Would you rather have fewer villain stories in the films?

[Grendelsbayne]

I'm just wondering how many people would like to see some more hardcore science fiction style films in the future.

After watching STiD, I started thinking about all the different ST films and I realized that the last time any of the films told a story that wasn't centered entirely or almost entirely on defeating some kind of villain and his evil scheme for mass destruction/world domination was Star Trek IV - despite the fact that many of the villains really haven't been worth the screen time devoted to them.

I don't have a problem with the more adventure style Trek - it's been part of the franchise since the very beginning. But the science fiction aspect is equally integral to the franchise and it seems like its now mostly fallen by the wayside in the films.

So do you like the existing focus of the films or would you rather see at least a new film or two with a little less villainy and maybe a little more science? Do you think something like that would still even be possible?

 

[BillJ]

I don't have a problem with either style as long as I walk away entertained.

 

[T'Girl]

A movie driven by events instead of combating the villian of the moment? Sounds good.

Not entirely sure what YOU mean by " a little more science." Could you provide an example?

 

[David.Blue]

I'd love an end to the Supervillains a la James Bond. I mean, after Khan and Nero and Shinzon and Chang and the Borg Queen, etc. I'm half-expected the Enterprise to go up against Loki or the Red Skull next time...

 

[Grendelsbayne]

A movie driven by events instead of combating the villian of the moment? Sounds good.

Not entirely sure what YOU mean by " a little more science." Could you provide an example?

It's hard to go too far into specifics without delving directly into story specifics, which isn't my intention, as I'm just talking about the style rather than saying 'the next movie should be about this, this and this.'

Basically, I would like to see more stories driven by events, as you say, and by really classic science fiction storytelling. Things like strange phenomena in space or the questionable effects of new technology or the dangerous and/or wonderous heritage of some ancient species long gone. i'm a little tired at the moment and not coming up with best examples, so don't think I'm limiting it to these ideas. Just stories that are about space and the future more than they are about some guy with a powerful technobabble maguffin and a bad attitude.

 

[David.Blue]

Consider Forbidden Planet. There's no villain, just a mystery that proves wildly dangerous.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

So long as its not another rehash of a TOS/Movie foe I don't mind if its against a single villain, though going up against something rather than someone might be good for a change.

 

[T'Girl]

There was The Voyager Home, while the Whale Probe technically was a villain of sorts, it was also absent for the majority of the movie while our heroes figured out a solution to the problem and implemented that solution.

I have doubts that Abrams's people would ever go in that direction.

 

[JarodRussell]

I'd love an end to the Supervillains a la James Bond. I mean, after Khan and Nero and Shinzon and Chang and the Borg Queen, etc. I'm half-expected the Enterprise to go up against Loki or the Red Skull next time...

The difference with Chang, Ru'afo and the Borg Queen: the focus of the story in these films was not about them. You can remove these characters and the main story is still intact.

Khan, Nero, Shinzon and Soran are these Bond type villains because the story focuses solely on them. If you remove them, the story falls apart.

It's okay to have a villainous character in your story, but it gets tiresome if he is the focus of it.

 

[Grendelsbayne]

The difference with Chang, Ru'afo and the Borg Queen: the focus of the story in these films was not about them. You can remove these characters and the main story is still intact.

Khan, Nero, Shinzon and Soran are these Bond type villains because the story focuses solely on them. If you remove them, the story falls apart.

It's okay to have a villainous character in your story, but it gets tiresome if he is the focus of it.

It doesn't always have to get tiresome. TWOK is still easily one of the best trek films there is. The problem, of course, is that it almost seems like they've forgotten how to do anything else. And that, often as not, they don't even do this particularly well. Soran, Shinzon and Nero would, imo, rank among the worst (not in a good way) villains I've seen.

 

[David.Blue]

I'd love an end to the Supervillains a la James Bond. I mean, after Khan and Nero and Shinzon and Chang and the Borg Queen, etc. I'm half-expected the Enterprise to go up against Loki or the Red Skull next time...

The difference with Chang, Ru'afo and the Borg Queen: the focus of the story in these films was not about them. You can remove these characters and the main story is still intact.

Khan, Nero, Shinzon and Soran are these Bond type villains because the story focuses solely on them. If you remove them, the story falls apart.

It's okay to have a villainous character in your story, but it gets tiresome if he is the focus of it.

Good point! One should distinguish between an Antagonist and a Villain. But the last several Treks have had Villains. I'm very bored with that. Very!

 

[bbjeg]

^I'm with David-Blue and JarodRussell.

 

[Black Cloud S31]

Considering there will be a third movie. They might go there.