifetimes of the actors in said series.

    B) I was thrilled to see the original crew taken in a new direction, and I wasn't disappointed. I think STXI was exactly what Star Trek needed. Fresh faces, updated technology, and out from under the burden of a top heavy in-universe canon.

    I look forward to STXII. I expect it to be fun, fast paced, and loaded with adventure. I don't think it will disappoint.
     
  6. ITL

    ITL Vice Admiral Admiral

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    You said several. I am disappoint. :( More, please.
     
  7. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The new direction of them all sat in the Enterprise saving the Earth?
     
  8. Admiral Buzzkill

    Admiral Buzzkill Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    That post does not provide any evidence that you actually saw the movie; there's a whole lot less "sitting around the Enterprise" in Abrams's Trek than trekkies are accustomed to.

    How about the new direction of all the characters not standing around chattering superficially but at length about alleged Big Ideas while boring the audience to tears?

    That's certainly been an improvement. :cool:
     
  9. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Some of us find sci-fi ideas more interesting than "BUCKLE UP! FIRE EVERYTHING!" lens flare shenanigans.

    Still, I think it's best to judge JJ-Trek on the following film really. Star Trek 2009 made Star Trek a sell to the public again and that's what it's best to consider it as. It's up to this next film to deliver on ideas and exploration. I really hope there's more meat to the film than the trailers are giving us.
     
  10. Awesome Possum

    Awesome Possum Moddin' Admiral

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    It was just like the original with all the running, battles, swordfights and gun fights all cut together in a fast paced and exciting way.
     
  11. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That post does not provide any evidence that you actually saw TOS

    So less of a new direction and more of a new editor then.
     
  12. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah, cause no Trek movie has had a big space battle or was exploration focused. I'm mean look at TMP, uh no that was about saving the Earth, but close... II...Uh III...okay IV, no that was time travel to stop the destruction of Earth...V, there you go that was about exploration--sort of...VI? no...Generations? No....FC? Oh hell no. Insurrection, meh exploration but still cashed in one the ground and space battles...Nemesis, yeah not really mostly the battle but it wasn't Earth focused, except for Nero trying to destroy the Earth.

    Trek movies have never really been about exploration.
     
  13. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I'd say The Motion Picture is a film about journeying in to the alien and unknown, with a strong emphasis on sci-fi ideas over action.

    Why it's my favourite :).
     
  14. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    The difference is though, we'd had season after season of different types of stories and ideas. The creative teams had 'earned' the right to let their hair down when it came to the movies.

    JJ's Trek does not have that luxury and as such feels superficial.
     
  15. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    Still, that's a bit different than saying the movies need to get back to ideas and exploration. And look at DS9, it turned into largely Space Above and Beyond in the final years.

    TMP is my fav too, but it's Changeling with the serial numbers filed off. Hardly original.
     
  16. Awesome Possum

    Awesome Possum Moddin' Admiral

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    Well I found the aspects of time travel, alternate universes with familiar yet different versions of characters and the characters knowing that they are branch of another timeline and that their lives were radically altered by a single event. Yet, they all seem to come together as if despite the different pasts, there is a certain fate for those characters. Kirk is meant to be captain, Pike is meant to be injured and Spock is meant to work with Kirk and eventually become Kirk's friend. You also have Spock dealing with the near extinction of his people as well as the personal trauma of seeing his mother killed in front of him.

    I'm fairly sure those were ideas.
     
  17. Shazam!

    Shazam! Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well I'm not necessarily averse to starting things off with a bang. It just came off as hollow due to its lax narrative, and even more so when we are TOLD IN THE MOVIE that we're literally watching some alternate universe characters. May as well have been a feature-length mirror universe episode.
     
  18. DalekJim

    DalekJim Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Star Trek has rarely been original to those who know their sci-fi. It's all about the execution and the execution in TMP is superlative.
     
  19. SeerSGB

    SeerSGB Admiral Admiral

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    You know how the movie felt, a little--anyone that's into anime will know what I mean, one of those anime movies that condenses down and retells the story of the series but in a 2 or 3 hours movie instead of multiple episodes. It was Do You Remember Love (not as good mind you), the same concept: Condense and retell the series in a movie format.
     
  20. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    No its plodding and slow and tries to wow with SFX to make up for a weak storyline.

    What SF ideas were explored in TMP?