Unpopular Trek opinions game

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Waiting for the DVD sets of Discovery and Picard is a better deal than paying for CBS All Access (and the bandwidth and "iron" it requires).

(Oh, and "Youngster," I like Shatner's Kirk better than I like Chris Pine's Kirk. Or the late John Belushi's. It's Shatner's Kirk I see and hear in my head, when reading TOS-era TrekLit. Even if it's in the Abramsverse. And "Vger23," I like all of the ST movies, although I like FC, Nemesis, The Final Frontier, and the Abramsverse movies somewhat less than I like TMP, TWOK, TSFS, TVH, TUC, and Generations. In fact, now that I think about it, I still don't think I've seen the beginning of Nemesis.)

 

[Delta Vega]

The Shat is Kirk
There is no other

 

[fireproof78]

Maybe? Maybe not? But Shatner definitely gave it his all when he was on screen. For that, he made a worthy Captain Kirk.

Shatner, like Nimoy, defined the role in a way that is very memorable. Could someone do better? Yeah, probably. But, that attitude is what gives rise to Special Editions of films, where filmmakers return to things that they wish they could have done if only, if only...

I personally thoroughly enjoy Pine's Kirk but Shatner gives it the definition. Same with Nimoy. But, what I love, is that more people are being offered the opportunity to step in to these roles.

 

[Orac]

now that I think about it, I still don't think I've seen the beginning of Nemesis.)

That's the best part!

 

[BillJ]

Waiting for the DVD sets of Discovery and Picard is a better deal than paying for CBS All Access (and the bandwidth and "iron" it requires).

I have no clue what "iron" is?

 

[fireproof78]

I have no clue what "iron" is?

You don't iron your wireless router before using it? How do you improve your reception?

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

In a computing context, "iron" refers to hardware, especially big, heavy-duty hardware, with lots of processing power.

And my decade-and-a-half-plus-old G4 "bionic desk lamp" iMac does everything I need it to do, but it is not even remotely adequate for streaming HDTV.

***

That's the best part!

As I recall, I barely caught Nemesis once in a theatre (more and more often, I find myself having to chase movies to little rinky-dink third-run theatres, sometimes at non-trivial distances from home), and it's one of several DVDs I own, but have not yet broken the seal on.

Ok, here's an unpopular opinion: I actually liked Insurrection. Because it felt like an episode, rather than a "must save the universe" epic.

 

[BillJ]

And my decade-and-a-half-plus-old G4 "bionic desk lamp" iMac does everything I need it to do, but it is not even remotely adequate for streaming HDTV.

You can get a streaming stick that plugs directly into your TV, that doesn't need anything from your PC for about $30 to $40. Sometimes even cheaper than that if you shop around.

 

[Paul Weaver]

And my decade-and-a-half-plus-old G4 "bionic desk lamp" iMac does everything I need it to do, but it is not even remotely adequate for streaming HDTV.

That sounds terrible - a powerpc G4 mac ran out at OSX 10.4, which has been unsupported from a security point of view for 10 years.

 

[Vger23]

Shatner, like Nimoy, defined the role in a way that is very memorable. Could someone do better? Yeah, probably. But, that attitude is what gives rise to Special Editions of films, where filmmakers return to things that they wish they could have done if only, if only...

I personally thoroughly enjoy Pine's Kirk but Shatner gives it the definition. Same with Nimoy. But, what I love, is that more people are being offered the opportunity to step in to these roles.

I like both portrayals of Kirk, but Shatner is head-and-shoulders above. Pine's Kirk (and probably more due to the writing as opposed to the portrayal) is a little more "boiled down" (I won't go so far as to say caricature...because I do not believe that is true) and raw. Shatner's portrayal is, in my opinion, far more nuanced. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he did with that character through the years.

 

[Danny99]

Pine's Kirk has suffered from being a movie-only character, written to have a journey within the span of an hour and a half that fits with the narrative of the movie, and poor writing at that. I don't think Pine is a bad actor. He's one of the better, mid-tier actors of this generation, but the scripts haven't helped him.

 

[Vger23]

Ok...this is a tough one for me, but I can't deny it any longer...I rewatched the film today and I just have to be honest with myself at this point.

Extremely Unpopular Opinion:

TUC is a pretty weak film. Yes, I've said this in the past, but there was always a part of me that didn't believe it. But, I watched it today and it barely holds up quite honestly. In fact, I almost aborted in favor of a different Trek movie about 1/3 of the way in, feeling like I was wasting precious time. I don't think I've ever felt that way during a TOS movie viewing

The dialogue ranges from somewhat clever to downright awful. The plot is so contrived and nonsensical under even the most basic scrutiny (and I'm personally a low bar for chrissake...I like DSC and the Kelvin films). The middle two acts are ponderously slow and uninteresting. There's a ridiculous amount of virtual winking and smiling at the audience that takes me right out of any sense of urgency the film is trying to convey. The over-indulgent Nick Meyer "I will have characters quote great literature every 3 minutes" routine is embarrassing. I find the visual effects to be weaker than all the TOS films except TFF (also a really low bar). The production generally looks cheap and rushed.

I may not revisit this one again for a long time.

 

[fireproof78]

I like both portrayals of Kirk, but Shatner is head-and-shoulders above. Pine's Kirk (and probably more due to the writing as opposed to the portrayal) is a little more "boiled down" (I won't go so far as to say caricature...because I do not believe that is true) and raw. Shatner's portrayal is, in my opinion, far more nuanced. He doesn't get nearly enough credit for what he did with that character through the years.

I think that Pine gives more nuance than he is given credit for, which is part of the reason why I give him a lot more credit. He also had big shoes to fill, and not as much time in the role.

And, you're right-Shatner doesn't get enough credit, largely due to the caricature and parodies that have been done of him over the years. I was enjoying rewatching "Man Trap" and "Naked Time" and how Shatner brings so much with his facial expressions. So, yes, I can see the nuance argument. I think Pine had some as well.

 

[Armus]

Unpopular opinion: I like holodeck episodes. It beat the hell out of TOS doing essentially the same thing by pretending a whole planet is like 20s gangsters

That's a good point. The problem for the writers was that it seemed silly that Starfleet would keep using the holodecks after they kept malfunctioning time and time again. Some of the better uses of the holodeck were the episodes where it was used as therapeutic escape for Barclay and Nog.

 

[at Quark's]

That's a good point. The problem for the writers was that it seemed silly that Starfleet would keep using the holodecks after they kept malfunctioning time and time again. Some of the better uses of the holodeck were the episodes where it was used as therapeutic escape for Barclay and Nog.

Wouldn't it be the same as with the transporters? They are claimed to be those incredibly safe transport devices, yet we've seen quite a number of transporter accidents over the years and series (I mean, not just lethal accidents, but also transports to parallel dimensions, transports where people were cloned, etc etc). For "some" reason, Our Heroes seem to attract more than their statistically proportionate share of them. Guess the same holds for holodecks.

That, or perhaps we'd have to conclude that somehow, Starfleet sucks in building in appropriate safeguards in their famous ships and stations, while doing a fine job in more run-of-the-mill locations

 

[Henoch]

Wouldn't it be the same as with the transporters? They are claimed to be those incredibly safe transport devices, yet we've seen quite a number of transporter accidents over the years and series (I mean, not just lethal accidents, but also transports to parallel dimensions, transports where people were cloned, etc etc). For "some" reason, Our Heroes seem to attract more than their statistically proportionate share of them. Guess the same holds for holodecks.

That, or perhaps we'd have to conclude that somehow, Starfleet sucks in building in appropriate safeguards in their famous ships and stations, while doing a fine job in more run-of-the-mill locations

Shuttlecraft didn't fair much better in TOS. Galileo Seven and Metamorphosis, plus possibly The Menagerie and Let That Be Your Last Battlefield being some examples.

 

[Discofan]

Unpopular Opinion: Turning the "prophets" and the "pah wraiths" into a full-blown black magic bullcrap was the stupidest move the writers of DS9 ever made!!!

At the very least they should have maintained the ambiguity and making it possible for this to be just two opposing groups of aliens with very advanced technology and science.

 

[Vger23]

Unpopular Opinion: Turning the "prophets" and the "pah wraiths" into a full-blown black magic bullcrap was the stupidest move the writers of DS9 ever made!!!

At the very least they should have maintained the ambiguity and making it possible for this to be just two opposing groups of aliens with very advanced technology and science.

Why?

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."

 

[Armus]

The last 2 seasons of DS9 are best viewed as a different show than the first 5 seasons. Having Sisko and Dukat duke it out as a battle between good and evil, The Prophets vs. The Pah Wraiths was an abrupt story development late in the series.

 

[Mojochi]

That's a good point. The problem for the writers was that it seemed silly that Starfleet would keep using the holodecks after they kept malfunctioning time and time again. Some of the better uses of the holodeck were the episodes where it was used as therapeutic escape for Barclay and Nog.

Actually, I think the best uses of the holodeck were its practical applications, training exercises, like Worf & Guinan on the phaser range, him & Riker in combat exercises, or even ship battle/crisis simulations, like Troi's command exam

It was also immeasurably useful as virtual reality modeling, like Geordi in Booby Trap, & Identity Crisis, or the abductees in Schisms. Those applications make it nearly as useful as the transporters themselves, neither of which would they be dissuaded from using, just because they have a glitch now & then imho