Orci & Kurtzman On Getting Personal & Getting Nimoy + New Official ST09 Synopsis Released March 29, 2009
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: ST09 Creative, Star Trek (2009 film) , trackback
The Sunday LA Times has an extensive feature on the writers of the new Star Trek, going a bit into their own origin story and the writing team of Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman explain how their back-story parallels that of the movie and also talk about what it took to get Nimoy on board. In other St09 news, the official site has updated the synopsis for the new movie
Orci and Kurtzman on what they put into Trek
When writing the origin stories of Kirk and Spock, two very different people who come together through the Star Trek film to form a life-long bond, Orci and Kurtzman found they were putting some of themselves into the script. Orci explains:
We didn’t even realize we were writing about ourselves until we were halfway through the script. That was a little embarrassing. We’re from different worlds, Alex was born here, and I was born in Mexico City and lived there until I was 9. Kirk and Spock are opposites from two worlds. That’s us in a nutshell. We’re drawn to each by what each of us lacks. The story of this film is about two guys who are such opposites that they might end up strangling each other but instead they bond and thrive together. That’s us. We can go warp speed together.
As for bringing on Leonard Nimoy the pair admit it was a pretty big deal, Kurtzman elaborates:
It was incredibly intimidating. By the end it was very emotional too. We told him that we couldn’t do it without him. We told everything and how he was the key to the movie, that the story doesn’t work without him. There was a very long silence and he got misty. He had retired and turned down many offers to return to this character, so this was asking the greatest gunslinger to strap on the pistol one more time. . . . His wife told us later that he didn’t get out of the chair for several hours [and] that he was overwhelmed by all of it and the decision.
Much more from O&K at LA Times.com, including discussing the humor and ’sex appeal’ of Trek and that they want their next project to be something without any aliens or robots.
Alex and Bob = Kirk and Spock? (LA Times)
New Synopsis
The official Star Trek movie site (startrekmovie.com) has been updated with a new synopsis for the film, here it is:
The greatest adventure of all time begins with "Star Trek," the incredible story of a young crew’s maiden voyage onboard the most advanced starship ever created, the U.S.S. Enterprise. On a journey filled with action, comedy, and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk (Chris Pine), is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock (Zachary Quinto), was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!
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Horrible
I have to admit, everything I see and read, I get more excited about this all the time! At first I was worried because it looked so different, but now I’m just at peace with it, and can’t wait.
Leonard Nimoy is the best.
@1
What is Horrible?
There’s also a “new” tv spot, I hadn’t seen before. I shows parts of what could be engineering and leaves me a little underwhelmed, if it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkFYGE1LLgc&fmt=18
The latest tv spot released this weekend.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkFYGE1LLgc
I was there when ST launched in 1966.
This movie, good or bad, is going to be great fun.
I am very hopeful for this movie! I think it’s going to rock!
one thing, i know it’s not politically correct, but it was tos, and i would much rather them say “where no man has gone before” just to pay homage to the orginals. i hear picard when i hear where no one has gone before
Either we’re going down… or they are.
One last time, huh? Has a very Trek feel to it. God bless Leonard Nimoy for being in our family.
@5 & 6… these TV spots are the same.
Horrible is the new first.
re: 2. Kelvington – March 29, 2009
” I have to admit, everything I see and read, I get more excited about this all the time! At first I was worried because it looked so different, but now I’m just at peace with it, and can’t wait. ”
Man, you must be reading and seeing completely different stuff from what I’m seeing and reading.
“Delinquent Iowa farm boy” doesn’t sound promising but for the moment I’m just going to rely on the idea that this is the marketing hacks speaking, and may or may not have anything to do with the movie.
#11
Yes, we didn’t talk to each other before posting at the same time, you see :)
“Film not yet rated”? Are we going for a PG-13? What’s the wait?
i wonder what wouldve happened had Nimoy said ‘no, im really sorry but im retired…thanks anyway’
a massive rewrite or a scrapping of the project all together?
Finally we know why Scotty is all wet on the bridge…
the dangers of transwarp beaming ;))
The *movie* isn’t going to be horrible, but I think I agree with #1 that that specific description is. It’s totally dumbed down; the generic back of a DVD or something. Oh well, this doesn’t matter at ALL. Haha
ST:TFB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Those shots in engineering….
wonder what kind of “tubes” those are? Not Jefferies Tubes… maybe Orci Tubes?
too bad, we were going through a period of positivity towards the film, now it seems like the negative crowd is off of vacation. oh well, like i said before elsewhere, don’t judge until you see it, but it’s too late for most of us/you as you’ve already judged it, and it won’t matter how good the movie is, or how “trek” it is, you’ll dislike it anyways. Not all of you mind you, i don’t want to be too stereotypical.
#20
The tubes are obviously a Futurama reference :)
http://theinfosphere.org/Tube_System
sex, lies, and videotape… now I see the connection to Peeping Tom ;))
I have been to every Trek movie premiere and I will be there for this one. This is the best thing to happen to Trek since TWOK. Everything about this project says it’s going to be huge and put Trek back on the map.
For you naysayers… you still have your VHS tapes of the original. ;)
I’m thinking (and hoping) that the industrial-looking site with the tubes is a planetside location, possibly where Kirk meets Scotty, rather than the Enterprise’s Main Engineering.
#5 & 6
That’s not a new TV spot – it’s the ‘kiddie’ trailer released with Monsters Vs Aliens this weekend (I know because I took my niece on Friday).
I misread that synopsis as “thrill-seeking Iowa fanboy”. But that would be a different Trek film altogether.
#26
I know, that’s why I wrote “new”. I just hadn’t seen it before and I thought some other people may not have either.
@25
Well, back when the 20 min screenies were being held, we were told that engineering is very industrial looking with all kinds of tubes everywhere
Here’s how to get all of the “bitters” to leave the theater cheering instead of grumbling: put some TNG character cameos in it!
Even 5 SECONDS of Brent Spiner or Michael Dorn would rock the house, much more than Nimoy. We all love him, but come on. Data. Worf.
I’m just saying, TNG is not done. But JJ’s film is still going to be amazing.
You know, it says a lot about this project that Nimoy decided to come out of retirement for it. Especially since he has turned down many time the chance to revisit this character. If it was Shatner, well… he did Generations without flinching. Nimoy didn’t even want to do that one. I think Nimoy saw how great this script was and how it brings the spirit of Trek back after it’s been missing for so long. I trust Nimoy’s judgement. And with him joining this cast and believing in this movie.. it speaks volumes.
#26,,,right, the kiddie version. If it is used for a TV spot, maybe that explains why it seems so rushed. They had to fit it within a specific time frame.
26 –
I’m pretty sure it’s being aired on TV, also. If not, it’s very, very similar to a trailer that an 11-year-old described to me after seeing it while watching TV.
Personally, I like the idea of a more industrial engineering set. To me, that’s a return to TOS – lots of pipes & conduits. Whereas Main Engineering in the later films & series (of which I’m a fan, mind you) just felt like a different floor in the same hotel. Aside from the warp reactor, of course.
I think the pipes are from the place where Scotty is at on Delta Vega, not main engineering.
@34…
yep. and swiming up these pipes must be totally Exciting!
#28 #33
It is being aired on TV, I was just clarifying that it’s actually the ‘kiddie’ trailer being aired with Monsters Vs Aliens, and not a promo created specifically for TV (like the Superbowl spot, for example).
#15
Right. Some people just need to complain over something.
#36
I don’t know about you, but I’d be pretty excited! :)
29 –
That’s true, but I see no evidence (at least in that split-second) of a warp core, other engineers, control panels, or anything else that could be associated with engineering. The blue water-filled piping is particularly unusual for a starship’s engineering section. On a frozen planet, though, those pipes could be for heating purposes as well as industrial purposes. And Scotty (if it’s him) is wearing his winter gear, which is decidedly wet by the time we see him on the Enterprise bridge in the trailer.
I could absolutely be wrong, but I’d much rather see something futuristic for the Enterprise’s engineering, even if it is industrially futuristic. We’ll see soon enough!
“On a journey filled with action, comedy, and cosmic peril, the new recruits must find a way to stop an evil being whose mission of vengeance threatens all of mankind.”
Funny enough, this could have been the synopsis for a 1930s science fiction serial.. wording and all. I didn’t quite realize with “back to the roots” they meant all the way ;-)
#26
Understood. Sorry, we tried.
40
Yeah, that’s probably more likely, it looks like there are too many pipes there for it to be engineering, and kirk is looking kind of bizarre when he’s yelling no, like something almost comical is about to happen, like whoever’s swimming is about to pop out and get kirk all wet
@37
I’m sure its on TV too. I’ve heard that a trailer has been playing over and over on ABC Family. Not sure if its this one though.
#42
Oh boy. Haha. Guys, I wasn’t complaining. I was simply clearing up the trailer’s origin. Really, that’s it! :)
@40…
What I saw in the preview was shot in a factory, with much higher ceilings.
This is a different part of the ship. After they left Delta Vega.
Comedy? We shall see, indeed.
The above posted trailer, about 47 seconds in… Kirk says: “NO NO!”. If that’s the engineering set, I will be disappointed. I’m hoping it’s the drilling rig’s control room or something.
While I would love pipes a la TOS, I do think that much piping and things looks too cluttered to be the “most advanced starship ever created”
I guess infusing the right amount of humor after writing the script in 10 weeks was the hardest part for Bob and Alex. Introducing the new chief engineer to the ship by pushing him up the pipes sounds like a cool idea to me ;))
And his “exciting” comment makes finally sense in this context.
So essentially, that’s why McCoy has moved to an apparent lower-role. Kirk is now being used as Spock’s opposing force. In the series of course, McCoy and Spock battled logic vs humanity and Kirk decided between the two.
i guess we really won’t know till we see the film, we do know some humour is in the film (cause bob and alex said so!) also, i was watching the recent theatrical trailer, and when kirk sits down in the chair, i noticed in the background a guyr wearing a red shirt and he was sitting on the console, and it got me to wondering if it’s scotty, cause scotty used to sit on the consoles in tos. it would be a good homage if he did do that in this film
43: “too many pipes for it to be engineering”… Having served on a warship, I’d say that it looks a lot like the engineering spaces I remember (albeit cleaner). Even the coloring of the pipes and valve handwheels is pretty close. It looks like there might even be deck grates! Maybe it’s not the antimatter reactor, could just be an aux. space that handles all the things we take for granted… fresh water, cool air, etc.
Of course, our pipes weren’t transparent, but maybe a little transparent aluminum goes a long way…
Interesting part of the ship. Nice variation and very industrial, but… what is it? Curious.
LOL Yeah after what I saw there, I understand why Scotty says something like this xD
I have great respect and confidence for the 5 “biggies” who worked on the film, JJ, Orci, Kurtzman, Burk, and Lindelof. They all bring fantastic talent and intelligent confidence. I am happy they are all fresh people who knew nothing of Star Trek (and are fans now) with the help of Orci the Star Trek “know it all.” I love reading about the development of Star Trek but its nice to read about their background as well as how they feel and perceive Star Trek.
I am interested to see what they call humor, granted for us Trek fans trek humor made us laugh but it was dry and discreet. I want to see what McCoy does to Kirk and this swollen tongue and hands scene.
#52
Yes, but modern vessel engineering sections aren’t that cluttered anymore and this is supposed to be 200 years in the future using a completely different technology.
Still it might not be engineering. I don’t know what it’s supposed to be.
Nice article too. They continue to make me excited about the film. Synopsis is good as well. Some people may not like it because of the Kirk description, but it sounds quite appropriate to me. I feel sorry for Stanky (13.). He has nothing to look forward to. Oh well, his loss.
hm, i still wonder the purpose of swimming pipes in the enterprise…?
That synopsis sounds so GENERIC
#50
Except in ‘Where No Man Has Gone Before’, which had no McCoy. The dynamic in that episode is very similar to the description in the synopsis. I think we’ll have to wait for another movie to see the characters slip into their more familiar roles.
56. Ubel1ever
Space may require a bit more “clutter”.
@61…
Its her maiden voyage, Governator, unplanned, ind the middle of an planetary emergency. There has to be some clutterness!
Star Trek kids trailer attached with Monsters & Aliens -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49QzIslPNGc
Anthony, you shuld put that in the news. ;)
There’s no way that is engineering. It’s to cluttered and doesnt line up with anything, and why all the clear tubes of water? doesn’t make sense. I’d say its something else. Even though we’ve been told as you go into the belly of the ship it looks less and less clean and streamlined, but not that way.
You know, what I continually find amazing are the critics on this site – critics of a movie they haven’t seen yet, who swear it’s going to be a debacle, yet continue to post about the movie… without an apparent purpose. If you dislike the idea so much, DON’T SEE THE MOVIE.
I love Star Trek, but these people – the ones who have no apparent life and spend hours pouring over every DVD from every series memorizing the smallest details of a fictional show and throwing their hands up when someone dares to try something different. It’s odd to me that for an idea they seem to be vehemently against, they believe if they repetitiously repeat their opinions everyone else will agree.
They remind me of the fans of the original BSG who (before ever seeing it) threw their hands up with BSG was remade, and yet it became one of the best science fiction shows in modern history.
Either open your mind, give it a chance, or shut the hell up and move on.
So say we all.
“The notion of transwarp beaming is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet while wearing a blindfold, riding a horse.” –Montgomery Scott
Well, so he hit the water pipe.
I don’t really mind a more “industrial” looking Engineering, but tihs one just looks way too 20th century, and like the same generic factory setting we see all the time in movies and TV shows.
Assuming that’s what this is, of course. There’s such a HUGE contrast with the style of the other sets that I kinda doubt it is.
Kirk is listed as a delinquent because the only father-figure he has growing up is his alcoholic uncle. Blame Nero.
Hmmm….engineering or a level below it, maybe? Scotty just doesn’t seem to have any luck so far. Oh well, he doesn’t yet know the ship like the back of his hand.
#51 You need to remember, this is before Kirk and Spock were friends. By the time we saw them in TOS, they’d been friends for some time. Besides which, Alex and Roberto said that there will be some insult argument between Spock and McCoy. ;)
#46 Did they at least have some form of reactor in it?
let’s move kids trailer discussion to
http://trekmovie.com/2009/03/29/see-star-trek-kids-trailer-aired-during-kids-choice-awards-w-analysis-pine-appearance/
this can remain focused on O&K article
65
two words – galaxy quest
It occured to me yesterday while watching Nemesis on AMC (dont get me started on what they consider Classic). That the movie was really about Nature vs Nuture. Shinzon was a clone of Picard and the question becomes if someone is identical and lives a different life will things change. The answer was of course Nurture in that movie. The new movie I feel asks the same question with a different answer. Kirk’s father will die and his Nuture will be different, yet his Nature will in the end make him the same man we knew by the end of the movie. Any comments about this are appreciated and I will be pasting this to other threads that maybe are more open to delving into this subject.
re: 57 The Governator
“I feel sorry for Stanky (13.). He has nothing to look forward to. Oh well, his loss.”
I have plenty to look forward to. This just doesn’t happen to be one of the things.
61. throsten
Quite true!
—————————-
From the descriptions of the engineering section, it sounds like it is very large, open, and industrial. This has the industrial element, but I can’t tell of the size and it doesn’t seem very open, so I doubt this is engineering, although I would expect engineering to be very similar. Also, I don’t think Scotty would survive a trip through the warp core, and last I checked, the warp core didn’t contain water. Actually, the TOS Enterprise didn’t even have a warp core, so what the hell. Whatever it is, it looks interesting.
Bob, do you remember what the last line was you wrote in the script?
Repeat after me…
“Where no MAN has gone before…”
“Where no MAN has gone before…”
Christ almighty, what is wrong with these Hollywood people?
73. Stanky McFibberich
LOL. I suppose if all we had to look forward to was this movie, life would be pretty dull! Once again, its your loss. Not everything will appeal to everyone. That’s a fact of life. If it did, the world would also be quite dull.
Here is the other fear I have about the characterization.
Kirk is not supposed to be about anger and fire and instinct and emotion.
That’s McCoy, who seems to be getting EXTREMELY short shrift in this movie.
The classic relationship is Spock=Logic/Brain, McCoy=Emotion/Heart. Both are flawed. Neither one is a complete man. The reason Kirk is a great man, a Captain, is because he represents the BALANCE of a mature soul, and thus is both of their superior.
It sounds like they are cutting out McCoy, or just making him a crotchety crank who isn’t part of the essential triangle of characters.
The well known troika of Kirk, Spock and Bones hasn’t evolved yet. We are seeing these charcters in the new film before their missions together during TOS. The focus here being the meeting between Kirk and Spock. There is nothing wrong with that. And I also don’t mind seeing a younger more unfocused Kirk as opposed to the already established character we’re familiar with. This is an origin story after all. I want to see HOW he becomes the man we know. I want to see that character arc.
#76
I’d imagine ‘Where no MAN has gone before’ has been ditched in much the same way Rodenberry ditched it for TNG in favor of the all-inclusive ‘Where no ONE has gone before’. Is it really something to get worked up about?
17- They would have had to use Shat or Takei
I love Leonard Nimoy.
But more in a way that I love my Grandpa, ’cause Nimoy’s actually older than my grandparents. O__o; How ’bout that.
Whatever. He’s awesome.
And #17, I’m honestly not sure. xD Whatever it would have been, a lot of people would not be as happy for this movie as they are knowing he’ll be in it.
“An amusement park”
From silly comedy to heart breaking drama. This movie will push some boundaries.
It’s amazing they got Nimoy, no easy feat. He must really believe in this movie to have come back to play Spock, and Orci and Kurtzman must have been, for that moment, the two greatest pitchmen on Earth.
Synopsis- No ONE??? Painful.
Thank you, #76.
So that’s how O&K Corraled Nimoy…
@ 65
Amen!
Man includes women. I agree with those of you who are irritated by the change. Its not some misogynist un-pc thing to say “Where no man has gone before” because until the insane pc mongers started trying to pick fights over everything man meant mankind, which is humankind. ugh. maybe it seems silly to the rest of you that we should make any kind of big deal about it but i do. too many stupid people with loud voices.
I think this movie will be pretty darn good. My only real concern is that the feel of TRANSFORMERS will hit this movie a bit much. TRANSFORMERS was a bit cornball, though it worked for that movie. I hope star trek doesn’t get cornball. Star trek can be funny, without being cornball, and be a blast all the way.
#88
No need to insult people that don’t agree with you. For some, the use of man is offensive. For some, it isn’t. I’m not terribly troubled either way, but I understand why some might dislike it. Besides, as I said, Rodenberry changed it 20 years ago. It’s an old issue at this point.
#81 – yep i guess itd have been a case of ‘get the shat!’….hmmmm but how to use shat as kirk when he died in Trek VII? theyd have had to have come up with someway of bringing him back before going back in time…ouch! thatd be a tough assignment…
maybe had Kirk ‘prime’ prior to Generations (courtesy CGI to de-age) and have him go back b4 any Ent B disaster…but then how would one get around Kirk having been at the ENT B launch? you couldnt just ignore GEN and all that came after (TNG, TNG movies, DS9, VOY)…
erm….
good job Nimoy said yes!…anyway it makes perfect sense for it to be spock…he has the long life span and was still alive in TNG era, and was the scientist who was the one that always came up with all the ideas of what to do to save everything (e.g. TMP, TWOK, TVH) ..plus Spock *is* the slightly more iconic star trek character than kirk..very slightly
ST isn’t great at ‘comedy’ – I’m thinking of ‘Mr Tricorder’ from Generations – excruciating. The fact that comedy is a descriptor in the official synopsis doesn’t fill me with confidence….
You call that a synopsis?!
For all the talk about how great it was to have Leonard Nimoy in this film the marketing team has all but ignored him.
I’m sure the new cast will be great, but Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner will always be the face of Star Trek just as Sean Connery will always be James Bond.
25. WhatInBlueBlazes?!
Maybe that’s Scotty swimming in those tubes. That would explain why he’s all wet.
#94
Tell that to the folks who have made the myriad of Bond films without Connery (and their billions in the bank).
Besides, if I were to hazard a guess, I’d say they want the appearance of Nimoy to be something of a treat. Leaving him out of the marketing is also a way of making sure audiences understand this isn’t the same old, same old.
#94 – least he gets the coverted ‘and….’ credit on all the posters and in the trailer credits…..elipsing the ‘with eric bana’…while bana is obviously the bigger present day movie star no one is bigger than Nimoy in star trek…..they couldve put russel crowe or will smith in the movie and it’d still be ‘and’ leonard nimoy (on a seperate issue i think they shouldve listed the rest of the cast in the traditional Kirk, Spock, Bones, scotty etc way…then cross, ryder, greenwood…’with’ bana..’and’ nimoy…. as opposed to alphabetical)
i dont see a problem with nimoy not being on the posters and in the trailers – its like they are keeping how involved nimoy is in it all under wraps so it’ll be more of a surprise…
Their interpretation of the Kirk-Spock realtionship is so perfect…
” I have to admit, everything I see and read, I get more excited about this all the time! At first I was worried because it looked so different, but now I’m just at peace with it, and can’t wait. ”
How come i see this comment after EVERY article posted?
The more I read the less interested I get. It’s painfully obvious that this has nothing to do with TOS or anything that followed.
“It’s amazing they got Nimoy, no easy feat. He must really believe in this movie to have come back to play Spock, and Orci and Kurtzman must have been, for that moment, the two greatest pitchmen on Earth.”
It goes without saying that Nimoy got a piece of the action, pun intended.
#21
“Don’t judge until you’ve seen it” applies to both, yet we have people acting like this is perfect and will totally recapture Roddenberry’s vision while making Star Trek possible again. You can’t have it both ways. Either it’s justified to have any opinion on the project based on what we know, or we ALL need to wait until it comes out. Being a fanboy doesn’t excuse you from logic and reasoning, especially when you’re trying to apply it to those who disagree with you.
That was an incredibly cheesey synopsis. Sounds like a synopsis for another sequel to High School Musical.
Another gem from Stanky:
“I have plenty to look forward to. This just doesn’t happen to be one of the things.”
Then why do you post here EVERYDAY?! Gimme a break.
To the just about everyone else…please stop responding to this guy. He’s like the schoolyard bully. He’s just a hater that likes to get a rise out of everyone by saying something contrary. (”Is this the right room for an argument.” “I already told you once. “No you didn’t.” “Yes I did.” You most certainly did not.”) He’s just frakking with us.
Ignore him and he’ll eventually go away.
When are we going to see a rating? Would they be popping Pine in Nick or trailering before Monsters vs. Aliens for a PG or a PG-13?
This show has nothing to do with “Roddenberry’s vision.”
They went young because they are hoping for a minimum of 3 shows and a maximum of 9.
They went with “Kirk and Spock” because TOS sold the most toys.
They model is Star Wars. They are simply just using Star Trek as an outline.
That’s not a synopsis.
Anthony,
I truly hope you’ll be able to have Mr. Nimoy provide a few words for the fans after the movie is released worldwide.
It would be wonderful to get a few comments that he may not have been able to make, due to the secrecy behind the production.
^5 – They remind me of the fans of the original BSG who (before ever seeing it) threw their hands up with BSG was remade, and yet it became one of the best science fiction shows in modern history.
That was because there were THREE efforts which remained true to the original BSG series: Glen Larson’s, Richard Hatch’s and Bryan Singer/Tom DeSanto’s.
And people wonder why the original series fans were so ardent in their voices against a reimagining. Imagine if someone entered the Trek fray after the studio killed the J.J. Abrams project (which was true to the original) and went in a completely DIFFERENT direction…
You’d have a lot of disappointed, upset Trek fans. And while it might eventually prove to be a great production, you’d still have resentments leading up to that, given J.J. was going to stay true to the original series with its characters, etc.
Reading about Nimoy’s emotional response to returning to Spock was awesome. Just goes to show how much he really cares about Trek. Thanks for relaying that, Kurtzman.
And that new tv spot is the best one so far. It’s a shame that music won’t actually be in the movie, I’ve really come to dig it!
Nimoy seems to really be a great guy.
re: 103. Check the Circuit – March 29, 2009
“Another gem from Stanky:
“I have plenty to look forward to. This just doesn’t happen to be one of the things.”
Then why do you post here EVERYDAY?! Gimme a break.”
Well, maybe I keep hoping something will change.
#24 “For you naysayers… you still have your VHS tapes of the original. ;)”
What an idiot. First of all, DVD replaced VHS some time ago as the format of choice, and even now is being replaced by Blu-ray.
Second – you shouldn’t be winking at people who have better taste than you. It makes you look like a dork.
76 is right.
Where no man has gone before. They can’t even agree in their own synopsis. The last word of the first paragraph is “mankind”, and then they follow up the end of the second paragraph with the gelded “where no one has gone before.” If you use “no one”, it would be consistent to abandon “mankind” for “humankind”.
To spend all this energy, and money to give the world another look at the original characters, and then PC-out and use the “no one” instead of “no man” will ruin the movie for me. I swear, TNG lost me during the opening credits of the first episode for this exact reason. I couldn’t give less of a crap that Roddenberry changed it. He was wrong. Unctuous, uxorious, cowardly, pusillanimous, timorous, and weak. What is the point of “boldy going” when you can even summon the onions to use the word “man” as it is intended.
112. Spock
Huh? I don’t get it.
113. Gene L. Coon was a U. S. Marine, and wouldn’t have put up with this.
“To spend all this energy, and money to give the world another look at the original characters, and then PC-out and use the “no one” instead of “no man” will ruin the movie for me.”
My, I didn’t know you were so passionate. I hope they change it to “man” so the movie isn’t spoiled for you. lol.
115 I’m a little crotchety. But I am right. “No One” is a wuss move. I don’t think they’ll pull it, though. I predict the correct “no man”.
As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before!
dissapointed with this….should have been ‘where no Man has gone before’
This is supposed to be TOS era. shame, everything else looks superb.
Greg
UK
Still a bit worried McCoy is pushed aside in this movie
@116, 117: Why? Aren’t women allowed to boldly go, also? You really going to say that to Number 1, Christine Chapel, Uhura, Rand, Troi, Crusher, Kira, Dax, Janeway, 7 of 9, B’Elanna, T’Pol, Hoshi, etc.?
It’s one lousy word. And if we are going to boldly go, I don’t know about you, but I’d rather than not have some ladies along for the ride.
#34
“Whereas Main Engineering in the later films & series (of which I’m a fan, mind you) just felt like a different floor in the same hotel”
Actually, it was the same floor. btw, did I mention I’m building Main Engineering from balsa wood? (TNG)
RE: synopsis – “unimaginable danger”
Unimaginable, eh? So… how did they come up with the idea for this danger? Um, how did they write a screenplay with it included? How could it possibly be unimaginable if somebody thought it up! Whew, I hope somebody proofread the script, at least….
@121: It’s like those legends where “Nobody has ever seen X and lived to tell about it”. How do you know there’s an X if it kills everyone who sees it? :)
They use unimaginable proofreading.
Now I’m wondering which of the two is Spock and which is Kirk.
I don’t know why people give Stanky such a hard time. Long-time readers of this site will know, looking back at all Stanky’s posts, that he liked various aspects of the new movie and was always generous in pointing these positives out. He always saw the good and bad in this movie, and gave each its fair due.
#103
- Then why do you post here EVERYDAY?! Gimme a break. -
He’s already doing that – he’s giving us a break from all the ballyhoo we are being flooded with of late.
_________________________
Love the new synopsis. It’s so full of stereotypes and blatant phrasing that it really made my day. :D
Iowagirl-
Finally, after a too long separation….it has been painful…
Are you getting annoyed by the hype? Seriously, I am getting excited, and am cautiously optimistic, with moments of terror, what if it’s terrible? But overall, counting down the days….
@124
Really? When has he ever been fair or balanced. All I can recall is constant negativity. And not the constructive kind either. Just snide comments.
I’d have been happy if they’d left it as ‘Where no man has gone before’. The phrase is not inherently sexist, particularly if they actually featured some women in prominent roles. However, we have no clear sign of Chapel, Rand, or Number One nor any female commanders, captains, or admirals. Changing one word does not mean the movie isn’t sexist. It’s little more than paying lip service to equality.
#126
Gary,
same here, Beloved, but you know what they say…Good things come to those who wait.
Well, “annoyed” isn’t actually the right word – it’s more as if my “moments of terror” have developed into one lasting state of terror over the past two years…;-) But I’m also beginning to appreciate the comical side of it all…
Anyway, hope you’ll enjoy the film!
I am beginning to think that “Obama”mania is striking the Trek universe–many people think that JJ and team are the second coming of Trek when they are merely human beings who happen to make movies and tv shows! While they have given us some great stuff like “Lost” (which still suffers from some less than stellar moments) and not so great like “MI:III” (great action scenes but just didn’t click with me overall), JJ and team are just the current hot item in Hollywood for the moment.
I grew up on TOS and they set the standard for all post-TOS projects which is not to say the standard is perfect either but my rose-colored glasses will never see Trek the same again (unless someone eventually finds a way to make “new” TOS episodes from fantastic CGI recreation of the original crew as they were in the 60s!). Part of the standard set by TOS is unfortunately locked in the time and space continuum of the 60s and early 70s (rewatching the series in syndication) but there are values and a vision that transcends the times that has allowed Trek to survive 40+ years so far. I will confess that while I enjoy the big screen treatments because it has been a joy to see the Enterprise in its full glory, I miss the wonderful story treatments of TOS by real science fiction writers who understood what science fiction (or speculative fiction for the Ellison fans) was all about–people like D C Fontana helped them make the transition to the medium of TV (along with shows like The Outer Limits). For me, science fiction (and TOS) knows how to explore present day topics through the futuristic or weird (sometimes both) and lay the punch line on us at the end.
Because of all of the hype and how the new Trek is presented I just don’t get a sense that it is really like the TOS I want to remember or the kind of storytelling I personally enjoy. With that being said, however, I am looking forward to the hope that Star Trek’s glory days are not yet done and that JJ and his team might yet facilitate the second coming of Trek! Besides, my kids are pretty excited about seeing the new movie….
[Sorry if this seems off-topic but I think I have been wrestling with these thoughts for some time and it seemed the appropriate place to express them now.]
Regarding the “Where no man/no one controversy:”
This is why nature is wise and why it’s good that all living creatures have their season and then die. Otherwise stupid resistance to trivial change would go on forever. LOL
Well this doesnt tell us anything new except the Nimoy bit. That does give me a bit of hope that this movie wont fail as far as being good Star Trek, but Im still sticking with what Ive been saying all along. I think this is going to be a good movie, but we wont know if its going to either be good Star Trek or horrible Star Trek till May 8th. And if it is horrible Star Trek, and thus JJ has trashed our beloved franchise, well he’ll probably feel like some AIG biggie that took the biggest payout and just had their name made public.
#131 I understand what you are saying, but I respectfully submit that all resistance is not stupid, and all change is not trivial.
For instance, the changes to the Enterprise, the uniforms, the corridors, the actors, (etc etc ad infinitum) are not such a big deal (for me). I am eagerly looking forward to the new movie, and the clips so far look pretty good. The changes made to those things were arguably more pronounced in the TMP-TUC era, and we all survived.
But the “no one/no man” thing is grating. There is no reason to change the word except as a sop to PC. And that is intellectually craven. No one (pun!) can reasonably still think that “man” in this context means only “males”. My point is simply that, after all the attention to detail in revisiting the origins of ST, bringing back the basic uniform style, the basics construction of the ship, the effort to not completely undo all that has happened up til now, the use of the original font, it makes no sense to wimp out on that word.
Every clip we’ve seen so far can fairly be described as “bold”. It would be bolder to use “man” than to bow to PC and use “one”. Be bold!
I still predict they will use “no Man”, and the movie will still be good if they don’t, but it will be a small disappointment.
yanno…I don’t think that was engineering. I think that was the inner guts of Delta Vega where Kirk meets Scotty for the first time. If that is engineering, it just doesn’t seem to “feel” like it is part of the Enterprise and doesn’t fit with the whole design. True, when you open up the hood of a streamlined sports car, the engine rarely looks like the exterior or even the passenger cabin, or if you venture into the engine room of a diesel submarine, it is very industrial/mechanical, but that all changed in the nuclear era of subs.
Nope, I just don’t want to believe that was the engineering section of the Enterprise. I think that it was when Kirk met Scotty and he has to go through the water flume to fix something…or Scotty is just a nutter and is trying to flee Kirk…or Kirk is playing Willy Wonka and Scotty is Augustus Gloop.
Why did they stop with Nimoy? Shaaaaaaaaaaaat please come home
I am hopfeul. I am hopeful this movie is much, much more than we’ve been shown. To lure Nimoy out of retirement I hope is for much more than just a slick reboot.
Re-writing Kirk’s backstory still strikes me as unecessary. If they wanted to show the origins of everyone, than just show the origins, not a watered down “Rebel without a Cause” version.
@134…
nope.
@136 – to me Kirk would have been a more interesting character if they’d shown him as the bookworm, traumatised into his shell by his childhood experiences who overcame his past when faced with adversity i.e. more in keeping with Gary Mitchell’s description of Kirk.
I think maybe many American writers just couldn’t cope with the notion that a nerd might grow into an action hero so they fell back on the ‘angry teen with potential’ cliche. As we see from TWoK, Kirk’s confidence is a front that he works hard to maintain. Hopefully they will be able to maintain this aspect and the intelligence of the man. I will be so disheartened if he’s portrayed as a gun-ho thug – that wasn’t Kirk at all. If it’s Bush v Obama – give me Obama any day!
@138…
Paul, I am really sure that Bob and Alex see Kirk the way you do.
He just starts on another track, but he ends up as the character
you love.
Could Scotty travelling through the pipes be the reason why he “Knows this ship like the back of his hand”?
Just a thought
@140…
scots are known to be good divers!
I was just wondering, does anyone care that William Shatner will not be part of this movie or is this now old news? Further, I see that none of the newer articles released about the new movie even talk about William Shatner any longer.
It is a crying shame that JJ Abrahms and his army of writers could not find a creative way (in a science fiction movie for goodness sakes!!) to include Shatner.
No matter what Shatner is, or is not, he was the actor who put Kirk on the map. Not including him in the movie is insulting not only to the actor but to the fans who were around in the 1960’s who watched and supported the original Star Trek, to say the least.
#130- “I am beginning to think that “Obama”mania is striking the Trek universe–many people think that JJ and team are the second coming of Trek when they are merely human beings who happen to make movies and tv shows!”
Yeah. And they make mistakes.
I’m so glad you said it instead of me.
Also, “change” has become such a comical buzzword. The tragic thing is that anyone labled as opposed to it- for better or worse- gets vilified.
I mourn the loss of Kirk’s original backstory more than if William Shatner is in it or not.
138.
Good points Paul. Kirk was a very intelligent boy who was traumatized over the events of Tarsus IV. Am I to assume Kirk in ST09 will be traumatized by the loss of both his parents to take the place of Tarsus IV?
In STV, Kirk said he “needed his pain” to be the man that he was.
#119 CarlG
My opinion that it should be ‘where no MAN has gone before’ has no implications for women. I love women! Im happily married, have a beautiful daughter and even our two cats are female!!
In no way am i minimising womens contribution to Star Trek.
What im on about is that this movie is set just before TOS. The original series famouse tag line was where no man has gone before. This was then changed for the launch of TNG.
The change and recognition was even mentioned at the end of Trek 6 the undiscovered country when shatner stopped during his final ‘captains log’ entry to acknowledge that ‘where no man’ was now outdated.
with this in mind then its only natural that i think that where no MAN should prevail for this movie.
those are the facts im afraid.
Greg
UK
#112 “What an idiot. First of all, DVD replaced VHS some time ago as the format of choice, and even now is being replaced by Blu-ray.”
Ummm… I think you entirely missed the point. “Montreal Paul”, in post #24, was twitting the “all change is bad” crowd, by implying that they are stuck even on the old media formats, just as much as they are on religiously-held canon. Perhaps the point might have been more obvious had he said “off-air betamax copies…”
I have a feeling that the phrase “where no one has gone before” existed eight years before the original “Star Trek” series premiered. Yes, Gene Roddenberry replaced “one” with “man”, but at the time he created “The Next Generation” reverted the wording to “where no one has gone before.”
Reboot!
>;>}
Obviously this going to be an altered version of Star Trek: a reimagining. I am not happy with that, and I hope that since they replaced the original timeline, it is with something sufficiently compelling and good. I have my doubts. We will see.
BTW, bongo drums in the score would help!
>;>}
I too am curious about the bad teenager Kirk. I thought Kirk was a grim bookish guy who was tormented at the academy by Finney. Otherwise, his behavior on the Enterprise should reveal both his instinctive intelligence and his knowledge of military history and the history of exploration. Where Kirk and Spock usually clash is when Kirk insists on gambling on his instinct when he has insufficient knowledge to make an informed choice. Something Spock learns to do when he commands the Gallileo 7. Kirk’s command personality will come to the fore in this movie and his confidence is not a front. If anything, he has to control a tendency to be ‘a swaggering, overbearing something with delusions of godhood.’