Abrams: ST Movie is Not a Traditional Prequel
- Thread starter ralph
- Start date
Abrams has got to know his leash only goes so far. Doing a total reboot akin to Galactica or the Lost in Space movie would be very difficult. You'd have to be insane to basically erase 40+ years, over 700 episodes and ten films. That being said, reinterpreting things like technology and the ship is certainly in bounds.
No such "leash" exists but for what the studio itself chooses to spend its money on and desires out of JJ Abrams and his team. Fans have zero such influence - they'd be better off realizing this.
Sharr
Exactly so.
Ben, I would like to point you towards the thread titled "Fear not...". The article in there has one of the writers saying they were very concerned with canon and not oversteping it too far.
This assertion just seems a bit empty on its face.
I never understood how 700+ plus films somehow equals an untouchable "quality" or an argument agianst building a new canon. Artistically speaking, if one had what one thought was a good idea - tossing out all those hours of celluloid is fully justified. Simply having hours and hours of film and tv does not make it untouchable or not in need of a re-think along the line...
Sharr
That's silly. If you were talking about Star Wars or whatever, I could agree, but this is Star Trek. Of course we have an influence. Were we to deign to intervene in this matter, we could do almost anything. Fortunately for Paramount and their lackies, we have chosen to observe the situation for now, and only act if it becomes necessary to do so.
Is Spock going to be a red skinned emotional Martian?
Is James Kirk's middle initial going to be an R?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
Spock must be a green skinned logical Vulcan, and James Kirk's middle initial must be a T.
What about the Enterprise's part being built on Terra?
The women officers and cadets of Starfleet wearing pants?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
The Enterprise must be built in Space!
The women must wear minidresses!
...
Is James Kirk's middle initial going to be an R?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
Spock must be a green skinned logical Vulcan, and James Kirk's middle initial must be a T.
What about the Enterprise's part being built on Terra?
The women officers and cadets of Starfleet wearing pants?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
The Enterprise must be built in Space!
The women must wear minidresses!
...
Upon receiving the Tomato's latest post, the same post he has posted a dozen times over, aridas' computer has a Spam™ attack...
No, we really don't have any influence. The only power we have is helping determine if there will be a Star Trek XII. Can you think of any movie people who are really going to change what they are doing for a bunch of whinny fans who literally know nothing (admit it, we really don't know anything about this). And, if the studios did decide to listen to these whinny fans, they would be faced with the question of whose opinion is more important, because there are as many fans who are fine with everything as there are complainers. They will never please everyone, and I will be shocked if they change everything up to try.
Holytomato said:
Is Spock going to be a red skinned emotional Martian?
Is James Kirk's middle initial going to be an R?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
Spock must be a green skinned logical Vulcan, and James Kirk's middle initial must be a T.
What about the Enterprise's part being built on Terra?
The women officers and cadets of Starfleet wearing pants?
Are those Violations of The Canon tm?
Yes!
The Enterprise must be built in Space!
The women must wear minidresses!
...
Holytomato, you've been asked to stop with these spammy posts. You get another warning for spamming. Comments to PM.
That is really the gist of what I was trying to say. Most fans are pleased with the current situation, so there is no organized movement to do much of anything, except wait for the new movie to come out. We managed to stop then original show from being cancelled, got the first space shuttle named Enterprise, and got a bunch of us a chance to be extras in the first film. Don't dismiss our potential so casually.
No, all we did was prove that there still was some interest in the franchise. Star Trek the series still remained very canceled. And, 10-20 years later, there's no telling if the fan movement really had anything to do with it.
Which has nothing to do with the studios's interest in the fans' opinion
Okay, I'm not familiar with that case.
Until it was cancelled by the third season - if Trek fans were as powerful as some think there would have been seven seasons of ToS instead of three.
Creatively writers/producers *should never* listen to the fans regarding content and story goals. Its not part of their job and fans shouldn't think its their job to dictate what film makers and tv show runners can or cannot do when making fiction. If the fans like it fine if not thats also fine.
I don't see filmakers giving certain fans cameos as a sign of power on the fans part, more of a reward for sticking with it. An understandable thing to do on behalf of someone making fiction with a following. Its not though a sign of creative influence from fandom.
Sharr
Yeah, well after "The Way to Eden" the majority of fandom probably decided that it wasn't worth the effort any more.
Fortunately most of us are of a mind with you on this one. Creativity-by-committee rarely produces anything but mediocrity.
Right. I seem to have lost track of my original point. I'm pretty sure it was more or less a silly joke anyway, so I'll just say "I'm wrong. You guys are right. I surrender unconditionally."
I largely agree with this, but deviate from this perspective on one KEY element... and it's one that's central to every argument of this nature.
Why is it that we, Star Trek fans, always ASSUME that what we want and what "the general public" wants are not the same thing?
I got into a conversation with Kegek a while back on this very topic. Unfortunately, it seemed to fall off of that topic and Kegek ended up trying to prove that I was saying something I wasn't.
Anyway... here's MY perspective.
What Trek fans want is, really, the same thing as what "general audiences" want. We just want a little bit MORE, in addition. The additional stuff isn't anything that the general audience will find offensive or unappealing... they simply don't CARE about that material.
In other words, if the Trek fans are given what we REALLY WANT... good characterization, compelling storytelling, convincing visuals (ie, that don't pull us out of our suspension of disbelief)... the general audiences will get what they want, too.
We just want, in addition, for this to be set in the world we know so well.
^ Well said... and illustrated. 
Cary L. Brown said:
Unfortunately, it seemed to fall off of that topic and Kegek ended up trying to prove that I was saying something I wasn't.
Not true. Rather than reiterate my arguments, I will provide a link. My final post - also the penultimate post in the thread - contains a number of Venn diagrams and arguments to refute the ones used here. The short version is that Cary's system is too simplistic and assumes a number of false premises, including a rather unified conception of what fans as a whole want.
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