Star Trek will be in movie theaters on May 8, 2009, and with it the hopes and fears of Trekkers worldwide. I'm one of those longtime fans who is both excited and apprehensive about J.J. Abrams' take on Gene Roddenberry's vision of Wagon Train to the stars. Yes, that was once all it aspired to be. It was just going to be a TV show. Roddenberry optimistically referred to a five year mission in the intro hoping it might last that long.Of course, that's a long, long time ago -- in a galaxy far, far away, if you mix sci-fi metaphors. Now, we're poised to see a new incarnation of Star Trek, and the new trailer is online. Take a look at it after the jump.
The trailer has a few good things going for it. Chris Pine looks like a good choice for Kirk, and Zachary Quinto is a dead ringer for Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock. That said, I'm not really impressed with the trailer, but I think that's a good thing.
Let me explain. You see, lately when I see a good movie trailer, invariably the movie sucks. It's like all the good scenes were in the trailer and the film has nothing left. That's not the case here. There's nothing in this trailer that made me think these are the best scenes.
Overall, I'm of two minds about this new Star Trek. Part of me has faith in J.J. Abrams' writing and directing. I've liked J.J.'s other work and I trust that he'll entertain me. However, there's that other part of me that's concerned. I'm troubled when I hear J.J. telling Entertainment Weekly that he was a Star Wars guy and considered Galaxy Quest the ultimate statement about Star Trek.
Um, ouch! I love Galaxy Quest, too. But Star Trek is more than a comedy based on the TV series' lore. See, this is why I'm worried. Where's the respect, J.J.?
Here's what I'm hoping to find out when May 8 arrives. J.J. Abrams has been laying low and downplaying the expectations for Star Trek die-hards. When the Paramount logo fades and the film commences, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that J.J. has captured the magic that I've always felt when it comes to Star Trek, and that includes most of the shows and films that came after the original NBC series.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-09-2009 @ 9:15AM
Mike said...
Hell, yeah! That line where Kirk sits down and says "I'll be your leader" is the essence of TOS. (Of course, it's total crap. Unless the bridge were cut off by damage, command would automatically go the second officer, which I'm assuming Kirk wasn't at the time - and that bridge didn't look all that damaged.)
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3-09-2009 @ 9:43AM
Deadpan said...
From the spoilers so far, he was sneaked aboard by Bones (with comedic and sexy results).
In a more sensible movie, he'd spend the whole time sucking air in the brig. But this is Star Trek, so he's the Gorndamn captain!
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3-10-2009 @ 2:10PM
Eric H said...
DO NOT POST SPOILERS IN COMMENTS JERK OFF
3-09-2009 @ 10:36AM
Edward said...
Spoiler Alert:
Didn't we try a Romulan attempting to destroy Earth before? And isn't the Romulan Empire in shambles after Nemesis? Since this is a time travel movie post-Nemesis, we Star Trek fans can disregard this movie if it entirely disregards canon.
As I post on the 24 posts, I blame Brannon Braga and Rick Berman that Star Trek is in this state.
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3-09-2009 @ 10:44AM
Mike said...
Actually, if that were the Farragut, that would be complete canon. Kirk took command when the Captain and 1st officer were killed (he was tactial officer) and saved everyone's ass. I don't think any of his Enterprise crew were on board at the time. Maybe they're taking a LITTLE journalistic license with some little known facts about Kirk's history and using them to flesh out the story. After all, none of the movies or TOS told the story (to the best of my recollection) as to exactly HOW Kirk became the youngest ever captain of a starship in Starfleet history.
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3-09-2009 @ 11:06AM
dukrous said...
Biggest clue what the movie's plot is:
Nero: James T Kirk was a great man, but that was another life.
Something happens in this movie that changes what we know of the Trek Universe. The comic coming out now is a prequel that centers around who Nero was before the movie begins.
3-09-2009 @ 12:31PM
Edward said...
Star Trek is going up against X-Men and Angels and Demons in May. Does anyone think it has a chance against those two juggernauts?
3-09-2009 @ 3:03PM
samodernist said...
WHY WHY WHY is Star Trek using time travel AGAIN????!!! Also why not just start this off as a 100% clean slate beginning, which I thought it was going to be? While the trailer looks good and slick, I am sick of the time travel elements that have seemed to define this series since The Voyage Home...There has to be a more creative way to incorporate original stars from past series if you feel a need to have them in it at all (again Why?) A new Star Trek should stand on it's own not be written around some tenuous meeting of Young Kirk and Old Spock. Crappy fanboy pandering.
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3-09-2009 @ 4:50PM
Edward said...
What I would like to see is set the next movie/series 80 years after Nemesis (like TNG 80 years after TOS).
3-09-2009 @ 6:18PM
samodernist said...
Edward, there is talk of an animated series that is set in the distant future after the collapse of the Federation. The development of the series is said to be similar to the Clone Wars Animated Series...shows are to be small quick vignettes of the story (like 10-15 min episodes)...I don't know if animation is the best idea for it or if it is even going to happen, but I like the direction you are thinking too. TNG did not rely on the OST actors and was pretty good...I think new movies can have all new characters as long as the Universe seems to be of a consistent evolution.
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3-09-2009 @ 10:52PM
gonnabechef said...
No pleasing some people.
I don't give a rip about canon. Neither did the writers of any season of any incarnation of the show. Heck, they sometimes even poked the lack of canon in the eye ("We do not discuss it with outsiders").
I thought the trailer looked great. I loved Bruce Greenwood's pep talk. John Cho is bringing the action. The only thing missing was Simon Pegg's accent. Haters, can you at least wait until there's a legit review? Or better yet, judge for yourself.
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3-10-2009 @ 9:56PM
Eludium-Q36 said...
Enough of Star Trek for gahd's sake! There are dozens of award winning space-based sci-fi stories dying to make it to the theaters and possibly start another fabled franchise. Let Trek die a natural and well deserved death already! Please, someone in charge utter the simple yet decisive phrase: "Moving on..."
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3-10-2009 @ 11:23PM
Tom said...
Is the Batman music they are using in the trailer? I know it is common to use a small set of compositions over and over again in trailers (O, Fortuna), but something doesn't sit right with me about it here. And it seems like it may be a little different...a little.
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3-12-2009 @ 3:27PM
JR said...
The trailer was meh in my opinion. Time travel...why? I thought it was supposed to be like before the first original movie, when they were young and Spock and Kirk just met.
I must admit, I am getting tired of all the remakes. Can't someone come up with an original idea?
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5-04-2009 @ 9:44AM
Bill said...
Actually I am very disappointed in the return to the TOS series storyline. It was good in ti's time.... but it is done.
I would have MUCH preferred another TNG movie or perhaps.... a new "Next Generation" movie.
Star Trek should look to the future... not the past.
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