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JJ Abrams officially set to direct Star Trek 2

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Cheebo

Banned
Kirk=sent there because it was the closest system with an alliance outpost at the point of his outburst.

Spock= sent there because of its vicinity to Vulcan.

Coincidence? Not really, because they both had reasons for being present at the destruction of Vulcan. Both ended up in that cave because both were making their way to the same outpost.

Scotty being there? Destiny.

There is also the theory that Abrams or one of the writers mentioned in a interview that a timeline when altered by time travel tries to self-correct itself, which led to Kirk Spock and Scotty meeting up on that planet.

Seeing how time travel itself is pure fantasy I can buy into the idea of a timeline wanting to self-correct itself.
 

Dead Man

Member
Why wouldn't he be in a cave? You want him to be out in the open with the monsters?

He can't even go to the federation outpost, he's from another time, he has no business there until Kirk got him into it.



I think he was there just to have the complete team together for the movie while also giving him time to shine.

On a whole planet, two people happen to run into each other? Give me a break. The plot in general is weak on 2009, and regardless of it's other merits (which I will admit are many), you cannot get around that.
 

WillyFive

Member
There is also the theory that Abrams mentioned in a interview that a timeline when altered by time travel tries to self-correct itself, which led to Kirk Spock and Scotty meeting up on that planet.

Seeing how time travel itself is pure fantasy I can buy into the idea of a timeline wanting to self-correct itself.

Quantum Leap and Time Squad also used that version of time travel. It's but one of many different ideas of time travel out there.

On a whole planet, two people happen to run into each other? Give me a break.

That's classic Star Trek though. Most stuff on away missions always happen on the same part of the planet, and the whole world revolves at that one place the away team is visiting. It was the limits of writing back in the 60's, but it's Star Trek.

Just as how there is a light shining on Captain Pike's eyes when he is sitting at the helm in ST2009, because that's how William Shatner had it back in the original show. It doesn't make a lot of functional sense (it's annoying if you had that light in your eyes), but it's classic Star Trek, and ST2009 pulled it off perfectly.
 

apana

Member
I watched it a while back. JJ Abrams had enough capability to convert Star Trek into a blockbuster with pop appeal and he deserves praise for that but he didn't have enough vision to go full circle and push the film beyond that new shiny exterior and back into some of the high level stuff that the star trek series attempted to deal with.
 

mjc

Member
There is also the theory that Abrams or one of the writers mentioned in a interview that a timeline when altered by time travel tries to self-correct itself, which led to Kirk Spock and Scotty meeting up on that planet.

Seeing how time travel itself is pure fantasy I can buy into the idea of a timeline wanting to self-correct itself.

That makes quite a bit of sense actually.
 

Hilbert

Deep into his 30th decade
I watched it a while back. JJ Abrams had enough capability to convert Star Trek into a blockbuster with pop appeal and he deserves praise for that but he didn't have enough vision to go full circle and push the film beyond that new shiny exterior and back into some of the high level stuff that the star trek series attempted to deal with.

Yea, I don't really think of what happened with star trek 2009 as that impressive. They took star trek and made it a blind action movie, while missing everything that made star trek special. The whole point of star trek was the themes and messages that Gene Roddenberry pushed.
 

Zen

Banned
What JJ delivered was a load of crap. I'll never get the love for ST 09.

The beginning - which everybody applauded - was maudlin.
The actors substituted "acting" for "poor impersonations" (Karl Urban was especially guilty of this).
Kirk had no development (jackass in the beginning, jackass in the end).
The villain and his plan sucked and made no sense.
There were contrivances on top of contrivances, an Orci and Kurtzman trademark (Old Spock being in the same cave that Kirk waltzed into on a barren ice planet, which coincidentally was where Scotty was stationed).
And it had Giacchino's worst score (the goddamn main motif repeats dozens of times).

EDIT: Oh and lens flare.

Damn son, maybe you just wanted to hate everything about the film. People will agree with you about how the second half was stupid, and there were stupid contrivances that probably had at least some fault being laid at the feet of the writers strike (no ability to smooth things over or do edits for a while there), but the film as a whole was a resounding success. Kirk DID develop as a character, he started out a wreck-less petulant thug that didn't believe in other people or anything but himself, and by the end of the movie ego was no longer his motivation. He accepted actual responsibility and came to believe in the concepts that Pike was talking about in the bar.

I thought the beginning was fairly well done. My only qualms would be how the Vulcan council was portrayed as bigoted.

And the acting was good, I'm not sure how you felt otherwise. Possibly because the script and director wanted to supercharge character traits that the characters were infamous for in pop culture, but weren't quite as overt as the general public remembers. That doesn't mean that it's bad acting, it just means that you had problems accepting the treatment of the characters in the film.

I do wish that they had worked in more 'you will experience fear', because Kirk never seemed afraid in the film. It would have been a good beat to have him be legitimately scared when he was about to drop onto the minninjg platform that was drilling into Vulcan, or at various other points.
 

WillyFive

Member
Yea, I don't really think of what happened with star trek 2009 as that impressive. They took star trek and made it a blind action movie, while missing everything that made star trek special. The whole point of star trek was the themes and messages that Gene Roddenberry pushed.

Young Spock's story arc seemed pretty similar to various story arcs he had in the original series and movies. Having to deal with being a mixed child, and dealing with what Vulcan society expects from him versus what his human nature wants from him.

It's not very innovative now, but it was that kind of stuff that Roddenberry was cramming into TOS episodes back then.
 

Hilbert

Deep into his 30th decade
Young Spock's story arc seemed pretty similar to various story arcs he had in the original series and movies. Having to deal with being a mixed child, and dealing with what Vulcan society expects from him versus what his human nature wants from him.

It's not very innovative now, but it was that kind of stuff that Roddenberry was cramming into TOS episodes back then.

actually I was really interested in the idea of the romulans in the old universe going from a major power to wandering homeless. I would love a tv series that explores that idea.
 

apana

Member
Young Spock's story arc seemed pretty similar to various story arcs he had in the original series and movies. Having to deal with being a mixed child, and dealing with what Vulcan society expects from him versus what his human nature wants from him.

It's not very innovative now, but it was that kind of stuff that Roddenberry was cramming into TOS episodes back then.

I know that it wouldn't have been very practical to do because they needed those action sequences in there but I wanted to see more of them as kids just living in their worlds. One of the biggest appeals of the Star Trek film was getting to truly be inside the Star Trek world for the first time. With the Star Trek television shows it was all about being on a ship and technolgy/budget really limited a lot of the scope. I think part of the draw for me and a lot of other fans was getting to see that universe from a different angle, from the inside looking out instead of the other way around. The closer we got to space and the more their training finished the less I was interested.
 
Kirk didn't have any major developments because he just now began his career. He hasn't dealt with the life and death events that made him into the legend. Lets not fool ourselves into thinking this is some character introspective where deconstruct Kirk. Its an ensemble action film and there are conceits you have to accept . Or you don't and choose not to go with the director on this journey and end up hating everything.
 

Cheebo

Banned
Just realized, unless they use stock audio this will be the very first Star Trek production film, show or otherwise to not have Majel Barret-Roddenberry providing the voice of the computer. Since she died shortly after recording her dialouge for Trek '09.
 
Spock is supposed to be half Vulcan. Are you pissed he's fully human.

Joke post?

Notice you bring up episodes of the show, not the movies. Most of the films in the franchise was Kirk/Picard vs. *Insert Typical Evil Movie Villian*

Wasn't the most successful of the original movies the one where Kirk's crew travels back to the 1980's to save the whales?

Not that we really need a movie to be full on cerebral in order for it to be a solid trek film. STVI was a solid action movie which still managed to slip an anti-war theme/cold war metaphor into the plot. Looking outside of Star Trek, you have a movie like Crimson Tide, which was a huge influence on ST09. Crimson Tide was a great action thriller that had submarine battles, fist fights, and a breakneck pace. But it still managed to bring fourth an intelligent discussion about the use of nuclear weapons. I loved ST09, I just want a little substance under all that frosting.
 
I've already looked at the pictures. I have no problem with seeing pictures that don't give away clear spoilers. There is no way to tell what the fuck these pictures mean to the story.

It is a different story when somebody slips up and posts an update about a certain character death in Avatar. If Kirk were dead in these pictures with a knife through his face, then yeah I would care.
 
I've already looked at the pictures. I have no problem with seeing pictures that don't give away clear spoilers. There is no way to tell what the fuck these pictures mean to the story.

It is a different story when somebody slips up and posts an update about a certain character death in Avatar. If Kirk were dead in these pictures with a knife through his face, then yeah I would care.

Well, Zoe Saldana says she dies in all her upcoming movies so it doesn't matter.

And I would LOVE to see that set photo.
 

apana

Member
The only problem I had with the Chris Pine's Kirk is that I never thought of him as Kirk. Once I accepted that it was an alternate version of Kirk due to the wonders of time travel I was alright with it.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
The only problem I had with the Chris Pine's Kirk is that I never thought of him as Kirk. Once I accepted that it was an alternate version of Kirk due to the wonders of time travel I was alright with.
Chris Pine James Kirk was really George Jr re-named in the heat of the battle

George Sr dies, Real Kirk is never born =(
 

Zen

Banned
The only problem I had with the Chris Pine's Kirk is that I never thought of him as Kirk. Once I accepted that it was an alternate version of Kirk due to the wonders of time travel I was alright with it.

Well exactly. In that way, Nero already won. You do not grow up as the same person, having lost your father at birth, as you did when that hadn't happened. Think about this Kirk as having grown up without his father, and with what was alluded to be an abusive step father. I really liked the concept of the film, because the core who these people are is unshakable and shines through no matter what Nero could do to them.
 
I'm just putting this out there, but...

Ben Stiller should be the villain of the third Star Trek movie. Or like, that obstructive bureaucrat in Kirk's way.

220px-Benstillernyc2.jpg
 

ezekial45

Banned
I have a very limited understanding of ST, but it seems like Benedict's character
is from the evil parallel universe.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.
 

apana

Member
The borg should be the main villains. C'mon now I don't want to wait for the Picard reboot until I get to see them. By the way can anyone imagine Picard's younger self being a rebel without a cause just waiting for someone to pick him up out of a dingy bar and take him to starfleet academy?
 

Cheebo

Banned
IMAX will probably show it only in 3D. I mean they didn't show other post-converted 3D IMAX movies like Harry Potter in 2D as far as I can recall.
 

nomis

Member
IMAX will probably show it only in 3D. I mean they didn't show other post-converted 3D IMAX movies like Harry Potter in 2D as far as I can recall.

Harry Potter didn't have shots filmed on 70mm though.

The situation with Star Trek 2 now appears to be as if Mission Impossible had been released as it did on IMAX with IMAX footage, but also had a post-converted 3D version to give to every other theater except native IMAX. Bizarre.
 

Krev

Unconfirmed Member
IMAX will probably show it only in 3D. I mean they didn't show other post-converted 3D IMAX movies like Harry Potter in 2D as far as I can recall.
To take advantage of the resolution of the IMAX camera, they'd need to do the conversion at 8K. That would cost a hell of a lot of money for only a few hundred theatres worldwide, and the workflow for that probably doesn't even exist. They could release the 3D converted version in IMAX, but that would be an uprez of the 2K scan made for regular theatres, so the extra cost and trouble they've gone through to use the IMAX camera would be for nothing.

omnomis is right, it's a weird situation, but it seems likely they'd release the full resolution 2D version in 70mm IMAX theatres.
 
I have a very limited understanding of ST, but it seems like Benedict's character
is from the evil parallel universe.

Please correct me if I'm wrong.

So... the parallel universe of the alternate time line?

Trippy.

I haven't watched much of the original series, so I know next to nothing about it and parallel universes, evil or otherwise.
 

WillyFive

Member
Nothing about him seems suggests he's from an alternative universe or the original timeline (since I doubt they will ever revisit that again, considering that plot line was only there to keep the movie in continuity while also working as a reboot (and to have Nimoy in there)).

He seems to be more like a disgruntled Starfleet guy, like those who always makes problems for the Captain and the crew in the TV shows.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
Here are some relevant devices from TOS that could make sense in the movie continuity

-Guardian of Forever
-Mirror Universe (would be worth it just to put evil beards on everyone)
-Charlie X
-Whatever entity that possessed Gary Mitchell (it's being used in the new comic series)
-SS Botany Bay (maybe Old Spock tells Kirk to blow it up in deep space lol)
-The movie timeline Klingons (no ridges?) and Romulans
-Maybe there were other genetic supermen from WWIII that weren't on Botany Bay
-The Enterprise crew will eventually still have to recover whales from the past
-Tribbles!!
-The Rock monster from The Savage Curtain

Devices that are interesting but not practical:
-The Borg are heading towards Earth because of events from First Contact > Enterprise, but they are still really far away
-The Nexus
-Q Continuum
 

apana

Member
Three things that are required for an amazing reboot:

1. Convert the source material into something palatable for modern day audiences.

2. Put the essence of the original into this new shell you have constructed.

3. Expand upon the ideas of the original.

I think Nolan's Batman manages to do all three while Abrams got the first part down for Star Trek. To be fair doing all three is much riskier and I don't blame Abrams for approaching it the way he does, I'm more than pleased by the film considering the incredibly low expectations I had for it. Interestingly enough I think one of the people working on the sequel says Star Trek 2 will be like the Dark Knight in the sense of how they built upon Batman Begins and raised it to another level.
 

MisterHero

Super Member
Oohoooooh *chortles in amazement*

another scary idea could be the return of the Tantalus field. It was used in the Mirror Universe, but a movie could provide a background for the main universe (if it exists in the main movie universe).

It would be an opportunity to return to the Emperor Tiberius idea from Enterprise. Or bring back Leonard Nimoy, but with a beard.

It was a computer that could target enemies wherever they were and make them disappear. It would turn out that it actually deposits the targets into other dimensions.
 

apana

Member
I hope these Star Trek films keep going and they aren't stuck on this whole trilogy thing because there are a lot of villains and ideas to cover. I really do want to see the Borg at some point with all the modern movie magic. I enjoyed the special effects in Star Trek 2009 and can only imagine how well different characters in the Star Trek universe would come to life with a new coat of paint.

edit: Random question but am I the only one who enjoyed Voyager?
 

nomis

Member
I hope these Star Trek films keep going and they aren't stuck on this whole trilogy thing because there are a lot of villains and ideas to cover. I really do want to see the Borg at some point with all the modern movie magic. I enjoyed the special effects in Star Trek 2009 and can only imagine how well different characters in the Star Trek universe would come to life with a new coat of paint.

They were already pretty modern in First Contact, but JJ-Borgs might end up being the coolest things ever. I need to see borg with an extra layer of groundedness and detail.

I hope that Abrams brand Trek has so much cache by the time they reboot TNG that we can land a completely epic cast of big actors for it. I'm thinking Ralph Fiennes for Picard, Jake Gyllenhaal for Riker, to start. Though chances are that just like with ST09 it will be a whole bunch of people that if not unknowns, no one would have though of. Also depending on if they deliver another 6 films with the current cast, it might not be until like 2025 for new-next-generation.
 

apana

Member
Well since the past has already been altered I'm not sure why it can't be Kirk who faces off against the Borg.
 

Cheebo

Banned
Well since the past has already been altered I'm not sure why it can't be Kirk who faces off against the Borg.
Well, Star Trek Encyclopedia says V'Ger likely encountered the Borg and got assimilated. Gene Roddenberry even said that when Spock mind-melded with V'Ger the machine planet he saw was the Borg homeworld.

So in a roundabout way Kirk has faced the borg kinda.
 

JdFoX187

Banned
Well, Star Trek Encyclopedia says V'Ger likely encountered the Borg and got assimilated. Gene Roddenberry even said that when Spock mind-melded with V'Ger the machine planet he saw was the Borg homeworld.

So in a roundabout way Kirk has faced the borg kinda.

I absolutely hate that retcon. The aliens in the first season finale of TNG were supposed to be the Borg. Due to budget issues, they were changed to the cyborgs. And now everything gets retconned like he knew about them all along.
 

Pollux

Member
I hope these Star Trek films keep going and they aren't stuck on this whole trilogy thing because there are a lot of villains and ideas to cover. I really do want to see the Borg at some point with all the modern movie magic. I enjoyed the special effects in Star Trek 2009 and can only imagine how well different characters in the Star Trek universe would come to life with a new coat of paint.

edit: Random question but am I the only one who enjoyed Voyager?

Watching voyager on netflix right now actually and really enjoying it. Like it much better than TNG so far...although I only watched the first season of TNG
 

apana

Member
Just read on wiki that Star Trek only grossed 385 million. That is certainly a very good number but I was expecting more considering how everyone was talking about it being a big box office success. I suppose the commercial failure of earlier Star Trek endeavors and the state of the franchise kind of contributed to that more than any deficiencies in the film. I'm definitely expecting something on the order of 600-700 million for the sequel. I guess part of the reason I am surprised is that this Star Trek film is even more upbeat and mainstream than most of the Star Wars films.
 

JdFoX187

Banned
Just read on wiki that Star Trek only grossed 385 million. That is certainly a very good number but I was expecting more considering how everyone was talking about it being a big box office success. I suppose the commercial failure of earlier Star Trek endeavors and the state of the franchise kind of contributed to that more than any deficiencies in the film. I'm definitely expecting something on the order of 600-700 million for the sequel. I guess part of the reason I am surprised is that this Star Trek film is even more upbeat and mainstream than most of the Star Wars films.

Batman Begins didn't gross that much either but was considered a success.
 
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