what was in your mind for each film before you saw/knew anything?

[Khan 2.0]

when it was announced/rumoured that the next film was happening. Before you saw any photos, behind the scenes stuff, any plot points, guest stars etc (maybe there was just the odd vague rumours) So pretty much after you saw the current film of the time..where would they go next...(basically like now with Trek 3)

e.g im sure when Trek II was rumoured/announced in 1980 or thereabouts (when it was clear there was going to be another film) most fans will have been expecting TMP '2' with the same uniforms, cool sets, maybe a similar abstract type story (i know there were rumours of GRs JFK timetravel pitch..not sure when that came about)

with IV maybe a renegade movie with kirk and Co on the run in the BOP from the Federation like Blakes 7.

With Trek VII, immediately after VI there were rumours of another final one with the original cast..but it was difficult to imagine after the finality of VI..and of course there were rumours of TNG 'The Motion Picture' - would it be as grandiose as the original casts first film? or might it even include TOS cast somehow in a Yesterdays Enterprise type tale? (i myself tuned out of Trek/SF after VI so beyond early speculation immediately after VI i had no idea what was going on until i picked up a SF magazine at some point in 94 and flicked through for old times sake and in the news section saw a new photo of Shatner in the Kirk uniform and it saying it was from 'Star Trek VII' and would include TNG which blew my mind and made me think 'Yesterdays Enterprise The Movie' and got me back into Trek/SF)

and of course when the first film was announced People mustve been imagining TMP would be a big budget version of TOS with similar colourful uniforms, sets, action, ship battles, phaser fights etc just writ large/more realistic (abit like ST09...Not so much Star Trek A Space Odyssey)

 

[2takesfrakes]

When STAR TREK (2009) came out, I kept myself deliberately unaware of what it might even be like. What I did know was that this was marketed as "not your father's STAR TREK" and promised to be completely different from the original series, in almost every way, except in name only. So ... I'm there, in theatre ... expecting to be shocked and impressed and what do I find? More of the same formulaic storylines that's ever been pushed on us, except for blowing up Vulcan and killing off Amanda, and making everybody and everything else prettier than, perhaps, we might be used to in STAR TREK. It's not without its charm, though - no. And I found myself recognizing the original characters in these performances, which was nice, but it's not what I wanted or expected. And I certainly didn't expect to be bored with a CGI orgy at the end where it's shooting and battling and shooting and battling on and on to eat up the clock. What I got was OK. Care was put into it and it wanted to entertain and I wasn't unaware of that, by any means. But I expected a complete and total redo/reboot, going in. That's certainly not what I got. Not even near it ...

 

[Khan 2.0]

And I certainly didn't expect to be bored with a CGI orgy at the end where it's shooting and battling and shooting and battling on and on to eat up the clock.

yes i was abit disappointed with the shootemup ending (complete with payoff oneliners) first time i saw it. I think i expecting some sort of resolution to the Prime timeline/alternate future, especially since when K&S 2.0s beam over to the Narada they were pretty much going into the 'prime' universe and messing around with TNG stuff...

 

[F. King Daniel]

The trailers for Star Trek Into Darkness painted a far grimmer and more serious picture than the film we got. Khan had a very personal vendetta against the entire friggin' planet. The Superbowl trailer had the ominous words "Our world will fall". Even the posters, the first with Khan looking out from the ruins of the Tower of London, and the second (used on some versions of the DVD/BR cover art) with London burning spoke of riots and god-knows-what-else.

In the movie, one secret lab miles beneath London is blown up, and Khan is just trying to free his people.

Don't get me wrong, I loved the movie we got ("Khaaaan!" scream aside), and I know trailers often mislead, but I think this one sets a new record for misdirection.

 

[Khan 2.0]

if i remember rightly alot of Trek 2 speculation from immediately after ST09 was centred around khan - will it be khan, if so who will find the Botany Bay this time- another federation ship? The klingons? It was all khan this khan that khan khan khan

 

[trevanian]

With TMP I expected the most perfect vfx movie ever ... well, it wasn't quite that, but the ship miniatures looked great, as did some space vistas.

With TWOK, when I heard about Montalban and it being handled by the TV division, I thought this is going to set a record for cheap, make BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS look like EMPIRE STRIKES BACK.

Then I heard about Meyer and read his novel CONFESSIONS OF A HOMING PIGEON and was convinced we'd get something good.

Even so, I was very detached opening night (still in badshock from TMP) -- it wasn't till I saw it a second time a couple days later that I really got into the movie.

With TFF I remember fearing that Shatner would embarrass himself ... oddly enough, I loved the movie despite its flaws and don't care how many folks think he basically crapped his pants with his directorial debut.

With TUC I was convinced Kirk would die. Only thing that shook me from that was seeing a 'kirk' get phasered in the trailer, in what looked like a non-climactic scene.

 

[Greg Cox]

When ST VI was announced, I thanked God that the classic voyages of the original crew were not going to end on "Row, row, row your boat."

 

[HaventGotALife]

After Generations, I wanted a Borg movie. After First Contact, I wanted a Dominion Movie. After Insurrection (and the 7th season of DS9), I took a sabbatical from Star Trek. After Nemesis, I was dragged by my family to see it, I wanted them to stop doing Star Trek films. After Star Trek (2009), I said I didn't want a "greatest hits." After Star Trek Into Darkness, you can read my initial thoughts here and here. I want them to deal with a threat that doesn't speak perfect English a la TMP. I want to see Kirk grow up (hopefully by honoring Pike's memory) and become a father (the perils of being Captain, hearken back to losing his father). I want to see Spock end his relationship with Uhura as a consequence of embracing logic (because of his emotional outburst after Kirk's death). I want the dystopia to stop.

 

[RAMA]

When STAR TREK (2009) came out, I kept myself deliberately unaware of what it might even be like. What I did know was that this was marketed as "not your father's STAR TREK" and promised to be completely different from the original series, in almost every way, except in name only. So ... I'm there, in theatre ... expecting to be shocked and impressed and what do I find? More of the same formulaic storylines that's ever been pushed on us, except for blowing up Vulcan and killing off Amanda, and making everybody and everything else prettier than, perhaps, we might be used to in STAR TREK. It's not without its charm, though - no. And I found myself recognizing the original characters in these performances, which was nice, but it's not what I wanted or expected. And I certainly didn't expect to be bored with a CGI orgy at the end where it's shooting and battling and shooting and battling on and on to eat up the clock. What I got was OK. Care was put into it and it wanted to entertain and I wasn't unaware of that, by any means. But I expected a complete and total redo/reboot, going in. That's certainly not what I got. Not even near it ...

My experience has been 180 degrees from this, boith with people around me and elsewhere..with fans and non-fans alike. ALmost everyone was blown away by ST09, especially in the theater.

 

[drt]

Heh, for most of the TOS movies, I remember having so very little to go on, usually just the titles and maybe some pictures in the occasionally purchased Starlog magazine, so I went into most of the movies completely blind and unspoilered, with really only the title hinting at what was coming.

TMP: I had seen the poster with the new "flat nacelled" Enterprise, so I realized they were mixing things up and that was about it

TWOK: saw a TV commercial maybe two weeks before it opened, I had no idea they were making it so was pleasantly surprised; the show hadn't been on the air for a couple of years where I grew up, so I didn't even remember who Khan was (I recall thinking the name sounded like a Klingon badguy), it wasn't until Chekov found the Botany Bay belt buckle that I remembered.

TSFS: I remember seeing footage of a fire at Paramount that occurred during the production, the news showed Shatner helping and I remember that it looked like he was wearing futuristic civilian clothes, which I thought was interesting. I knew from the title that Spock was pretty much coming back.

TVH: another one where I was largely clueless until maybe two or three months out when I went to my first convention and they were passing out brochures that featured scenes from the movie, at which point I learned it was some time travel romp, that featured a scene with a half-submerged bird of prey.

TFF: knew Shatner was directing, and that was about it, had no idea what it was going to be about based on the title

TUC: was more of a regular convention goer by this point (I'd moved to the SF Bay Area and Creation basically had a convention a month around here), so was much more familiar with the basic idea of Klingon glasnost

For the rest: INTERNET (although I usually tried my best to avoid too many spoilers)

 

[Nerys Myk]

I was reading Starlog regularly, so I was kept as up to date as the pre-internet era allowed. Plus the fan grapevine was awash with rumors. So any speculation/expectation was fueled by those. what those were, I can't recall, other than the hope each movie would be the best one ever!

 

[lurok]

I thought (hoped) Insurrection might be darker/tougher; more in the spirit of DS9. With consequences. It was more a crew strop than principled disobedience. Very, very disappointing.

 

[Hober Mallow]

Before I saw TUC: "This is gonna be awesome!"

After: "That was awesome!"

Before I saw GEN: "This is gonna be awesome!"

After: "I want my money back."

Before I saw FC: "Jesus Christ, more time travel? Borg again? Are we totally out of ideas?"

After: "Meh... could have been worse, I guess."

Before INSURRECTION: "Finally, we're done with time travel! Script by Michael Piller!"

After: "How did that movie even get made?"

 

[Greg Cox]

Leonard Nimoy spoke at my college campus a few months before ST III was released. He was coy, of course, but dropped hints that, yeah, "The Search for Spock" probably wasn't going to end with them NOT finding Spock.

In response to a question from the audience, he also hinted that there might be just a little bit of sex in the movie . . . which, in retrospect, I assume referred to the pon farr scene!

 

[GalaxyX]

When STAR TREK (2009) came out, I kept myself deliberately unaware of what it might even be like. What I did know was that this was marketed as "not your father's STAR TREK" and promised to be completely different from the original series, in almost every way, except in name only. So ... I'm there, in theatre ... expecting to be shocked and impressed and what do I find? More of the same formulaic storylines that's ever been pushed on us, except for blowing up Vulcan and killing off Amanda, and making everybody and everything else prettier than, perhaps, we might be used to in STAR TREK. It's not without its charm, though - no. And I found myself recognizing the original characters in these performances, which was nice, but it's not what I wanted or expected. And I certainly didn't expect to be bored with a CGI orgy at the end where it's shooting and battling and shooting and battling on and on to eat up the clock. What I got was OK. Care was put into it and it wanted to entertain and I wasn't unaware of that, by any means. But I expected a complete and total redo/reboot, going in. That's certainly not what I got. Not even near it ...

My experience has been 180 degrees from this, boith with people around me and elsewhere..with fans and non-fans alike. ALmost everyone was blown away by ST09, especially in the theater.

I wouldn't say I was blown away, but it did feel fresh and contemporary unlike most of the TNG movies. I liked it, but felt saddened TNG couldn't get a movie on that level before it went out with a whimper.

 

[Starbreaker]

I only got into Star trek around 1997.

Insurrection: no idea. I was 13

Nemesis: The trailer was really outstanding. 2002 me loved the movie, but I do acknowledge now that it's really not that great. It has its moments, though.

Star Trek (2009): pretty much read everything I could obsessively. I was there at 7 pm on Thursday at an IMAX that was two hours away at the time. Not disappointed.

Star Trek Into Darkness: spoiler free, I was expecting about the same as the 2009 film, which is what I got.

 

[Mr Pointy Ears]

Generations,-I thought that kirk get transported to the 24th century and while picard is trapped somewhere on a planet then kirk who commanded the D and so sort of other things.

 

[starshipfan]

ST:III - One of the things I really liked about TWOK was the new character of Lt. Saavik. I thought that the Vulcan/Romulan mix was very well done. She had the veneer of Vulcan logic, but a number of times in the film you could see the emotional undercurrents. I thought she had great potential, and I was hoping for more character development in TSFS.

What we got was an emotionally neutered full-Vulcan, with no personality to speak of. I don't know if this was the fault of the script or the acting, but none the less, the damage was done.

I was so disappointed... I actually went back and watched it again a few days later to try to see the film for its own merits. Now, I think the film was OK, but it could have been so much better.

 

[trevanian]

Nimoy gets ALL the blame for Saavik in SFS. He is the one directing her to play straight Vulcan, and it's funny, because I think Curtis -- who did a kickass job playing the kind of ethical teacher everybody should have once on TV in a way that blew me away -- could have done a much better job than Alley at playing the mix (Alley's emotional variances make her seem like a cheerleader with pointed ears at times.)

If you read Bennett's original outline for SFS, Saavik is still definitely half-rom, and even sleeps with Kirk.

 

[GalaxyX]

Generations,-I thought that kirk get transported to the 24th century and while picard is trapped somewhere on a planet then kirk who commanded the D and so sort of other things.

You know that would have been an interesting take and definitely much better than what we got. Would Patrick Stewart agree to it though?