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Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in XI

GhostFaceSaint

Fleet Captain
Fleet Captain
Posted on TrekMovie.com Nov.15 2009
Exclusive Interview: JJ Abrams Talks DVD/Blu-ray and About What Worked (and didn’t) with Star Trek 2009 by Anthony Pascale
TrekMovie: You mentioned the Gag Reel, which is hilarious, and I noticed it started off with Chris Pine do the classic "Space, the final frontier…" speech. Was that something you guys recorded as an alternative for the end of the movie, or just for the gag reel?

J.J. Abrams: No, that is something we recorded because we thought "it has got to be Kirk, right?" And that was even something that Kevin Smith said that it has to be Kirk at the end. But, at the end of the day, it just felt right that we give that to Nimoy, and give Spock Prime the last word.

[...]

TrekMovie: I didn’t notice any, but did you guys make any tweaks to the film for the DVD or Blu-ray, maybe fix some audio or something?

J.J. Abrams: I don’t think we did. I think that we just did a transfer.

[...]

TrekMovie: Looking at all the feedback on the film, was there any that you are most proud of? And also, any possible negative feedback that you took to heart, things you might want to change?

J.J. Abrams: Having read a lot and heart a lot, at the end of the day, the thing I am most happy about is that the thing that many were saying was insurmountable, that ‘how do you possibly recast this movie, how do you possibly have these characters live on without these original actors playing them?’. That that challenge seemed to have been met. That this cast was watchable, likeable, relatable, and the actors were talented enough, that that criticism was silenced and we were able to allow the crew of the Enterprise to live on with a new generation of actors. And that to me is the biggest accomplishment, which goes completely to the actors and the work that they did.
In terms of criticisms, I agree with almost every criticism I read. It is hard not to be hard on the work that you do. So when I hear someone say "Nero was not complicated enough" I say "yeah, that’s right." Or if I hear "there are some moments–that crazy coincidence that Kirk meets Spock in the ice cave and that took me out of it", I can see that. I don’t really hear much that I don’t agree with. If someone were to say "Giacchino’s music doesn’t work" I would disagree with that, but that is a taste issue and you can’t really account for that. So for the most part I am incredibly proud of the cast, really honored to be involved in this movie. It was an incredible experience.

More from Abrams coming up
Look for the rest of the exclusive TrekMovie interview with JJ Abrams, where we talk about the next Star Trek movie.
The original post can be found here.

Update: here is the link to the rest of the interview posted just a few hours ago at TrekMovie.com. (Monday November 16th, 2009)
 
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Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

I have to agree with Abrams about the voiceover. Pine may have been an awesome Kirk, but when it comes to the voice, Nimoy's is just so much more powerful and evocative.

And nice to see he's not in denial about the movie's faults, like a lot of Trek directors usually are.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

That's quite heartening, and real. Those are two of my big criticisms of the film and to hear him echo those, and agree, shows a humility and can only be a good sign for Trek XII.

- also agree on using Nimoy's track, and hope that Shatner does it in an intro to the next film, right where he belongs. Starfield....Shatner...."Space....the final frontier....."
It needs to be Shatner for XII, even if he does nothing else in the film.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

^ Hmmm, thats an interesting thought Cpt Soner. I hadn't thought of that (having Shatner do it next time)... i personally didn't like the way Pine said the closing/opening on the gag reel...and i definitely think they made the right choice, having Nimoy do it.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

I'll have to disagree here.
It was indeed better to have Nimoy do it this time around but from now on it has to be all about the new crew.

And certainly, if there is going to be a Boldly Go speech in XII it has to be Pine making it. Not Nimoy, not Shatner, not even Quinto to be honest.

He has at least 2 years to practice and make it sound good. :p
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

Great interview. I agree with his assessment about not doing an extended cut or not doing a director's cut. Even though as a fan I would love to have seen the extras in the film, I can also understand from a creative and artistic point of view why he would not want to do one.

For example. The scene with young Kirk driving the sports car off the cliff is dramatic and suspenseful and when first seeing it we're not sure who this kid is until he proclaims "My name is James Tiberius Kirk." If the scene with his brother and uncle were included it would lessen the impact of that moment (because we already know who it is) and it would also have slowed down the pacing of the movie.

I am also glad he is open to the criticism about the movie. I think those things will help make the next Star Trek movie even better.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

That's quite heartening, and real. Those are two of my big criticisms of the film and to hear him echo those, and agree, shows a humility and can only be a good sign for Trek XII.

- also agree on using Nimoy's track, and hope that Shatner does it in an intro to the next film, right where he belongs. Starfield....Shatner...."Space....the final frontier....."
It needs to be Shatner for XII, even if he does nothing else in the film.

Well, the moment for Shatner may be lost. The keys to the Enterprise are firmly in Pine's hands, now. If the next movie starts with those lines, it should be Pine delivering them.

When this subject has come up about the closing lines in ST09, I've been on record as saying I have liked it to have been either Pine or William "I Don't Do Cameos" Shatner (or one voice morphing into the other).

It's nice to read that they at least gave Pine doing it some thought. And everyone can agree that both sides (Nimoy or Pine) are right for different reasons. It was just a matter of the feel they wanted to create. For what they wanted, Nimoy worked. But did I say I'd have gone for Pine?
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

I'll have to disagree here.
It was indeed better to have Nimoy do it this time around but from now on it has to be all about the new crew.

And certainly, if there is going to be a Boldly Go speech in XII it has to be Pine making it. Not Nimoy, not Shatner, not even Quinto to be honest.

He has at least 2 years to practice and make it sound good. :p

It's a no-brainer between having Shat speak it for the last time, and Pine. From a showmanship point of view, from a theatrical point of view, a dramatic point of view, Shat is the way to go if he'll do it.
Also, Pine, although putting in an acceptable performance, really has yet to appear as Captain Kirk. The intro to XII is the real moment of that torch passing.
From a vocal point of view, it's also no contest between the deeper, far more sonorous, if aged, voice of an old thespian and cultural icon, over that of some actor with a jaw line. A good actor, but vocally he leaves little impression on me.
I'll tell you this: if Shatner did do the intro to XII, there would be applause, right there before the movie even started.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

And certainly, if there is going to be a Boldly Go speech in XII it has to be Pine making it. Not Nimoy, not Shatner, not even Quinto to be honest.

He has at least 2 years to practice and make it sound good. :p

Just saying, but how many of us have practiced those lines over and over while driving down the highway or while in the shower? C'mon, we can all do those lines in our best Kirk voices. Right? Right? (OK, maybe I just revealed a little tooo much about myself, there.)
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

CaptainStoner,

I love Shatner's Kirk, and grew up with him, but really, the monologue belongs to Chris Pine.

For the new movies, he IS James T. Kirk, Captain of the Enterprise, and it is his right and burden to speak the opening monologue.

We've seen him take the center seat, the next movie should have him speak.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

yes have Pine do Space The Final Frontier in the sequel he will rock
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

That's quite heartening, and real. Those are two of my big criticisms of the film and to hear him echo those, and agree, shows a humility and can only be a good sign for Trek XII.

- also agree on using Nimoy's track, and hope that Shatner does it in an intro to the next film, right where he belongs. Starfield....Shatner...."Space....the final frontier....."
It needs to be Shatner for XII, even if he does nothing else in the film.

At most, Shatner should get to do part if it, Pine the rest.

No way should Pine lose out again. He's Kirk now. That's the end of the matter.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

Are we still talking about the guy who played Kirk before Pine? I'll do that, but in the TOS forum.

The one thing that might be worth reinserting into the film would be a little bit of the dialogue between Spock and Kirk in the ice cave which takes some of the curse off of that gigantic coincidence. It's a narrative improvement, though I guess it would also be a digression.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

It's a no-brainer between having Shat speak it for the last time, and Pine. From a showmanship point of view, from a theatrical point of view, a dramatic point of view, Shat is the way to go if he'll do it.

:wtf:

:guffaw:

Yeah, total no-brainer. Of course it makes theatrical and dramatic sense to have an actor who's not even in the movie to make a voiceover for a character being played by someone else! Why aren't you in show business yet?
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

The one thing I don't get about the ice planet is that they could have fixed the whole coincidence with a single line. All Nimoy had to do is mention he was living close the the Starfleet installation for safety or some reason. And of course the pod landed near the installation for the same reason. Simple.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

Update: here is the link to the rest of the interview posted just a few hours ago at TrekMovie.com. (Monday November 16th, 2009)
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

well at least JJ Abrams can handle critical views on the movie but what is the problem is it because of change.
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

I'll have to disagree here.
It was indeed better to have Nimoy do it this time around but from now on it has to be all about the new crew.

And certainly, if there is going to be a Boldly Go speech in XII it has to be Pine making it. Not Nimoy, not Shatner, not even Quinto to be honest.

He has at least 2 years to practice and make it sound good. :p


I agree. I didn't want Shatner in XI because I didn't see it happening, and I sure as hell wouldn't want them to come up with a contrived way to make him appear in XII.

As for the interview.... very cool, JJ, as always. :techman:
 
Re: Interview with JJ Abrams; talks about what worked & what didn't in

The torch has been passed now, its there time now and there trek ,as much as i like shatner he picked the wrong film to finish his trek.Pine should get to speak the famous intro and would be fitting too as he is kirk now.
 
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