Is New Star Trek Film Any Good?

[Si Hunt]

Everyone involved is banging on about how it's a fresh start, has wide appeal etc.

But it seems to me like a fan fest! It's set in the time of Kirk, Spock, McCoy, features all those old characters. Nimoy is back as Spock. James Doohan's son gets a role. There's even a tribble in it!

Is this really going to appeal to an audience of today? I think I'd sooner them invent a new crew and set it in the future!

Si.

[WhiteCrow]

I've said many a time - this is a film people out and out campaigned 20 years ago NOT TO BE MADE.

Lets say this again - fans complained in their thousands that THEY DIDNT WANT THIS MADE.

So yeah, lets start out by making a film to deliberately antagonise the fans from the get go.

I really hope this fails, because the Star Trek franchise has been gang raped to death by Rick Berman in the past. It needs something a lot more original than this to kick start the franchise.

The irony is Doctor Who ended leaving people wanting more. But with the Star Trek franchises they just kept on pumping out stories, with increasing senses of "been here before", until people became tired of it. If anything it's made me more aware of how classic the original series was, and how tired the spin-offs have been.

[Paul Monk]

Well I think it'll be interesting and am quite hopeful about its success. Zachary Quinto is almost quite spooky as Spock I think.

[Dirk Gently]

So yeah, lets start out by making a film to deliberately antagonise the fans from the get go.

Sounds like a good plan!

Seriously, these 'fans' will still go & watch it in their thousands, if only to complain about it...time after time.

[Perry Vale]

I've said many a time - this is a film people out and out campaigned 20 years ago NOT TO BE MADE.

And we got Star Trek V instead......

I think this will be one of the biggest Star Trek successes at the box office for some time. If it's a film that fans don't want, then great, it'll allow it to appeal to general movie-goers, which it has to do.

However, I'm not sure where it goes from there, I suppose it can only continue as a film franchise in that format. I can't see it going back to a tv series featuring young kirk etc....I mean we've already had that!

Quinto looks excellent as Spock, can't wait to see it.

....Doctor Who ended leaving people wanting more....

Did it? really?

[Dirk Gently]

....Doctor Who ended leaving people wanting more....

Did it? really?

Yes, it did.

[SiHart]

And we got Star Trek V instead......

I thought we got Star Trek VI instead. Wasn't the Starfleet Academy idea thought of after Star Trek V flopped and they decided perhaps the original cast were getting a bit too long in the tooth for saving the galaxy? Certainly I'd be surprised if they mooted replacing the cast after they'd just made their most successful film.

Si xx

[SiHart]

And we got Star Trek V instead......

I thought we got Star Trek VI instead. Wasn't the Starfleet Academy idea thought of after Star Trek V flopped and they decided perhaps the original cast were getting a bit too long in the tooth for saving the galaxy? Certainly I'd be surprised if they mooted replacing the cast after they'd just made their most successful film.

Si xx

[Perry Vale]

I thought we got Star Trek VI instead.

I was basing it on the quote of 20 years ago......Star Trek V came out in '89 didn't it?

Yes, it did.

Did it? Really?

[Si Hunt]

If it's a film that fans don't want, then great, it'll allow it to appeal to general movie-goers, which it has to do.

It doesn't neccessarily follow that because fans will hate it, the public will love it and it'll be a box office smash. It sounds to me like a fan-PLEASING film; cameos from Nimmoy and others, continuity to 30 years ago... it just sounds dull and backward looking to me. Like you said, where can it actually GO? If the fans hate it, then that's too bad for them because the general public will probably hate it as well. Or just not be interested.

If Doctor Who ended, how would we rate the prospects of a new film set before the Hartnell era, with Hartnell, Ford etc. re-cast?

Si.

[Dirk Gently]

Did it? Really?

For a lot of us, yes!


Obviously not you.

[Alex]

At first I thought this was a terrible idea, and had no interest in seeing it, but I have to admit that the more I hear about it, the more I feel it might be worth seeing. The casting for one thing is quite good, I'm looking forward to seeing Simon Pegg as Scotty and Zachary Quinto as Spock, and I like the suggestion that this will be 'optimistic sci-fi' and not bleak and dark as seems to be the trend right now.

Also, advance word suggests that it's a good movie, with both Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg raving about what they've seen - and that's presumably only a work in progress as a lot of the sfx has yet to be completed...

And if worst comes to the worst, all that will happen is that it'll flop, all will be quiet on the franchise front for a while, until someone tries to launch another series / film a few years down the line...

[Perry Vale]

It doesn't neccessarily follow that because fans will hate it, the public will love it and it'll be a box office smash.

That's true, and come to think of it, I don't really know anyone who likes *any* of the Star Trek films, truth be told. And the fans who do like them, only like the even numbered ones, allegedly.

If Doctor Who ended, how would we rate the prospects of a new film set before the Hartnell era, with Hartnell, Ford etc. re-cast?

Si.

Fine by me.

For a lot of us, yes!


Obviously not you.

Actually I was, but come on, did it? Really? My point is, that I'd wager just as many trek fans were wanting more 'Enterprise' as there were people wanting a S27....

[Phillip Culley]

The only real thing that's disappointed me with regards to how this film is progressing is the casting of Simon Pegg as Scotty - although I'm sure he'll do well, I think it's a crying shame they didn't cast the far more suitable Paul McGillion (from Stargate Atlantis) in the role - I believe he even got support from the family of James Doohan! (yes, I know it's very petty, but really there's very little else that I'm not happy about ). There are a few things I'm not sure about based on the released photos, but I'm not going to comment until I see the film...

However, I think the real thing which will threaten the success of the movie is the Star Trek name - it still has a stigma which might hinder it. At the same time, like with the new Doctor Who, the die-hard fans who'll whine about it and refuse to watch it (although you know damn well that they'll go if only to get home, jump on messageboards and shout about the Worst. Trek. Ever.) will be in a vast minority compared to the people who really don't care about that guff and will still watch it. I'm not convinced it'll top the box office (although it'd be nice), but I'm sure it'll be at least a moderate success.

Also, I post on one of the largest Trek messageboards, and this I really can't see this outright indigence Mike' alluding - for all the fan complainers there are just as many fans who are actually looking forward to it.

[Wayne]

Will The New Star Trek Film Be Any Good?

No.

[Martin Penny]

McCoy looks like Joey doing 'smell the fart acting' in an episode of Friends.

I'm actually really looking forward to this, and I think it'll be good.

[Larry]

i supose after all the different versions of star trek it was inevitable that sooner or later we were going to get Star Trek - The Teenage Years, as mike, says the franchise has been done to death and it seems they have not learnt from the flop that was Enterprise, to see this is a bad idea.

[Andrew Curnow]

I don't usually go to the cinema to watch ST films (the first one, Generations and the disappointing First Contact being the exceptions) but I have to say I quite like the look of this one. It'll be interesting to see some proper trailers nearer the time I think, to see what the performances are like - are they going to be impersonating the original stars exactly, or just 'doing a Hurndall'?

[WhiteCrow]

I have to say one of the most important things has been at least they've changed the team behind camera.

With the post-original series stories in Next Gen, Deep Space 9, Voyager and Enterprise - the same production and writing team was in place. This is why I feel Star Trek ran out of steam, because you didn't have enough new ideas, and some felt repeated too often. Early Enterprise eps felt like rejected Voyager scripts.

Maybe a new team are going to deliver something fresh with new energy. But my worry is this. Star Trek has been proven to work with whole new crews. The original series Star Trek echoed issues of the society of the 60s, so really don't we need a new crew and new setup to reflect our current society?

[Carol Baynes]

There's something about that publicity photo that looks wrong to me, and I can't put my finger on it. I do think one stylistic problem with 'Star Trek' is that no other version of the franchise looks quite like the original series and I'm not sure the radical change in style was ever explained in the context of the internal continuity? I know it was made in the '60s and has a slight 'pop' quality about it, but that's the 'real life' answer of course.... The Next Generation costumes pay homage to the originals, but it's not quite the same...they don't even look quite right here. Did Kirk ever wear black in TOS?

Simon Pegg actually looks the most like the original Scotty in that picture! ...granted, he is a bit out of focus!

[Larry]

Maybe a new team are going to deliver something fresh with new energy. ?

well if this film turns out to be hugly popular and a box office hit it will be interesting to see if it spawns yet another Star Trek, tv series.

[Rob McCow]

No.

Heeehe hehhe heheheh! :rofl ing

Ahahahaha!

Ho ho ho! Hehehehe! Tee-hee-hee-hee!

HAHAHAHAHHA AHAHHAHAHAH - Hee.

LOL!

ROFL! OMGWTF!

[Stuart Wallis]

I'd have preferred them to do something post-TNG/Voyager/DS9, with a different crew, and a more interesting one (never could get into the Voyager and DS9 mobs). Mind you, I'm prepared to give it a fair hearing when it comes out. It might appeal to casual fans who watched and liked TOS when they were young.

[Larry]

There's something about that publicity photo that looks wrong to me, and I can't put my finger on it.

I've just had a good look at it and I don't know why but to me it looks more like one of those spoof type films

[Dino]

One Star Trek film, if not series, I'd like to see would be one where the federation is falling apart, loads of breakway systems and dissent!
So the future Enterprise crew go from protecting the universe to basically upholding the status quo (no, not the band!) and murdering leaders who want to see independant status on their planets?