Total casting thoughts?

[Johnny Rico]

OK, I admit that I have not been following the development of this film very closely, but I was just on IMDb on their National Treasure page and realized that Bruce Greenwood who plays the President in that movie will be playing Christopher Pike in Star Trek, so I just mosied on over to the Star Trek page and looked through cast list for the first time.

For the most part, I think each actor looks very similar to their 1960s counter-part. But one major character/casting choice baffles me a bit. Winona Ryder as Spock's mother Amanda. Now I can see somewhat of a resemblance of a younger version of Jane Wyatt from Star Trek IV. But I'm not sure.

Any other thoughts on the casting of established characters?

 

[Sharr Khan]

I actually see the casting of Rider as somewhat "brilliant" it just works in my mind for some reason. Amanda has always struck me something of a "wild girl" in her youth, looking for adventure and new exotic things.

I'm pretty happy with most of the cast.

Sharr

 

[Johnny Rico]

Oh here's one that I didn't catch at first. Karl Urban as McCoy. But after comparing a pic of him with TOS Deforest there is a bit of similarity.

But then again, I have to question the casting of Chekov. That guy looks nothing like Walter. At least I don't see it yet.

Also the guy for Scotty is not too bad after some comparison looks.

 

[Kegek]

Sharr Khan said:
I actually see the casting of Rider as somewhat "brilliant" it just works in my mind for some reason. Amanda has always struck me something of a "wild girl" in her youth, looking for adventure and new exotic things.

Which is kind of the antithesis of Jane Wyatt, the prim, proper, everybody's mother, is it not?

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Overall, I'm reasonably happy with the cast they've chosen. There are a couple s in there, but I'll wait till I see the results on screen to get really unhappy. If Chris Pine pulls off the Kirk role reasonably well, that will be the main thing and will mitigate any negatives from less important characters. Kirk and Spock have both got to work, or the movie doesn't. (Not concerned about Quinto's Spock one iota, btw.)

I'm not so worried about Amanda looking like Jane Wyatt - all Amanda has to be is petite, pretty and someone who could be Spock's mom. The funny thing is, Ben Cross and Wynona Ryder look more like they could be Zachary Quinto's parents than Mark Lenard and Jane Wyatt looked like they could be Leonard Nimoy's parents.

Which is kind of the antithesis of Jane Wyatt, the prim, proper, everybody's mother, is it not?

In her advanced years, perhaps. People change over time. There are plenty of lesser Trek characters whose backstory would be great to know more about, and Amanda is one of them. How did a schoolteacher manage to bag Vulcan's ambassador to Earth? Where the heck would they have met? And if my assumption that Spock was one of the very first viable hybrid babies in Trek history (presumably after many failed attempts thru the years) - what kind of person volunteers their family to be a groundbreaking genetics experiment?

Given Ryder's age, Amanda must have married Sarek when she was about 20 and stepped right into an immensely bizarre situation, living on another world with an incomprehensible culture, married to some guy who's old enough to be her grandfather even if he doesn't look it, gambling on cutting-edge science to provide her with any children at all (and the risk of one tragic disappointment after another instead). She must have had a lot of guts, as much as any Starfleet explorer venturing into the unknown.

Now I want a prequel movie about Amanda!

 

[cooleddie74]

Winona Ryder and Eric Bana give me concerns. But overall the casting choices have been acceptable or even inspired. I mean...come on. Simon Pegg as young Scotty? BRILLIANT! :thumbsup:

 

[Kegek]

cooleddie74 said:
Winona Ryder and Eric Bana give me concerns. But overall the casting choices have been acceptable or even inspired. I mean...come on. Simon Pegg as young Scotty? BRILLIANT! :thumbsup:

Quoted for representing the antithesis of my viewpoint.

Bana and Ryder are the only actors I actually know can turn in good performances, having seen the others in squat. And I'm not a fan of Pegg's Britcom.

 

[Sharr Khan]

Kegek Kringle said:

Sharr Khan said:
I actually see the casting of Rider as somewhat "brilliant" it just works in my mind for some reason. Amanda has always struck me something of a "wild girl" in her youth, looking for adventure and new exotic things.

Which is kind of the antithesis of Jane Wyatt, the prim, proper, everybody's mother, is it not?

That's true, but as long as she's not calling in Lassie or anything...

I figure if you're gonna marry a Vulcan it takes a little bit if ah... "moxy".

Sharr

 

[cooleddie74]

Kegek Kringle said:

cooleddie74 said:
Winona Ryder and Eric Bana give me concerns. But overall the casting choices have been acceptable or even inspired. I mean...come on. Simon Pegg as young Scotty? BRILLIANT! :thumbsup:

Quoted for representing the antithesis of my viewpoint.

Bana and Ryder are the only actors I actually know can turn in good performances, having seen the others in squat. And I'm not a fan of Pegg's Britcom.

Oh, I'm not judging Pegg based on his comedy series. I haven't seen much of anything from it. Just a clip or two. I really like his writing and acting work in SHAUN OF THE DEAD and HOT FUZZ, though, and based on those performances and his tongue-in-cheek personality I think he could make for a very competent Scotty with dyed hair and a shaved chin.

 

[Plum]

*shrug*, the way I see it is that the casting of Spock's Mum has always been a big deal actor. Jane Wyatt was a big TV star. Casting Winona seems to be about casting another big star (don't forget Winona got an Oscar). If you were to cast a 'star' this is the role for it.

 

[Kegek]

Plum said:
*shrug*, the way I see it is that the casting of Spock's Mum has always been a big deal actor. Jane Wyatt was a big TV star. Casting Winona seems to be about casting another big star (don't forget Winona got an Oscar). If you were to cast a 'star' this is the role for it.

Oh, I've no doubt at all of her credentials. Actually, like I said, I think Ryder is one of the smarter casting choices.

And Sharr Khan, I think you're forgetting something. The issue isn't just her willingness to marry a Vulcan, it's the willingness of one of those dry, stoic logicians to marry her. Wyatt, if not emotionless or rational, is at least reserved; one can see what Sarek saw in her.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

Sarek had to marry Amanda because he knocked her up. It was the honorable thing to do.

 

[Kegek]

North Pole-aris said:
Sarek had to marry Amanda because he knocked her up. It was the honorable thing to do.

Hmm. Ponn Farr, Winona Ryder... yeah, that makes sense.

 

[Bad Bishop]

Casting looks pretty good, IMHO. I'm sure fans will get used to the new Kirk (Chris Pine) being taller than Zachary Quinto's Spock.

 

[commodore64]

Chris Pine has blue eyes. I'm disappointed by that, and the guy playing McCoy has brown. That's also disappointing.

The worst? Winona Ryder as Amanda. I hope I'm wrong. On Star Trek XI, I would love to be proven wrong and see an incredible show with perfect casting.

I don't think there's "canon" on why Sarek married Amanda. The most ever shown was in TOS when he claimed (wink, wink) to Spock that it was the "logical thing to do."

Eric Bana? I think he's a decent actor and look forward to seeing him.

 

[cooleddie74]

North Pole-aris said:
Sarek had to marry Amanda because he knocked her up. It was the honorable thing to do.

He had a fickle Vulcan pickle. Pon farr and all that shit.

 

[Sharr Khan]

And Sharr Khan, I think you're forgetting something. The issue isn't just her willingness to marry a Vulcan, it's the willingness of one of those dry, stoic logicians to marry her. Wyatt, if not emotionless or rational, is at least reserved; one can see what Sarek saw in her.

She might have been "reserved" in the fleeting moments we saw her after years among Vulcans... but we shouldn't assume that was always so. Amanda is after all a human being. Plus most of those moments called for being reserved so its hard to judge exactly what defining characteristic made Sarek fall for her.

I'm sure Sarek found her differences from him and his people in general appealing more so then the similarities - her "Logic! I'm sick to death of logic!" line tells me alot about who the Lady Amanda is as a character, she's her husband's contrast.

Sharr

 

[Temis the Vorta]

The issue isn't just her willingness to marry a Vulcan, it's the willingness of one of those dry, stoic logicians to marry her.

They're not dry and stoic. That's all a cover for the truth (which T'Pol revealed to Trip) - Vulcans have more violent emotions than humans, hence the logic fetish. The fact that they make such a big deal about suppressing emotions speaks volumes.

One thing's for certain, bouncing baby Spock was no accident. He was conceived in a lab as a genetic freak, possibly the first of his kind, or at any rate, a rarity.

Sarek told Spock that marrying Amanda was "the logical thing to do." Maybe he thought it was "logical" to see if a viable human-Vulcan hybrid could be created. Progress, science, interplanetary relations and all that. More likely he thought Amanda was a little human hotty and he was a big ole horny toad but he wasn't exactly going to tell Spock that and I'm sure Spock would have appreciated the restraint.

I'm sure fans will get used to the new Kirk (Chris Pine) being taller than Zachary Quinto's Spock.

Eh? Pine is 6'0 1/2" and Quinto is 6'2" (tho I've also seem 6'4"). So spaketh imdb.

 

[Sharr Khan]

One thing's for certain, bouncing baby Spock was no accident. He was conceived in a lab as a genetic freak, possibly the first of his kind, or at any rate, a rarity.

I would like to see this touched on in the film, Enterprise kind of went there which was nice and different for Trek were all species seem to be able to reproduce easily.

They're not dry and stoic. That's all a cover for the truth (which T'Pol revealed to Trip) - Vulcans have more violent emotions than humans, hence the logic fetish. The fact that they make such a big deal about suppressing emotions speaks volumes.

Glad I'm not the only one who holds this view of Vulcans.

Sarek told Spock that marrying Amanda was "the logical thing to do." Maybe he thought it was "logical" to see if a viable human-Vulcan hybrid could be created. Progress, science, interplanetary relations and all that. More likely he thought Amanda was a little human hotty and he was a big ole horny toad but he wasn't exactly going to tell Spock that and I'm sure Spock would have appreciated the restraint.

As we know Vulcans feel that urge far greater (and even between the 7 year cycle) then us lowly humans. I'm sure he found her pleasing in the same way a male human would find a female pleasing to both look at and bed.

Sharr

 

[cooleddie74]

I think we're overlooking the fact that Ben Cross gets to nail Winona Ryder. That's GOT to amount to something.