Thoughts about the writers duo

[raffie]

Hello all, long time since I've been here on the forum.
I've got a bit of a question to ask everyone about the writer's duo of the new Trek film. Well, really about Transformers, wich I just watched (yes I'm a bit late, I don't watch that many blockbuster movies). What did ppl think about this movie and do you expect the Star Trek movie to be in the same 'Hollywood Blockbuster' movie category Transformers is in?
Your comments?

 

[JNG]

It was schlock, and I hope the Star Trek movie isn't.

What did people in general think of Transformers? It made a lot of money, but I'm not sure how many viewers of the film would single out the screenplay as a memorable factor.

 

[DeafPoet]

I didn't like Transformers and to be sure, some of those problems can be leveled at the script. However, the stuff that bugged me smacked more of Bay than Orci and Kurtzman. A director of Bay's standing (if not talent) in Hollywood pretty much has final say over everything, including the script. Unlike some projects, the buck truly "stopped there". In the interests of fairness, though, JJ has similar (maybe even greater) control over Star Trek.

Ultimately I think both projects will be more reflective of their respective directors than anything specific the writers did.

 

[tauntme]

Transformers was a really good movie that entertained the masses. I personally loved it. I used to watch the original Transformers cartoons and watching them transform on the big screen was "oooooh" inducing. Not much on the plot and character development side, but that doesn't matter when Optimus Prime is on the screen. I was excited watching Transformers, and I believe the duo knows what they are doing (in terms of entertaining the masses).

 

[Kryton]

I was too old to "appreciate" the original Transformers. As such, I thought the movie was total bullshit and had zero value of any sort. <shrug> Those younger than myself seem to feel differently.

 

[Lapis Exilis]

I don't think you could pay me to watch a movie about a line of boy's dolls from the 80s, but I can say I thought Orci's "The Legend of Zorro" was about as mundane as writing can get. Quite the disappointment after the wonderful "The Mask of Zorro".

 

[Dane_Whitman]

I thought Transformers was embarassing. What a terrible movie. I am willing to give the writers the benefit of the doubt, because the talentless Michael Bay directed the film.

 

[trekkerguy]

Was a great Sci-Fi film and very well written especialy for being based off a line of toys. I'm glad we have these two, who are also big time Trek nerds, having already written Star Trek.

 

[ST-One]

After having seen M:I3 (which was written by Orci and Kurtzman and directed by Abrams) yesterday the chances of Star Trek to be really good have (in my view) even increased.

 

[Devon]

IMHO, Orci and Kurtzman are okay when you add up all their work. They aren't horrible writers I don't think, and MattJC will agree with me that Orci is a decent person. But they aren't the most consistent writers either to me. I didn't have too much of a problem with Transformers though some of the dialog was a little juvenile, even for Transformers. They also wrote "The Legend of Zorro" which sucked IMHO. Then on the other hand, they wrote M:I:3 which I felt was a vast improvement over 2 and did enjoy it. Fringe is not bad either, in my opinion, though it's just X-Files with a different name. So, it's sort of a mixed bag, as I say, but I have no really "problem" with them either.

Are there somethings that I'm a little unsure of as far as what I've read or what I've seen? Sure. But I've generally been okay with everything else. However, I will keep an open mind and if the story is good enough and I feel they "got it right," all of that will be the further things in the back of my mind. Having said that, I usually do speak out against what I may see as unfair comments or mudslinging against them or J.J. or anything.

Left to my own will and if I was the producer, they probably wouldn't have been my first choice for writers. Nothing against them, I just wouldn't have thought of them. So it's going to be up to them now to prove themselves to write something grand. Will it happen? I couldn't tell you. However, they have had the "ball" regarding Star Trek's future in their court for a couple of years. Now they are going to pass it over to us on May 8. Let's hope it's a slam dunk!

 

[trekkerguy]

After having seen M:I3 (which was written by Orci and Kurtzman and directed by Abrams) yesterday the chances of Star Trek to be really good have (in my view) even increased.

Agreed. That movie was very well written, making great characters out of decent ones, had some very intense moments and action.

 

[ST-One]

After having seen M:I3 (which was written by Orci and Kurtzman and directed by Abrams) yesterday the chances of Star Trek to be really good have (in my view) even increased.

Agreed. That movie was very well written, making great characters out of decent ones, had some very intense moments and action.

And I liked the fact that not everything was as it seemed to be.

I didn't like the wedding-scene and that 'We are family'-moment felt a little out of place, though.
Cruise's 'Okay!' after the rooftop-slide was a much better tension-release

 

[captcalhoun]

i seem to remember they did good episodes on Alias. Their episodes on Fringe are pretty good. MI3 was good. Transformers was good. I've no doubt that Star Trek will be well written, I'm just not convinced at the moment that it'll be a film i'll enjoy, although this is not a criticism of them in particular, more of the general direction that the entire production has gone in.

 

[ST-One]

i seem to remember they did good episodes on Alias. Their episodes on Fringe are pretty good. MI3 was good. Transformers was good. I've no doubt that Star Trek will be well written, I'm just not convinced at the moment that it'll be a film i'll enjoy, although this is not a criticism of them in particular, more of the general direction that the entire production has gone in.

Yes, that makes sense. You like what these people have done so far, but think that this project will suck.

 

[MadBaggins]

I don't think you could pay me to watch a movie about a line of boy's dolls from the 80s, but I can say I thought Orci's "The Legend of Zorro" was about as mundane as writing can get. Quite the disappointment after the wonderful "The Mask of Zorro".

They're robots, not dolls.

I agree that the movie was awful. How did the map get on Spike's grandfather's glasses or whatever it was? Wow, that was horrible. I hope there's nothing like that in Trek.

 

[Kryton]

I have to admit that, after the first Mission:Impossible film, I have refused to see any others since they raped the Jim Phelps character and STILL didn't give the role to Peter Graves.

 

[soot]

I loved Transformers, but I'm not deluded. It was dumb as a brain-dead fly. That said, dumb suits the Transformers franchise, and I don't see why anyone but the animators and pyrotechnic operators would bother bringing their intelligences to the table for it. It was pretty obvious that the script was being mangled in every way necessary to bleed out the maximum number of explosions and whatnot, so I don't know if it's a good judge of the writers' actual abilities.

MI:3, though, was awesome and clever, so I have high hopes based on that.

 

[ST-One]

I have to admit that, after the first Mission:Impossible film, I have refused to see any others since they raped the Jim Phelps character ...

But I guess that was the point.
For the movie they probably wanted to do something fresh to the M:I-franchise and still stay true to the format.
And what better way than to toy with the audience for most of the time of the movie and turn Phelps into the villain of the piece only in the last act.
I liked that very much.

 

[Kryton]

You know, I could have gone with that and enthusiastically so if they'd bothered to offer the role to the man who originated it instead of a "bankable" Hollywood star.

 

[ST-One]

You know, I could have gone with that and enthusiastically so if they'd bothered to offer the role to the man who originated it instead of a "bankable" Hollywood star.

Peter Graves (at that time): 70
John Voight (at that time): 58

No, they made the right decision.