script of star trek: the beginning FOUND

[Warp Coil]

I don't have a problem with a dark, militaristic, war story. In fact, it could be quite dramatic and interesting. If done properly. But I kinda wonder if this would have turned out to be a creative flop - lots of action and cool CGI but little substance. A Trek version of a popcorn flick.

Regardless, I think I am happy with how things have turned out. I have faith in J.J. Abrams and writers Orci and Kurtzman come across as real Trek fans and takented writers. So I'm not sad that "Star Trek: The Beginning" never made it off the ground.

 

[thumbtack]

jon1701 said:
This would have bombed.

Agreed. Look at the ratings for the heavily, heavily promoted Fox series Space: Above and Beyond.

 

[Frodo Lives]

Apparently the writer never saw that episode of DS9 where it was pointed out that no alien race had ever successfully attacked Earth (it was the one where the Breen blow up part of San Francisco).

Well, if there had been a successful attack on Earth at any point during Star Trek's history, there probably wouldn't BE an Earth anymore.

Actually the only line similar to what you're describing is when Martok says the Klingons never had the audacity to attack Earth itself. Infact, back in Homefront/Paradise Lost the UFP president makes mention of (with the exception of the Borg) there hadn't been a state of emergency on Earth in almost a hundred years. Now before that point who knows how regularly emergencies, or attempted attacks on the planet, could have happened. It's well within the realms of possibility that the Romulan War could have reached Earth.

 

[Praetor]

Jack-O-Lantern said:
Everything sort of gels until the end. The "mission" is just plan stupid: steal a nuclear weapon and travel it all across space to go deep into Romulan territory (with one ship, I might add) and...do what exactly? Obliterate an entire race? A homeworld? Presumably, with a massive fleet of far more capable warships waiting for them? What the hell kind of thinking is that?

It would've worked better if Tiberius Chase planned to kidnap a high-ranking Romulan official (or the Preator, more specifically), hold him/her hostage, take him/her back to Earth and demand that the Romulans don't surrender, but call a truce. It would make more sense, and also play into Roddenberry's idealism more. You have the daring and risky mission to go into the heart of Romulan space, to the homeworld, kidnap the Preator or whoever is in charge, and bring that person back home. It's incredibly risky, but it at least forces diplomacy on both sides. Perhaps Earth is preparing a retaliation after the Romulans attached Earth, and Chase wants to avoid this by trying to create a peaceful resolution. I don't see how blowing them all to smithereens helps matters. Sure, is it indicative of our current administration's mentality? Yeah. Is it at all reminiscent of Roddenberry's original message for Star Trek? Absolutely not.

Anyway, just my notes. It's a relatively smart concept, very innovative and daring in its approach (at least for Trek) but the last act just falls completely apart in its stupidity. Fix that, and you may have had something.

Agreed wholeheartedly. You always seem able to negate my need to write responses!

 

[Broccoli]

Do people here realize that this was only a first draft...not the final project? I'm sure things would have been refined a LOT. Besides...AiCN is only giving us the cliff notes version of what the script is about.

It sounds interesting, that is for sure, but we can't really judge if it retains the essence of Trek unless we are able to read the whole damn thing. Just because the article doesn't say something doesn't mean that it is not explained in the script. Alternatively, it can also mean that it isn't in the script as well.

I dunno...just my 2 cents.

TK421 said:

jon1701 said:
This would have bombed.

Nice idea to try and do something different, but who are you aiming this at? I just cannot see the average movie-going public sitting through a two-and-a-half-hour science fiction war movie.

Yes, because Star Wars never caught on

Nor "Lord of the Rings" for that matter.

 

[Dale]

I think this sounds like a dumb, violent, macho melodrama without any of the intelligence or subtle social commentary of what I think of as Star Trek... a reinvention of Star Trek for an American society that was in a vengeful, warlike mood at that time.

That's not Trek to me, and I'm glad it was never made. Trek is about exploration. Trek is hopeful and noble. Trek is about what's best in humanity.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

Babaganoosh said:
In this script, the Romulan war reaches Earth. Problem with that.

Apparently the writer never saw that episode of DS9 where it was pointed out that no alien race had ever successfully attacked Earth (it was the one where the Breen blow up part of San Francisco).

This looks pretty darn successful to me.