What NuTrek Got *Better* Than the Original?

[Temis the Vorta]

Beyond Antares your avatar is great.. immediately reminded me of the hangar scene with Spock making a change on the modernized clip board as to what ship Uhura was assigned to and Uhura with that same pointed look on her face!

Nowadays TOS scenes are always giving me flashbacks to STXI.

Thanks! I always thought those two had nice chemistry, even in TOS. Kind of like fire and ice. Too bad we didn't get to see more of it.

S'funny, I never saw any of the chemistry between Spock and Uhura in TOS that people talk about now, but I did notice a nice big brother/little sister dynamic between Uhura and Kirk that I would like to see brought out in subsequent movies. And since Kirk will have enough sense to drop the whole chasing-Nyota thing unless he wants a certain Vulcan to tear his head right off his shoulders, that dynamic does have a chance to emerge.

But Uhura won't really be the little sister anymore.

 

[Sharr Khan]

I'm pretty sure there is an animated episode where Spock got picked on by young Vulcans... hmmm Yesteryear... so umm Trek 11/JJ Abrams didn't suddenly make "Vulcan Racists",

And what, you think Spock felt like an outsider just cause his fellow Vulcan's didn't share their milk and cookies with him? Of course, Vulcans are (or rather should be) as nuanced a species as humans are. Therefore I think its natural some Vulcans might frown on Sarak's choice to marry a human woman and the offspring produced from that mating.

One of Trek's biggest dilemmas is it setups stereotypes for tis aliens and clings to them forever.

Sharr

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I think its natural some Vulcans might frown on Sarak's choice to marry a human woman and the offspring produced from that mating.

I don't agree. Racism is clearly illogical, so a race that purports to believe in logic should not practice it.

 

[Sharr Khan]

I think its natural some Vulcans might frown on Sarak's choice to marry a human woman and the offspring produced from that mating.

I don't agree. Racism is clearly illogical, so a race that purports to believe in logic should not practice it.

You hit on your own answer with the word "purports", its a collective cultural veneer that Vulcans buy into to one degree or another, yet never perfectly. Again this gives them actual variation and not cardboard cutouts of people.

Logic doesn't equal "nice or kind" no matter how Trek has always tried to dress it up as if it does. A purely logical race would be both dangerous and hostile to mingle with. I'm glad Vulcans fail in this regard.

Sharr

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

You hit on your own answer with the word "purports", its a collective cultural veneer that Vulcans buy into to one degree or another, yet never perfectly. Again this gives them actual variation and not cardboard cutouts of people.

Yes and sometimes it feels like every time you get one that varies from the cardboard the fans get upset and yell about this Vulcan not being a real Vulcan. But they've always had great variety, look at the logic T'Pring employs to be as cunning as possible and work her way around societies expectations of her.

 

[Cyke101]

Though I do miss my beam phasers, I do like how starship battles are portrayed here. Yes, they have the budget to show more graceful battles and more action than TOS, in that they don't have to rely on just dialogue to show the ship getting hit. On the other hand, while showing more action is a luxury that was already afforded by DS9/VOY/ENT, the battles in XI were somewhat slower paced, more strategic, and more deliberate than those shows, harkening back to TOS and its movies. The ships didn't act like fighter jets like in later Trek, but thankfully the ship actually moved unlike in TOS.

 

[Frontier]

Just thought of something else: aliens.

I grew weary of Michael Westmore's forehead fetish aliens very quickly. Very rarely where truly alien-looking aliens done in 24th century Trek. The trek movies certainly tried with some truly alien looking background creatures, and early TNG did as well. But outside of a handful of prominent species (Dominion, Borg) the bulk of other aliens on the show where variations on a theme of here-and-there facial appliances.

In contrast, the Kelvin Bridge Tactical officer, a few of the background 1701 officers, the guy at the bar in the Kirk/Uhura scene... all of these aliens really knocked my socks off in comparison. They truly looked like alien beings, rather than men in appliances. Granted, it's not a NuTrek/TOS issue, rather a NuTrek/TNG,DS9,VGR,ENT issue, but... still. NuTrek really did a great job on aliens.

 

[Sector 7]

Just thought of something else: aliens.
In contrast, the Kelvin Bridge Tactical officer, a few of the background 1701 officers, the guy at the bar in the Kirk/Uhura scene... all of these aliens really knocked my socks off in comparison. They truly looked like alien beings, rather than men in appliances. Granted, it's not a NuTrek/TOS issue, rather a NuTrek/TNG,DS9,VGR,ENT issue, but... still. NuTrek really did a great job on aliens.

The guy in the bar's name is Brian. JJ Abrams, in the commentary, said he never saw the guy without his mask/makeup until a party after wrap. I learned much from the commentary... it was fun.

I also agree, they got the aliens right in the movie. Of course they had the budget, but also the desire to do it.

 

[Hyperspace05]

You hit on your own answer with the word "purports", its a collective cultural veneer that Vulcans buy into to one degree or another, yet never perfectly. Again this gives them actual variation and not cardboard cutouts of people.

Yes and sometimes it feels like every time you get one that varies from the cardboard the fans get upset and yell about this Vulcan not being a real Vulcan. But they've always had great variety, look at the logic T'Pring employs to be as cunning as possible and work her way around societies expectations of her.

People seem to forget that Vulcans, behind the veneer are a *deeply* emotional race. They just work hard at suppressing it. Some do it better than others. To see such variance does indeed make the race appear more realistic.

 

[Red Ranger]

You hit on your own answer with the word "purports", its a collective cultural veneer that Vulcans buy into to one degree or another, yet never perfectly. Again this gives them actual variation and not cardboard cutouts of people.

Yes and sometimes it feels like every time you get one that varies from the cardboard the fans get upset and yell about this Vulcan not being a real Vulcan. But they've always had great variety, look at the logic T'Pring employs to be as cunning as possible and work her way around societies expectations of her.

People seem to forget that Vulcans, behind the veneer are a *deeply* emotional race. They just work hard at suppressing it. Some do it better than others. To see such variance does indeed make the race appear more realistic.

Let's not also forget that one of the reasons Vulcans turned to logic is because their emotions are extremely deep and intense. Look at the Romulans, for example, and how intense and passionate they are.

 

[Ronson2k10]

You hit on your own answer with the word "purports", its a collective cultural veneer that Vulcans buy into to one degree or another, yet never perfectly. Again this gives them actual variation and not cardboard cutouts of people.

Yes and sometimes it feels like every time you get one that varies from the cardboard the fans get upset and yell about this Vulcan not being a real Vulcan. But they've always had great variety, look at the logic T'Pring employs to be as cunning as possible and work her way around societies expectations of her.

People seem to forget that Vulcans, behind the veneer are a *deeply* emotional race. They just work hard at suppressing it. Some do it better than others. To see such variance does indeed make the race appear more realistic.

Racism is a learned behavior though. Remember also what happens at Spocks acceptance into the Vulcan Science Academy. Clearly racism even when directed at one of its members (Surek) as well as Spock is taken as a natural course. This seems quite illogical as these members should be so very beyond that trait. I loved Spocks reaction to their lack of acceptance of his mother BTW. Very subtle and very deliberate at the same time. They seemed to have accepted him with regret and not out of true acceptance. As they continued the boy hood conflict shown earlier in the movie. The younger Spock was one of the best parts of the movie for me. We could pretty much predict what was going to happen to Kirk but Spock is a mystery. Unfortunately that has been told now.

As for Mr Scott. I was hoping to hear a bit more about him. I must say though the actor/character did surprise me. I was expecting a bit more of a golly gee whiz kind of attitude having witnessed the reference to ample nacelles in the trailer. I was pleasantly surprised though except for his yoda'ish sidekick which actually served no real useful purpose accept to open the door to the outpost. Saving the "As I live and breath moment" for everyone. They actually went back to get him before the movie concludes. It perhaps is a bit inhuman to leave him by his lonesome at the outpost? In any case I'm hoping he 'gets lost' before the next movie or we find out he's a shape shifter (Traveler) or something? Seems if they would be interested in Wesley Crusher for such expertise in engineering Mr. Scott is no slouch himself.

Seems that his formula for Transparent Aluminum was already in use when he arrives on board the enterprise? As he is whisked down the coolant supply line. )

I did find the ships interiors were a bit too industrial looking for my taste though. They shouldn't have the finery of a luxury liner mind you but that doesn't mean they should look like a 19th century oil tanker either. There are tons of safety issues with that approach as well. The displays and warning labels where a bit too well obvious and went a bit to far to exposition.

The actors did a great job. I was really quite surprised. Despite some of the 'over compensating' that was apparent in some of the sequences. I felt they all did really quite well. Will they have the chemistry of the TOS crew. That perhaps remains to be seen. I think the one thing that brought the TOS crew together was their dependence on each other. As this was the getting to know you phase this wasn't really shown all that much but I'm sure that good things will come forth in the movies to come.

 

[I am not Spock]

Anton Checkov

Who He?

Anton Chekhov did not appear in Trek XI. Although Anton Yelchin appeared, playing Pavel Chekov. I can see why the other poster was confused! LOL!

 

[M'Sharak]

Anton Checkov

Who He?

Anton Chekhov did not appear in Trek XI. Although Anton Yelchin appeared, playing Pavel Chekov. I can see why the other poster was confused! LOL!

Psion's original post (from nearly a month ago) read "Anton's Checkov", referring to Yelchin's portrayal of the character. Vhe hev no cherry orchardz, Keptin.

 

[Yeoman Randi]

Who He?

Anton Chekhov did not appear in Trek XI. Although Anton Yelchin appeared, playing Pavel Chekov. I can see why the other poster was confused! LOL!

Psion's original post (from nearly a month ago) read "Anton's Checkov", referring to Yelchin's portrayal of the character. Vhe hev no cherry orchardz, Keptin.

Hehe!! That was a good one M!

 

[startrekrcks]

bringing new fans into a NuTrek universe it doesn't mean I hate what has come before I also like TOS and the movies.

 

[Focus Abbey]

I thought the soundlessness of space was a definite improvement. Why has it taken them this long to get that? Also the scene where the viewer passes through the viewscreen and over the Enterprise exterior was astounding.

But for all that, I think ST:XI failed to make me feel like I was really in space like the shows were sometimes able to do—especially TOS. The pace needs to slow down enough that there can be an element of the casual, almost mundane...and in a movie as frenetic as ST:XI, that just wasn't a possibility.

 

[Boomstick]

I know I'm late to the party with this thread (better late than never huh guys ), but for me the discs of the NuTrek DVDs smell a lot nicer than the *classic* DVDs. Especially when they're fresh out my ps2.

 

[M'Sharak]

There's such a thing as "fashionably late" but — at eight and a half years from the last post — this may be a little too late.