Can Star Trek XI really appeal to the masses?

[Roger Wilco]

I think a lot will depend on the marketing campaign promoting Trek XI imo. If the producers can't get the message across that this movie is something cool worth seeing instead of "just some more Star Trek", it will be a financial disappointment, regardless of how enjoyable the movie actually is.

I am sure, that Star Trek XI has the potential to appeal to the masses.

 

[ChristopherPike]

To a degree, the media plays a part in this too. I remember Enterprise being shown by T4 here in Britain. For anyone unfamiliar, it's Channel 4's youth slot showing live bands, fashion shows, Smallville, The O.C. and episodes of Friends. The presenters were mostly condescending toward the show, probably resulting in the target audience switching off before it even started. I'm dreading when the cast begin doing their "press pack" interviews. They have an uphill battle on their hands convincing some of these jaded critics, who think it's for anoraks only.

 

[Holytomato]

Star Trek XI should appeal to the hard core fans.

Remember how successful Nemesis and Enterprise were?

...



Oh wait...

...

They tanked, and Enterprise was C A N C E L L E D.



We should move foreward in time.

Remember how successful Nemesis was?
...



Oh wait...

...

It tanked.



I know Star Trek must die with us. Dvds, books, comix, and fan films must not be made anymore.

If Trekkers tm cared about Star Trek they would want this.

Anyone remember Edward de Vere (alias William Shakes-speare)? No. His friends didn't keep publishing his plays, nor did they make sure that people remembered that he wrote the plays not Will Shaxspure.

 

[Kegek]

Holytomato said:
Star Trek XI should appeal to the hard core fans.

Remember how successful Nemesis and Enterprise were?

I think the interesting thing about grouping Nemesis in this category is that some of its defenders state that it was not tailored to a hardcore audience. Though its critics make the same assertion. I don't see what is so hardcore about the film personally, it has a few canon references, granted, but it's a nakedly designed action film with monstrous Orc-like foes and Patrick Stewart spinning around on a buggy. In short, it throws out the window much of what made TNG a success and Picard likeable to begin with. Maybe if the film had tried something a bit more faithful - you know, a drama of ideas rather than fisticuffs where Picard's climax isn't running around like Rambo but giving a stirring oration - it could have been a better film.

And until its fan service inunudated fourth season (by which point it was dead already), Enterprise was consciously directed at the general public. In the first season it even eschewed the Star Trek prefix, and gave us a decidedly unconventional - and at the time, highly unpopular - piece of theme music.

Regardless, the reason both film and TV failed is that they were poor in quality. I tuned out of Enterprise in the second season, not due to any continuity violation, but due to the truly noxious depths the series had sunk to with crudely stupid non-humour affairs such as 'A Night in Sickbay' or meandering, idiotic message dramas such as 'Stigma'. Now, I do not personally want Star Trek to appeal to hardcore audiences. I just want a good movie - nothing more nor less than that. Canon to blazes; wry winks and obscure references can burn also. Just give me something I'll enjoy; I ask for nothing more nor less.

Anyone remember Edward de Vere (alias William Shakes-speare)? No. His friends didn't keep publishing his plays, nor did they make sure that people remembered that he wrote the plays not Will Shaxspure.

This hardly seems the time or place to debate the merits or demerits of the Oxfordian theory. But in the spirit of these proceedings, scholars have been able to reconstruct one of Menander's plays, The Grouch, and have retained fragments of many more. So there.

 

[Jono]

I'm not sure if it will. Most of my friends and the people I know are not fans of Trek and show no real interest in the movie or the people behind it or in it, save for Simon Pegg.

I also doubt that the teaser will really get their interest either. I think the real test won't come until the first proper trailer that shows the actors and some action comes out. I can't say the teaser really did it for me, but I'm one of those people who doesn't get excited about a movie until the full trailers come out.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Personally I'm of the belief that no it can't really shake the stigma, especially now that Leonard Nimoy is onboard, and the trailer was a little too reminiscent of the old movies with the music and the Nimoy voiceover.

The only real way to try and ignite the masses was to do a complete clean break reboot. Nimoy makes it seem like... Star Trek XI instead of "Star Trek".

 

[RAMA]

rofeta said:
I'm not sure if it will. Most of my friends and the people I know are not fans of Trek and show no real interest in the movie or the people behind it or in it, save for Simon Pegg.

I also doubt that the teaser will really get their interest either. I think the real test won't come until the first proper trailer that shows the actors and some action comes out. I can't say the teaser really did it for me, but I'm one of those people who doesn't get excited about a movie until the full trailers come out.

That doesn't really matter, what matters is, they will see the trailers during other movies, they will see the publicity and when they go in line and there probably aren't many other big movie releases scheduled for the month, they'll probably go in to see STXI to see what its all about, and why it has new well known actors, etc. I think it may surprise a lot of us.

RAMA