Greenwood Talks Star Trek Sequel May 29, 2009
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: Star Trek (2009 film), Star Trek sequel (2012) , trackback
Bruce Greenwood is a standout as Captain Pike in the new Star Trek film. In a new interview the actor talks about the Star Trek phenomenon, and most interestingly, talks about what he is expecting for the Star Trek sequel, even giving a time frame for when they intend to start shooting.
Greenwood on sequels, fans and Vulcan
In the interview Greenwood makes it clear he expects there to be a sequel, and as he said in his TrekMovie interview, he expects to be in it:
I have to ask an obvious question. What do you know about plans for any sequels to the latest "Star Trek" movie?
They’re bouncing around story ideas right now. I think, from what I gather, the intention is start shooting next summer.What would you like to see happen in any of the sequels?
I think these guys are clever enough to do at least two more and have the final one do a really hard dovetail into the beginning of [the storylines] for the original ["Star Trek"] series. My expectations are very high for them. The only thing I’d like to see, from a personal standpoint, is the mentor relationship between Kirk and Pike to continue.
Greenwood also talked about personal observations of Star Trek, along with his recent trip to Vulcan, Alberta, and how (if he were younger) he would want to play Kirk. Read the full interview at examiner.com.
CLIP: Pike implores Kirk to join Starfleet
Greenwood wants to expand on this mentoring role for Kirk in a Star Trek sequel
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Comments»
Loved him in the movie. Its a much better movie with him in it.
wow this would be an amazing idea
loved greenwood as pike. he rocked. but i think anything more than a cameo akin to janeway’s breif viewscreen call with picard in nemisis will take away from the “captain” in captain kirk.
Greenwood as Pike was awesome. No disrepsect to J. Hunter, but Greenwood’s reading of Pike makes the character far more likable and interesting than the Pike we see in “The Cage”. I would hope that The Supreme Court keeps Pike around at least for a bit just to see what the charcter is capable of offering Kirk and Co.
I’d love to see the accident where he saved all the cadets, and how it made an impact on young Kirk. It could be very moving as well as part of an overall big action scene.
Loved loved LOVED his Christopher Pike!!
I never liked Pike from The Cage, so Greenwood got me to like Pike by not being a whiny, angsty d-bag (if you’ll pardon my vehement view).
Not sure how they would include him, as I assumed the Enterprise was warping off to “explore strange new worlds…” at the end of the movie, but I’d love to see more of Pike. And more Pike/Kirk would be great. :)
I want to see him do some beeping in the next one!!!
What a guy! “Punch it!”
This is great news! Greenwood’s Pike was an outstanding contribution to the movie, and I was hoping to see more of him in this new franchise.
Woo Hoo! Bring on nuTrek II.
I will definitely be disappointed if Bruce Greenwood isn’t back as Admiral Pike in the next movie.
Greenwood was a perfect Pike, I certainly share his hopes that he’ll continue! This marks the first time anyone has mentioned the idea that this trilogy – if we’ll get three of them – could be a sort of side-track that would then form back or “dovetail” back into the start of TOS. That’s a facinating statement/idea! Question is: is this what the writers an J.J. intended? Or just some musings from an actor-become-fan?
#12—I would speculate that it is probably the latter. Actors in supporting roles are likely not privy to that kind of discussion among the writers and producers.
LOVED his Pike. Half-dead and strapped to a table, he takes out two guys. “Pew Pew!” He is a total badass.
It’s unfortunate Robau had to die. In the dictionary, Pike is standing behind Robau in the picture under the definition of badass.
Loved Greenwood’s Pike. I certainly would like to see more of him in the next movie.
JMN
Starting filming next summer? But we can’t wait that long! :D
He was sporting the ever-awesome TMP “penguin greys”. It’s about time they dusted those off again. Don’t call it a comeback!
OK, i’ll admit it here for all to see…. I have a man crush on Greenwood’s Pike.
I like this idea. I envision one or two outcomes for the end of a trilogy. One idea is to lead into the beginning of T.O.S. or the other to correct the timeline. Yes, I know there is nothing to correct, because it’s an alternate reality, but it’d still be an interesting concept to work with. Anything is possible.
I’d like to see some resolution in the end though.
@ 15. lol. I feel the same way…
About 1 year to write a script, story, find a director, get the budget set, scout locations for filming, etc…. Then film starting May next year 2010. And i believe it takes about 5-6 months to film a movie. So that’ll leave them about another 5-6 months for editing, special effects, etc. That would leave a target release date for Summer 2011. !!!!! Can’t wait :D
#19 – well, we hope for just 5-6 months wait after filming has finished, not a year like it was this time! (It was a year, wasn’t it?)
Pike was a very pleasant surprise in this film.
I think Kirk visiting Pike in Starfleet HQ or the Academy would be really great.
#20- Dave you are correct. They finished shooting in April 2008, almost a year prior to the film’s release.
Here’s what I say about the Star Trek sequel… they should release it in Summer or September 2011. In case nobody knows anymore, 2011 would celebrate the 45th anniversary of Star Trek. And with the sequel coming out in the same year as the anniversary, the twelfth movie would give the year something to look forward. Bruce Greenwood should be in the sequel… I kind of got the fact in the movie he was the father Kirk never had. That relationship worked out great and should be expanded upon in the sequel. I would be more excited if Damon Lindelof, Roberto Orci, and Alex Kurtzman come up with a new alien threat to Kirk and company on their first voyage as the crew of the Starship Enterprise… the alien threat should not be from any novel or stuff like that, one that they totally invent and unique to Star Trek canon.
I’ve always loved Greenwood, he’s a terrific actor and he is no less in Star Trek!
Pike could easily be the admiral that Captain Kirk reports to.
Beep Beep
Bruce Greenwood as Captain Pike was probably what I liked best about the new movie. I hope we get much more of him.
I totally share his hope about the mentor relationship between Pike and Kirk.
The Enterprise should definitely report to Admiral Pike.
i like Greenwood’s notion, idea, speculation whatever it is about the trilogy leading back into the original mission. For me, personally it would be fun to see the timeline re-adjust itself. Not all the way, but little hints and nods are fun for those of us who like to spot such things.
Greenwood is a terrific actor and I appreciate his ideas.
One thing, there is no way the current movies can lead directly into the original series. From what has happened in ST09, I believe the following episodes can’t happen in this new alternate universe: Balance of Terror, Court Martial, Conscience of the King, Amok Time, Journey to Babel, Obsession, The Menagerie, The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, This Side of Paradise, A Private Little War, The Tholian Web, Operation: Annihilate!, Shore Leave, The Apple, A Piece of the Action, Turnabout Intruder.
God, what’s left?
#6: I agree. As much as I love Jeffrey Hunter in “The Searchers,” his Pike never got a chance to do much other than complain about the burdens of commanding the Enterprise and threaten violence against Talosians.
Greenwood’s Pike, on the other hand, is an embodiment of Federation leadership and what a Starfleet captain should aspire to. That will make him a useful storytelling device in the future. We’ve seen a lot of sub-par Admirals show up on the Enterprise viewscreen to dispense orders over the years, and too many of them haven’t earned our respect (see Harve Bennett in V!). Often the Federation has come off as a goofy organization staffed by pinheads like Captain Esteban.
Pike’s re-characterization, on the other hand, is in line with Orci & Kurtzman’s smart decision to set a high bar for Starfleet and what it means. We hear from him in the bar scene that it has slipped a little, but the new Pike represents a call to the highest ideals–which is a far cry from Vice Admiral Janeway showing up in “First Contact.”
I was all for Ray Liota, he looked like Jeff Hunter, but Bruce Greenwood was awesome in the part, and I hope they give him a significant part in the TREK 12 …his down to earth demeanor and fatherly influence over Kirk really comes across well…
maybe the Enterprise could visit Talos IV and revisit the Menagerie or something of the like!
I have loved Bruce Greenwood for years now, and his casting was the one that made me the most excited when I first read about it.
And sure enough, he was fantastic. In fact, I think the only better-cast character was Karl Urban as Bones; he was so spot-on perfect. (And, ironically, Urban’s was the casting that worried me the MOST, initially!)
#31
Janeway was in Nemesis, not First Contact. ;)
#30 – “God, what’s left?”
Completely new stuff. Exactly what the writers wanted to do, and I applaud them for it.
Greenwood as Pike was an unexpected surprise, and blew me away as the “father figure” Kirk never had. i would love for him to survive, and stay in this trilogy as an active character and mentor to Kirk.
And I disagree with any comparisons to Jeff Hunter. Hunter did a wonderful job as a troubled Captain wrestling with the burdens of command in a pilot for a new series. Greenwood had the same gravitas, but also believed in what he was doing.
I also thought that Greenwood’s performance was awesome and he should definitely be in the sequels.
He’s an idea – he becomes more of the father figure for kirk for the second movie but then becomes an enemy for the third ending him in a wheelchair at the end of the movie.?!?!
William Shatner or Khan in the next Trek,,,,
http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1611523/story.jhtml
theres your answer,,,
:o)
@37
“Luke, I am your father.”
No.
I wonder what the good people of Vulcan, Alberta had to say about Abrams & Co. blowing up Vulcan in the movie…..
Perhaps William Shatner AS Khan.
That would maim a few childhoods.
#17. Horatio
could be worse you could have a man crush on Pike’s Greenwood…..
@38
Khan strands Kirk on Ceti-Alpha-5. Years later he travels back in time (as THE SHAT) to kick some ass.
Greenwood was definitely a scene-stealer. He brought a remarkable presence to the character of Pike, a strong, quiet demeanor.
The beauty of this new cast is their ability to make the most out of their moments on-screen. For example, Urban didn’t have a tremendous amount to do, but he shined brilliantly each time the camera was on him.
For me, the new film was really hanging on the new cast. Would I like them?
How could I ever accept someone else playing Kirk or Spock?
The new cast really won me over. Brilliant casting, IMO.
I think Pike will be sacrificed (like Vulcan) for dramatic effect in one of the forthcoming sequels. He is the perfect candidate for this. Important in Trek lore and to Starfleet, yet not “essential” (IMHO) to the progression of the story.
K/O might emphasize the “father he never had” aspect of their relationship then someone has to make a tough decision and Pike dies.
Predictable yet effective.
Could this be the first concensus of opinion since the movie has come out…?
Greenwood was superb in the movie. In his formative Starfleet years, Kirk needs someone to look up to and to make proud. Adds another (new) dimension to Kirk which can only be good.
This is the first strong indication that they won’t jump the shark and go straight to Khan in the second movie.
I’d really like to see them encounter Khan AFTER Khan is thawed out by another Captain and has a year to raise a genetically engineered army.
I really liked Bruce Greenwood as Pike as well. I do, however, feel that the take of the bar scene used for the trailers played better than the one used in the film. Greenwood sounded more dramatic in the trailer. He was laughing slightly in the film when he said, “I couldn’t believe it when the bartender told me who you are.” In the trailer he sounds seriously disappointed in Jim, almost angry at him since he had such potential. This, of course, says nothing negative about Greenwood. Instead, it points at the director and editor, I suppose. It wasn’t bad in the film, just better in the trailer, something I saw so many times that I had it committed to memory. I truly hope Greenwood/Pike has a major role in STXII.
Greenwood as Pike was Ace, hope to have him on board for a long time and hopefully not in a wheelchair permanentley
Heck I wouldn’t even mind a film/miniseries with him and his Star Trek advenutres
36. AJ – wrote:
“Greenwood as Pike was an unexpected surprise …
And I disagree with any comparisons to Jeff Hunter. Hunter did a wonderful job as a troubled Captain wrestling with the burdens of command in a pilot for a new series. Greenwood had the same gravitas, but also believed in what he was doing.”
I AGREE. I will also go further to say Greenwood was the only actor in the cast that really had the weight of those form the previous Trek casts. Trek has traditionally hired actors with a lot of Shakespearean training which added a depth and dimension to the characters that allowed them to believably convey the universe-sized stories of Trek. Laurence Olivier once called Shatner the greatest living Shakespearian actor in North America (presumably before Trek). Greenwood didn’t have that training, but he carried the weight of an experienced actor, which frankly showed-up everyone else in the cast.
Agreed about Hunter. Even Shatner has a completely different performance in the pilot than even Corbomite Manuever. Much more stoic than the later Kirk, but given the seriousness of the stories and the breadth of ideology involved, how could an actor take it any other way for the first time?
Interesting that line….
“I think these guys are clever enough to do at least two more and have the final one do a really hard dovetail into the beginning of [the storylines] for the original ["Star Trek"] series.”
Delayed reset button until the end film in a trilogy. I won’t get my hopes up but it would be nice to get the Prime Universe back on track at some future point…
RD – Awesome Lawrence Olivier factoid. Do you have a source for that?
#30
“The Apple” can’t happen???!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!
;)
Greenwood’s Pike was fantastic, and it was an inspired piece of casting, including him. I’d pay to see Star Trek movies, or a series, built around Greenwood as Pike.
He had exactly the feel of the kind of starship captain from the original series—none of the lame-ass nonsense from that later ST series. This was a guy you felt was a classic heroic character right out of the old days.
8
Abrams getting some Star Wars in there. And twice. I thought that was out of place, personally. I love both franchises but that’s a Star Wars phrase in my mind.
26
My favorite post of the day (really week/month).
50:
RD:
Mr. Olivier’s line about Shatner is prophetic. We saw Shakespearians in Shatner’s Kirk, Stewart’s Picard, and Brooks’s Sisko.
And it worries me that Chris Pine will fall short as Kirk. Kirk is about speeches, and enunciation. In ST09 he argued on the Bridge several times, but they were well-acted shouting fests. Pine needs to increase his range to encompass the ‘weight’ of the role, and to actually emote.
i could hear Greenwood reciting the “Space…” intro, but not Chris Pine. Not yet.
To any new fans of Bruce Greenwood because of this new movie I suggest go watching “Thirteen Days”. Greenwood played the best JFK.
Being Canadian I can’t help but be tickled by the fact that both Greenwood and Shatner (both Canadian) were chosen to portray two of Starfleet’s best badass captains!
Greenwood’s Pike was the perfect balance to Trek 90210. I loved Pine, but overall it would have been a fluff movie without a few gray hairs showing up.
I do think Pine’s Kirk needs to develop more seriousness akin to Greenwood’s Pike.
Pike was awesome.
As per my post yesterday, I hope they keep him in the chair for one more movie at least and use it as a social tool or a way of exploring and humanizing people with disabilities. This is a big issue. A friend of mine, who is the biggest Trek fan of anyone I know, has quadriplegia and calls himself Locutus in his chair. My brother, with his new insulin pump (a mechanical pancreas), jokes that he’s “half man, half data”. It would be a cheat and a misunderstanding of Star Trek to not take advantage of this beloved character and the talented actor, and what they could stand for in his chair.
@ 30
What’s left? The other 67 episodes.
Besides, who’s to say The Cage didn’t happen some time in the past on a ship other than the Enterprise? If it did (a separate movie told in flashback perhaps? Hint. Hint.), there no reason events leading to a Menagerie-like movie couldn’t unfold.
It would have been interesting to see a reboot 15 years ago with Greenwood as Kirk and Ben Cross as Spock. Oh, and Gary Sinise as Bones…! ;)
He was a great Pike, but I think it’s time leave him behind… one less character to deal with in a cast of many. If they do involve him, LEAVE HIM IN THE CHAIR
I’d MUCH rather see them concentrate the crew on a diplomatic mission, or space anomaly, or something else a bit more inherent to the feeling of the show. I’d especially like to see some moral issues that the crew can work worth
“Laurence Olivier once called Shatner the greatest living Shakespearian actor in North America”
FWIW, Howard Stern shares that opinion! :-) He is a Trekkie, and I once heard him say, “Shatner is one of the greatest actors ever.” And no, he was not being sarcastic!
Speaking of 2010 and 2011… Anthony, any word on what the Star Trek 2010 calendars are going to look like?
I assume a “Ship of the Line” will continue plus maybe a TOS calendar… and new cast calendar?
AND as someone pointed out 2011 is TREK’s 45th anniversary, so the 2011 calendars better rock!!!! I’d say all the franchises should each have a calendar that year… or one with a historical overview that includes all… just me thinking…
#30—”From what has happened in ST09, I believe the following episodes can’t happen in this new alternate universe: Balance of Terror, Court Martial, Conscience of the King, Amok Time, Journey to Babel, Obsession, The Menagerie, The Cage, Where No Man Has Gone Before, This Side of Paradise, A Private Little War, The Tholian Web, Operation: Annihilate!, Shore Leave, The Apple, A Piece of the Action, Turnabout Intruder.”
There are undoubtedly elements of those episodes which are still a part of the altered timeline, however.
For example:
“The Cage”/”The Menagerie”—There is no reason to believe that the Talosians are not still keeping Vina (whose ship still crashed on Talos). It is only a matter of time before someone (perhaps even the Enterprise) receives that signal.
“The Conscience Of The King”—Kodos ‘The Executioner’ and his actions on Tarsus might very have taken place (albeit without one of its witnesses). There is nothing definitively preclusive to that.
“Amok Time”—Altered timeline or not, Spock will still have to endure the ‘Pon Farr’ sometime around 2267. I wonder how Uhura plays into that, if at all. What is possibly more intriguing is the suggestion that T’Pring and Stonn might be among the 10,000 Vulcans able to heed the evacuation call.
“Journey To Babel”—Who is to say that there will not be a dispute among Federation members over the admission of Coridan, or for that matter, an interest on the part of Orion villains?
“Obsession”—That creature is still at large, whether it ever attacks the USS Farragut or not.
“This Side Of Paradise”—There might very well be a colony established on Omicron Ceti III by the year 2264. Spock may also have met a woman named Leila Kalomi while on Earth. He has been serving there for quite some time.
“A Private Little War”—-Assuming the Organian Peace Treaty is still forced upon both the Klingon Empire and the UFP, Klingons may still interfere with the natural development of the culture on Neural, prompting Starfleet to counter that.
“The Tholian Web”—Whether it involves the USS Defiant or not, the interphase would still occur on a regular basis. It is a problem waiting to happen.
“Operation: Annihilate!”—Whether any of Kirk’s family members are present or not, there is no reason to believe that neural parasites could not attack the colony on Deneva.
“Shore Leave”—-Again, the only difference might be that some of the experiences imagined are not the same, or that it might be another starship that first encounters the ‘Shore Leave Planet’. But there is no reason to believe it suddenly isn’t there.
“The Apple”—The dialogue in this episode (Chekov’s claim about his age) may suggest that it took place in 2263 (prime), but that doesn’t preclude a visit to the planet, regardless of when it takes place.
“A Piece Of The Action”—Sigma Lotia II was still visited by a Stafleet vessel a century before, and still bases its culture upon 1920’s Chicago.
“Turnabout Intruder”—All I can say is, “no big loss there!” :)
57
I LOVED Thirteen Days.
To some of the other postings about Pike. They ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT do the paralyzing beeping wheelchair thing. Pike should have a more prominent role in this new timeline. To do what they did to him in TOS would be an incredible disservice to the character.
Greenwood = Awesome
#41—”Perhaps William Shatner AS Khan.
That would maim a few childhoods.”
That would be The Great Trek Turd Of 2011…
Now, Shatner as “Harry Mudd” is another story!
He did a great job playing Pike. I look forward to seeing him again !
I am doing one of the months for the SOTL Calendar…I tried to send Anthony a sneak peak but he doesn’t respond to my emails.
lightyearmodels {@} yahoo.com
I really, really hope they leave Khan alone. I mean, it’s been done. In fact, I’d like to see them put a moratorium on moustache-twirling villains altogether for the sequel– along with time travel, Klingons, Romulans, Federation politics, and anything else we’ve seen in the last eleven movies. It’s time to get back to the conceit of the original premise: “Wagon Train To The Stars.” I want to see them seek out new life and new civilizations.
They’ve really set up for themselves a great dual opportunity here to both return to the spirit of the original show, and to tread new ground. Why on earth waste it on remaking old episodes or premises? Explore these new iterations of the characters we love, and let’s have NEW adventures, please.
Messrs. Abrams, Orci, Kurtzman, Lindelof, et al, if you’re reading: I love, truly love what you’ve done, and although I’m long tired of tropes like time travel in Trek, I totally understand why you used it in this one instance. But no more, please. We’re all, filmmakers and fans, now off to a fresh start. It’s time to boldly go.
I think Greenwood is suffering under a misconception; there is nothing to dovetail into, the established continuity is moot. On top of that, the original actors got six movies all the way into their 60s and if these ones continue to be successful, Paramount will trot out their young and hip cast as many times as possible until Chris Pine is fat and bloated and doing Priceline commercials.
#26… very funny! LOL
I also agree with one of the earliest posters about the Pike mentor thing. He’s Captain Kirk now, albeit a much less sophisticated and experienced than Prime Kirk, and it would seem that the opportunity for mentoring is over. Unless another calamity befalls Earth and requires the big E to come home, Kirk won’t get much more than an occasional hello with Pike sitting in front of a large Delta shield on the wall.
If they want to put Shatner in the next movie,i don’t want him to play “fat old Jim Kirk from the futur bullshit”,let him play Tiberius Kirk,Jim’s grand father….i think it would be more plausible.
Star Trek put another $2mm in the coffers yesterday. Domestic is almost up to $197mm. Today’s business will put it over the $200mm mark!
Keep On Trekkin’!!
#78 “let him play Tiberius Kirk,Jim’s grand father”
I’d be fine with that. Maybe Tiberius was the first Kirk to serve in Starfleet, and as his dad is dead, Jim needs his advice at some point. Seeing Shatner and Pine share a scene or two would be nice.
I loved Greenwood as Pike, especially as the strong fatherly figure. I liked Pike much better in the movie than in “The Cage.”
67.
When I said those episodes can’t happen, as a result of the movies dovetailing into the original series as suggested by Greenwood is that those episodes can’t happen as portrayed in the original series. The dialogue will be different, at the very least. If Greenwood is suggesting the third movie be the last prequel le ading in to TOS, as opposed to the new alternate crew doing their own 5 year mission.
The Cage”/”The Menagerie”—Kirk and Pike never met in TOS except for a brief introduction at Pike’s promotion ceremony. Pike’s crew in ST09 is far different than the crew in TOS (Number One, Doctor, etc.)
“The Conscience Of The King”—Kirk was supposed to be on Tarsus IV as a teenager and witnessed these events. This episode can not occur as portrayed.
“Amok Time”—Vulcan no longer exists, this episode can’t happen.
“Journey To Babel”—Spock’s mother is dead. This episode can’t happen.
“Obsession”—Kirk was on the USS Farragut in TOS. This episode can’t happen.
“This Side Of Paradise”—Spock is dating Uhura. This episode can’t happen.
“A Private Little War”—-In TOS Kirk said he surveyed this planet as a young Leutenent and made friends with one of the natives. This episode can’t happen.
“The Tholian Web”—In TOS, Kirk’s medals are shown. With Kirk’s rapid promotion in ST09, no medals were earned. This episode can’t happen.
“Operation: Annihilate!”—Whether any of Kirk’s family members are present or not, there is no reason to believe that neural parasites could not attack the colony on Deneva.
“Shore Leave”—-In TOS, Kirk’s backstory with Finnegan and Ruth are shown. This episode can’t happen.
“The Apple”—In TOS, Kirk says he was helped getting into the academy by one of his security officer’s father. In ST09m it was Pike that encourage Kirk to go to the academy. This episode can’t happen.
“A Piece Of The Action”—In TOS, Kirk can’t drive a stick. This episode can’t happen now.
“Turnabout Intruder”—In TOS, Dr. Janice Lester had an affair with Kirk at the academy. This was not shown or talked about in ST09. This may or may not happen.
Again, the premise here is the next star Trek movies leading directly into TOS as suggested by Greenwood. This can’t happen unless a ‘reset’ button is pressed in the next two movies. Now, can the current crew from ST09 still do these episodes anew? yes, they can and they will be different, like Amok Time occuring on the new Vulcan colony. But this is not what Greenwood was suggesting.
What I don’t want to see in the sequel–
-Khan
-Restoration of Vulcan (don’t undo events of the movie!)
-Sybok
- Characters from “Enterprise” series
-Any redo of an old episode — it’s been done… and done… and done…
-Any redo of an old movie – ditto
-Time travel — PLEASE, PLEASE NO MORE
- Shatner — the new crew’s training wheels are off; no need for him in sequel
-General Zod – wait, that’s the Superman Returns sequel.
-Romulans (last two movies)
-Klingons (done to death)
#83 ” wait, that’s the Superman Returns sequel”
Unlike Star Trek, the (depressing) Superman reboot failed to fly. Sorry, but there will be no sequel.
“Klingons (done to death)”
I wouldn’t count on that, Klingons are too popular. Even if not the main focus/adversaries, they can play at least some role in the story.
#75 “until Chris Pine is fat and bloated and doing Priceline commercials”
Don’t forget to slap a dead rat on his head for good measure!
70:
Star Trek XII: WILLIAM SHATNER IS…..KHAN
Khan: “So! You bloodsucker! You! Left! Me! on that GODforsaken PLANET!! And,,,and you will ANSWER! Forthedeathof my..my beloved WIFE!”
Kirk: “Why are you talkin’ to me, man?”
Khan: “Why? WHY? I am KHAN! KHAN!”
Spock: “Lieutenant Uhura, please disengage comms.”
Uhura: “With pleasure, sir” “KHAAAAAA…*”
Kirk: “What an a**hole. Let’s get the hell out of here.”
Sulu: “With pleasure, sir….” (WARPS OUT OF SIGHT)
#82—”…those episodes can’t happen as portrayed in the original series. The dialogue will be different, at the very least. ”
And I agree.
I just think that Greenwood wasn’t being all that literal, and his knowledge of TOS is extremely vague (according to him).
I think that he is suggesting a trilogy of films which leads into the time period of The Original Series (2265-2270). But ultimately, as much as we like him, he’s just an actor in a supporting role in ST09 (and hopefully in upcoming sequels).
It goes without saying that certain things are different. That is the whole point of an alternate timeline. However, there are certain constants which will (or in some cases, at least can) be unaffected by the changes in the timeline. That’s my only point in #67.
I like his idea for “dovetailing” into TOS for the final film!
1,701st!!
#82, the stories you mentioned could happen but altered to fit in this universe. It would have been nice if Kirk was given more experience before became Captain, but we have to deal with the story we have in this movie.
I like the idea of the movies being prequels to the original series, this way Kirk can have some of the adventures he had on the Farragut and elsewhere before we see him in TOS.
#86—-”Sulu: ‘With pleasure, sir….’ (WARPS OUT OF SIGHT)”
Lol.
Especially after Shatner (as Khan) repeatedly mispronounces his name as “Mr. Sula”…
greenwood did a fantastic job as Pike. it will be great to see him in the next movie. I think he adds a lot to the Movie and theres just so much that he can offer the one named Kirk.
#50
“Laurence Olivier once called Shatner the greatest living Shakespearian actor in North America”
I doubt it was Shatner. Over the years the New York Times proclaimed Christopher Plummer to be “the best classical actor in North America” and it was the London Observer who pointed out that Plummer was “the best Shakespearean actor since Olivier”.
Shatner was NEVER mentioned in the same breath. I can find NO reference that Olivier ever uttered such an unlikely compliment.
Would the altered Kirk exile Khan to a planet like Ceti Alpha V, or just eject him like an overloading warp core after beating him with that plastic thingy in engineering?
To…..sleep..per–chance…to… dream!!!
Clauddddddiusssssss!!!!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Say what you want, snobs. You all know as well as I do that when it comes to delivering *entertaining* performances, The Shat is a God among his kind. Star Trek wouldn’t be nearly as fondly remembered today if they’d kept a stiff guy like Hunter as Captain.
#95—”Star Trek wouldn’t be nearly as fondly remembered today if they’d kept a stiff guy like Hunter as Captain.”
No doubt.
One—jealous god—–if all this makes a god!
Hunter was a snoozefest in comparison…definitely out of his element in that uniform.
So Pike would be the new Nogura
ST:TMP
Scotty:Gave ‘er back I doubt it was that easy with Nogura
McCoy:Your revered Admiral Nogura invokes a little known seldom heard of reserve activation clause.
#98—”So Pike would be the new Nogura”
Not necessarily.
The five-year mission ends in 2270. The V’Ger incident takes place 2.5 years later. That’s about 14 years after the end of ST09. Nogura may still be a captain (or even Cmdr.) at that point (assuming he wasn’t among the casualties in the starships destroyed near Vulcan).
I think that Admiral Pike may occupy basically the same position that Kirk does before “taking over the center seat” in TMP. Kirk described it as “Chief Of Starfleet Operations”.
Bruce is the man. I thought he was great as Pike. In fact, I almost wish he’d stay captain of the Enterprise, and have Kirk as first officer or something… that would have been quite a shakeup.
Okay, so in one of the sequels they go to Talos and Kirk gets put in a cage so the talosians run their mind experiments on him. And as part of the experiment, they want to study the human ego so they grab old Kirk and put him in the cage with young Kirk to see how a man deals with himself. After going through ennui for a while, both Kirks decide to break out together.
82 – right. And what was gained by destroying Vulcan? Just a lame ripoff of Alderaan from Star Wars, as far as I can tell. Greenwood was very good as Pike. Still wanted to see Number One (Jennifer Garner would have been good) and the rest of the original crew, even as a cameo (even to get blown up probably).
Where do we NOT see Kirk on Tarsus IV as a teen? We know nothing of his life between the Corvette murder and getting his arse handed to him in the bar in Riverside.
Maybe his mother sent him to stay with relatives on Tarsus IV rather than him go to Federation Juvie Hall.
I’ll take you home agaaaaaaaaaain Kathleeeeeeeeeeeen…can still happen.
102 “what was gained by destroying Vulcan?”
What was gained, for me at least, was a sense of drama and peril that had been missing since the TOS movies. Like the death of Spock or the Enterprise (in ST III; Generations was just lame) the destruction of Vulcan was hardcore, and a real “holy sh*t” moment for me and all my friends. It drove home the point that now that they’ve started over, anything can happen. I thought it was emotional and very well executed. It also added new levels of pathos to Spock and Sarek.
#95
In the original series? Absolutely!! No question! Shatner was king during that prime period, back when he was YOUNG and VITAL!
But, that was THEN, this is NOW……Mr. Shatner should have retired to his horse farm a LONG time ago…….it’s more than sad when a performer doesn’t know when to get off the stage. Talk about overstaying your welcome!
“Talk about overstaying your welcome!”
Bollocks, Harry. The Shat is more popular than ever. I hope I’m winning Emmys once my welcome has been overstayed…
I hope Viacom rides movie’s success to bring new TNG era programs or movies to TV.
I dont understand people dissimg the original Pike
role in “the Cage”. For me, it portrayed a very human captain struggling to deal with the responsibilities that a captain had on their shoulders: the wellbeing of hundreds of people under your command and the most advantageous outcome for a given mission. The closest comparison I can think of to the pike character would be Adama from
the new battlestar galactica series. Someone who is flawed. It makes the character a lot more interesting in the long run, not to mention making them easier to relate to on a human level for you and I. Given more time, I think pike could easily be the best captain in star trek history. Everyone subsequent was just too “polished”.
But from this article, the most interesting thing mentioned was the possibility of a trilogy. Paramount has gone on the record as saying their franchise properties are important in keeping the company alive. So this films success literally has saved ‘Trek. I think a trilogy is a foregone conclusion. The challenge that remains, for me, is getting trek back onto television, with new and original episodes. Perhaps based on the new reality, perhaps based on he old, who knows? Its has been proven, however, that with this film, a formula exists to make star trek popular with a demographic other than the stereotypical “Trekkie”, while also not alienating them.
Considering that all of the crew are about 10 years younger now than they were in TOS (with the exception of Chekov and, maybe, Sulu), it would be great to have Pike in the following movies. I only realized some days after seeing the movie how important to the movie story Pike was – he was the only other one who understood what was going on – because of his research on the Kelvin incident. Without that, ranting Cadet Kirk would have been simply thrown in the brig – and the movie would have been a lot shorter …
Also, it would give us an admiral who isn’t an ass – something really new…
And nuKirk is a man with potential – not yet the leader, the captain that TV-Kirk was – the next movies should show how he gets there …
A personal wish: in this new timeline, let him get a real character as a love interest (somebody as strong as Major Kira …)
(And yes, Peter David has pulled this off in his “New Frontier” book series without killing the leading lady before the credits – the two protagonists married and became 2 captains on 2 starships, frequently saving the day/planet/unvierse and getting together whenever they could).
#106
Aw, S_F_P,
don’t get me wrong, when I was younger I thought the Shat was amazing! I followed his career, watched him in everything, met him on several occasions, one time in particular in early 1973 when I talked with him one-on-one for 10 minutes while his wife, Marcy, was in the ladies room at a movie theatre where I worked in Toronto. I loved the guy for many years, even up through ST:III…………….then, something happened. He entered a phase in his career where the only way he could get any work was by lampooning his own image….I lost so much respect for him at that point. If he had only retired after ST:VI and never done Generations, we would be clamouring for his return. But, to see him overexposed now (because he’ll do anything), playing a buffoon…………it’s hard to miss somebody if they NEVER go away!
I DO understand your admiration and devotion to the guy, I just don’t share the same feelings!
102:
cd
The Alderaan scene in SW is a direct ripoff from “The Immunity Syndrome.” Spock feels the death of a large amount of Vulcans, etc.
100. Darren – May 29, 2009
Bruce is the man. I thought he was great as Pike. In fact, I almost wish he’d stay captain of the Enterprise, and have Kirk as first officer or something… that would have been quite a shakeup.
Yes, I felt the same way at the end of the movie. I really wanted to see a full adventure with Pike in command. His performance was just so real. I do feel there was a missed opportunity for this Trek to have been a Pike era movie instead of all the original characters.
I have not seen this confirmed anywhere but was Pike’s uniform in the wheelchair scene ST;09 not the same as Admiral Kirks in ST;TMP?
I guess it was just white :)
#26… Why so negative?
The third time I saw the movie I looked very close and except for the obnoxious belt communicator thing they looked identical
102 “What was gained by destroying Vulcan?”
That was, IMO, the logical answer to a question nobody asked: “Were have all the Vulcans gone?”
Chronologically, in ENT, they were everywhere, and they were big in TOS.
But in the early seasons of TNG, they were nowhere to be seen (there were REAL LIFE reasons for that – look it up – , but none given in continuity). Only in the later seasons, there were Sarek, Spock, and a Vulcan extra here and there (as in DS9), and then there was Tuvok&family in VOY.
Well, if there were 10 000 survivors from Vulcan and about 3 or 4times this number of people who were off-planet at the time (according to the novelization, which makes sense here), and they multiplied naturally – well, this would lead to the “Vulcan density” in the post-TNG series.
Greenwood owned the role when he was on screen , he brought a whole new level of humanity to Captain Pike . I relished the scenes he was in! I look forward to seeing him return in Star Trek : TFB 2 . Something with some gravitas and impact not just a quick appearnce on a viewer giving the orders from command .
More Pike please!
^95,96. Hunter was a fine actor to play a Star Trek captain, and who knows how he might have adjusted his performance if he’d chosen to do the second pilot and series.
The main reason it wasn’t meant to be, in hindsight, is that Hunter’s stroke-related death in 1969 may have been inevitable. If Hunter had been Star Trek’s star for the two or three seasons it could have lasted with him, his death would have ruled out Star Trek’s comeback as we know it.
I see no point in having Shatner in any sequel now in any form. I had hoped that in the end of this one they would have shown The Shat in the end walking down a corridor with Spock , but even Spock didn’t get back into his proper time. To have Shatner show up in a sequel now would be to just cause a mass ejaculation with Fan Boys. I prefer the idea that the “Big E” just go off in a different direction in the quadrant in the sequels that they didn’t go to in TOS. I prefer this simply to just avoid the stories from TOS. How can they top the originals?
idea for the sequel, how about the surviving Vulcans trying to increase their numbers accidentaly create the Borg! – There could be a “Cult of Vulcan” like some extremists that invent some nano technology and inadvertantly it all goes wrong and the end up creating the Borg and then banish them to the Delta Quadrant. I also think it would be a good twist to introduce the El-Aurians (Maybe get Whoopi Goldberg back as Guinan) and possibly some kind of action between the Borg and El-Aurians as suggested by Guinan to Picard in season 2 TNG. The El-Aurians could come into new trek easily by putting a case forward to the Federation that the time line has been altered – as we know Gunian could tell (ref “Yesterdays Enterprise” TNG.
Bruce Greenwood is awesome. Ever since Thirteen Days I have had much respect for this man.
More Pike, please!
Very interesting thread, as always.
Greenwood’s Pike has struck a nerve, and it is the hunger for heroes. Hunter’s Pike was too conflicted too early, which probably played a large part in getting his pilot rejected. Kirk was/is a much more straightforward leader. And to belabor a point I’ve made many times before (see my signature) a large part of that appeal comes from the input of Gene Coon. Coon gave Kirk the qualities he most admired in the Marine Corps and Navy officers he encountered in WWII. A can-do spirit, a professional’s devotion to duty, a stiff upper lip, supreme confidence, and love of his men.
Greenwood’s Pike is a kindred spirit. A man among men. How many of those kinds of characters appear anywhere anymore? We love Greenwood’s Pike for that reason, I think. The niche open to Pine is that of the manly hero. No Oprah moments. How many times did Shatner’s Kirk cry?
As for characters like the new BSG’s Adama, Jean Luc-Picard, Riker et al being more complicated and conflicted, I say phooey. A leader struggles, of course. But in the end he makes decisions and acts. To paraphrase Kirk, they need their pain.
There are too few unambiguously confident manly heroes. Let Pine and Greenwood lead, and watch the money!
Pike was a great asset the film and NEEDS to be in the next. He provides a level of maturity and guidance for our young Kirk. Without Pike’s influence (and some help from Spock Prime), Kirk cannot become the leader we know and love. Whatever the structure of the next film(s), I hope they keep Pike, and Greenwood, and ensure that he has a presence that is powerful and meaningful, as it was (all too brief) in this first (terrific) film.
By The Numbers:
1 – Greenwood as Pike was great. I would welcome him in a substantial role in any of the sequels (or spinoffs, if we are so lucky).
2 – Unless there is a script or storyline that is so compelling, well written, and downright irresistable that adds to the legacy, I have to say that I would prefer for the producers to IGNORE the urge to remake any of the TOS era episodes.
3 – There is already so much material from the events of ST to feed from as it is. Conder the following:
* A Romulan vessel (albeit from the future), destroys 47 Klingon warships. I smell an epic Romulan/Klingon War in the making with the Federation caught in the middle.
* Spock Prime holds so much knowledge within his head. This makes him a high value target for so many intelligence agencies. Further ponder the prospect of Spock Prime selectively giving both the Vulcan High Command and Starfleet critical information from the future. What would shake out from that?
* The Cardassians were alluded to on screen (Uhura orders beverages of Cardassian origin), so is this to say that we can expect Next Gen era aliens to crop up as well? The idea of a Kirk-Borg match up would blow my mind away! :P
4 – Pike’s uniform from ST:TMP was a WELCOME sight. I happen to like them, and would love to see them again on screen.
5 – I’ve already seen this movie four times, and will likely see it a few more prior to it leaving the big screen. I hope everyone who gets a chance to see it enjoys it at least half as much as I did.
There is no Number Six. (obscure geek reference)
@67 and 82:
You guys were mentioned the U.S.S. Farragut. I’m not sure if you guys realize it or not, but I think the Farragut was destroyed at Vulcan before the Enterprise showed up. How do I know? Remember the scene where Uhura bitches about not being assigned to the E. She was originally assigned to the Farragut which is safe to assume was one of the ships that were heading to Vulcan and not part of the Lorentian? Fleet.
Since it was not officially mentioned or confirmed in the movie, nothing is certain. Just thought I’d point out that possibility.
Yesss!Greenwood/Pike is a major part of newtrek.I was saying yesterday what a wonderful character the franchise has in admiral Pike.I dare say the iconic trio of Kirk/Spock/Bones is now a quartet with the addition of Pike.Well done Mr. Greenwood.You are the EMBODIMENT of the Federation ideals: the general welfare/common good of all;justice for all;the common defense of all,against the inhumane actions of evil empires(Klingon,Romulan,Cardassian,Gorn,etc…)
hey JJ.give us a sequal that shows us the ideals the Federation stands for!
ie.: primary fleet engaged in the Lorentian sector.A crisis occurs elsewhere(Cardassian?,Klingon?,Romulan?,Gorn?…).A Task Force is hastily formed,with Admiral Pike in command(25 or 30 starships,diplomatic contingent,marine occupation force,etc…).Kirk, and the big E ,is his lead ship in this Taskforce.Kirk is his lead captain in this taskforce;his pointman.Let the story unfold.
Keep it going JJ.!Another 40 years for Trek!!!
“….The only thing I’d like to see, from a personal standpoint, is the mentor relationship between Kirk and Pike to continue….”
——–
I couldn’t agree, more. When the movie was announced and Captain Pike was reported as being included as a character, I was a little worried. Once I learned who took the role and then saw the movie though, all of my fears were gone. Greenwood’s Captain Pike is one cool dude!!!
#13: “It’s unfortunate Robau had to die. In the dictionary, Pike is standing behind Robau in the picture under the definition of badass.”
I mean this in all seriousness, not sarcastically at all, but can somebody please explain to me how and why Robau’s a badass? His ship got shot up. He put himself in harm’s way. He was asked a handful of questions that confused him, got stabbed, and he died.
Is it that he sacrificed himself? That he didn’t hesitate? That he’s bald? He was decisive, sure, but he didn’t do anything particularly brilliant or really that out of line for any responsible captain would do. We saw a lot more of George Kirk being a hero than Robau, yet Robau seems to get the most passionate accolades.
Why? Seriously. Does it have something to do with why some people love Boba Fett? ‘Cause I just don’t get that one either.
Greenwood definitely needs to be in the sequel. He’s like Kirk’s father, not just a mentor. If they want Shatner in the film, he should play neo Kirk’s grandfather, Tiberius, in a set up scene toward the beginning of the film. That would be oddly appropriate, because the actor playing George Kirk looks more like young William Shatner than Chris Pine.
110. Harry Ballz : C’mon Harry, the guy who rarely leaves a serious post and has your sense of humor doesn’t appreciate Shatner today? Perish forbid.
And as for Pike, howzabout he head up a Trek TV show? That sent a lightning bolt up some britches didn’t it?
All of the actors in Star Trek elevated the material they were given to work with, but Greenwood did more than that: he elevated the whole dang movie.
Anything with more him in it, I’ll seriously consider showing up for.
That is a nice interview with Bruce- thanks for sharing it with us.
DEFINITE MUST BE IN THE NEXT MOVIE! A very fine actor indeed.
#131
Look, if you guys want to enjoy Shatner, hey, more power to you!
Here’s the nitty-gritty of it: I started getting disenchanted with him in ST:III onwards. By the time we got to ST:V+VI it seemed he was no longer portraying James T. Kirk, but simply “phoning it in” as William Shatner himself. That really disappointed me…..then Boston Legal came along and it appears David Kelly only cast him to lampoon his own image of being a fat, egotistical blowhard.
It’s kind of like growing up worshipping an uncle in the family, only to discover when you reach adulthood that the guy is nuts and your youthful admiration was sadly misplaced. I’ve gotten to a place in my life where a little bit of Shatner goes a LONG way. To say he’s overexposed is an understatement. Good for him as a paid actor, bad for the discriminating viewing public.
And the ego on the man saying he would only appear in the movie if he had a substantial part! Why would any of today’s movie-going public pay a red cent to watch a 78 year old lumber around on screen? The answer is they wouldn’t! Sad that Shatner doesn’t seem to recognize this…
If you’re impressed with him, that’s fine, but I lost any interest in seeing his fat wrinkled face on screen a long time ago. To suggest that the new movie franchise squeeze his considerable ass into a Starfleet uniform one last time and have us believe him as Kirk? No thanks, I can always watch my remastered TOS dvd’s if I want to see him back when he was impressive in the role!
Please don’t criticize my opinion on this as I am willing to respect that many here will disagree with my observations. To each their own!
Id love to see Pike return for the next one and maybe have a slightly longer roll. Since Kirk never had a father I think Pike could be the guy to drive this Kirk to become more like the Kirk we all know. I think the fact that this Kirk didnt have a father or father figure (till Pike at least) made him a much different person, in some ways more of a badass, and gave Pine more freedom than the other actors had with their characters since their lives wouldht have been much changed.
#134
I can see your point. I honestly liked Kirk better in the movies than the TV show, but that’s just me, and of course I’m a TNG Trekkie. I think, though, where Shatner’s concerned, yes, he has a huge ego, but I think that’s why people love him. The guy kinda knows he has little talent as an actor, but look at all he’s done with so little, I dont think I know of any other actor who’s done what he has. But yeah, him wanting a substantial part was a bit much, I think the scene they were thinking of doing would have worked perfectly.
I realize this post is late and no one may actually read it.
Here’s a thought: because Kirk is so young and green in this timeline, how about he does something that gets him DEMOTED and Pike has to take over the Enterprise. Pike believes in Kirk, so he keeps him on, which would allow Kirk to go through some plot points that will result in him gaining the experience he needs. That could also set up more interesting conflict with Spock.
Live Long and Prosper, and Boldly Go.
#134
- Why would any of today’s movie-going public pay a red cent to watch a 78 year old lumber around on screen? -
Probably for the same reason they’d pay to see a 78 year old guy with a puckered ass and with huge choppers who’s doing photos of fat ladies in his considerable spare time, in his prime role one more time. :D
I for one would pay real money to see these two old farts together on screen again portraying the characters they brought to life. :)
But you’re absolutely right, Harry – to each their own.
131 – I agree. A TV series starring Greenwood would be great.
Pike’s Trek!
As far at Shat – I have a humorous idea how to get him (and other originals) into the next movie WITHOUT time travel. Hint: “The Deadly Years”.
But in no way should it be much more than a comical cameo. If it’s taken this long for Mr. Bill to see and comment on the new movie, he doesn’t deserve to be in the next one.
For a sequel, I’d like to see a mystery/adventure story, something that’s not your usual villain of the week/grave galactic consequences type story. That next Gen episode ‘the chase’ comes to mind. Let’s try and make it a bit less dark, with a positive message at the end that not only humans, but also enemies (klingons/federation) can acheive more by working together. OK, so ST5 wasn’t fantastic, but I actually enojyed the variety and the chance for all the cast to get some screentime and characterisation. Between the new batman films and the BSG reboot, a lot of entertainment is very dark these days. Something more lighthearted and ultimately positive would be nice, and trek can do it so well as proven.
Honestly, I’m expecting a trilogy…and I’m actually looking forward to it.
As good as the Star Trek movie was, it was basically two hours of set-up to get the crew on the bridge of the Enterprise, setting out to “boldly go.” It was done well, but it still meant that the movie was severely lacking in much in the way of actual themes and/or meaningful ideas. In a certain sense, it was unavoidable; but the sequels shouldn’t have these limitations…
I for one am interested in seeing what they come up with.
129,
Agreed. George Kirk, Chris Pike, and James Kirk are the only badass captains in the movie. Robau was OK, no badass IMO.
#102—”And what was gained by destroying Vulcan?”
The obvious answer is the material necessary to “emotionally compromise” Spock, but its deeper impact is a radically altered timeline—which is the whole point. The “future” of the Star Trek Universe is no longer set, making way for more dramatic turns to come.
“Just a lame ripoff of Alderaan from Star Wars, as far as I can tell. ”
You mean the SW scene that was basically lifted from (TOS) “The Immunity Syndrome” a decade earlier? (The same goes for the monster chase on Delta Vega, which some have mistakenly claimed is a rip-off from a bad SW movie. It is more likely from “Jurassic Park”, since Abrams loves that movie and dislikes the SW prequels) Some people need to stop and think about the ridiculous notion that everything originates with George Lucas.
The destruction of Vulcan is far more impactful than the loss of Alderaan in SW. Did you even know what it looked like before it was destroyed? No. Had you even been introduced to its inhabitants? No. Had you known any characters from that planet for more than 40 years before witnessing its destruction? No.
#134—”By the time we got to ST:V+VI it seemed he was no longer portraying James T. Kirk, but simply “phoning it in” as William Shatner himself. That really disappointed me…..”
Well….I’m with you there, Harry.
However, I guess I don’t feel as though he is overexposed now. I still get a kick out of seeing him on Priceline commercials, and I even watch Shatner’s Raw Nerve. It just doesn’t equate to me looking forward to any possibility of seeing him as James T. Kirk again. I don’t feel he has anything left to offer Star Trek. For me, those days are long gone.
Both Shatner and Nimoy have each appeared in 7 Star Trek films—some good, some bad. I’m not sure I even need to see Nimoy again, although at least his character is still relevant at the end of ST09. Shatner’s involvment would seem to demand more time travel…Not likely.
#137
Iowagirl, the one distinction between Nimoy and Shatner is that the producers APPROACHED Mr. Nimoy who was enjoying a quiet, albeit busy, retirement and COURTED him to be in the new film. Mr. Shatner, on the other hand, openly CAMPAIGNED to be in a movie that, after it came out, he couldn’t even be bothered to see…..kind of ironic that the Shat thought he should be included because he helped create Trek, but then, once excluded, didn’t even attend the premiere because the movie didn’t showcase his most favorite person in the world, HIMSELF!
But, as we agree, whatever floats your respective boat! If you like the guy, hey, more power to you!
142. Closettrekker wrote:
(The same goes for the monster chase on Delta Vega, which some have mistakenly claimed is a rip-off from a bad SW movie. It is more likely from “Jurassic Park”, since Abrams loves that movie and dislikes the SW prequels)
This article indicates Abrams himself said the Delta Vega scenes were supposed to be an homage to SW (though I think you are directly referring to the little fish/big fish scene). Though this is the only reference I have ever seen to it. See 6. J.J.’S JEDI MIND TRICK:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/04/seven-things-i-love-about-the-new-star-trek.html
Had you known any characters from that planet for more than 40 years before witnessing its destruction? No.
While everyone is treated to fleeting glimpses of Vulcan and a bit more time with some of the inhabitants, though mostly its human one (for obvious reasons), a general audience would not have known any more about Vulcan than anyone did about Alderaan. If anything that scene was targeted directly at the original fans, probably for the exact same reasons Abrams mentions in an interview that he intentionally broke with canon even before the Narada appears in the alternate universe.
I thought Greenwood was OUTSTANDING as Pike, and would absolutely love to see him future ST movies. Hey – it’s a new time-line so “the possbilites are endless”. Meaning I want Pike to live!!! I want to see Pike in some type of action. In this timeline there DOES NOT have to be the ill-fated accident on the class-j starship, PLEASE NONE OF THAT!!!
144,
I love Shatner and Shatner’s Kirk, but I agree, he should have seen the movie by now. If he is Mr. Star Trek, you would think so.
#145—”I think you are directly referring to the little fish/big fish scene”
I am indeed.
I think the ‘homage” to SW (TESB and ANH, respectively) is in the conditions of the surface on Delta Vega (Hoth) and the “Obi-Wan”-like appearance of Spock Prime, as the article to which you refer suggests.
But given Abrams’ love for Michael Crichton, the “big monster eats little monster” scene is more likely inspired by ‘Jurassic Park’ than anything in TPM (which JJ and Damon have no love for). For that matter, it could have come from ‘Land Of The Lost’!
“While everyone is treated to fleeting glimpses of Vulcan and a bit more time with some of the inhabitants, though mostly its human one (for obvious reasons), a general audience would not have known any more about Vulcan than anyone did about Alderaan.”
I disagree with that. Although general audiences would undoubtedly have varying degrees of familiarity with past Trek, Spock was an icon long before anyone saw ST09. Princess Leia had only been introduced a half an hour before her home planet was destroyed. I think that makes the impact inherently more significant—moreso of course to those more familiar with Trek, but the investment in Spock for a general moviegoer in 2009 has (at the very least) a substantial leg up on that of Princess Leia in 1977.
Moreover, there are additional reasons why it has a greater impact.
Alderaan’s destruction in ANH serves only really to demonstrate the power of the Death Star and the evil of the Empire—whereas Vulcan’s demise in ST09 does much more than that. In addition to setting up the stakes of the race to stop Nero from doing the same to Earth, it also serves to provide the story with the material necessary to “emotionally compromise” one of the two main characters, as well as make clear to all that “this is not your father’s Star Trek”. Finally, Vulcan’s demise is much more ‘personalized’ with the death of Amanda Grayson right in front of her husband and son—a terrible loss which is well addressed in the story, rather than glossed over and virtually forgotten (as in ANH).
#144….
William Shatner isn’t a guy who can just stroll into a theatre to watch Star Trek. No doubt the papparrazi would be all over him when the film was over. If anything, he is probably getting a copy on DVD from the studio to watch at home, in the comfort of his captain’s chair… :)
“If anything that scene was targeted directly at the original fans, probably for the exact same reasons Abrams mentions in an interview that he intentionally broke with canon even before the Narada appears in the alternate universe.”
I am not sure I can buy the notion that Abrams had much (if anything) to do with the decision to destroy Vulcan. The script was written prior to his decision to direct, and was reportedly the determining factor in both his decision to do so, and Nimoy’s agreement to participate as well (not to mention the writer’s strike’s impact upon any wish for radical changes in the process). The destruction of Vulcan was far more likely Orci/Kurtzman’s choice.
#149—He was given tickets to the premeire, right along with everyone else. He didn’t use them. One could think of scenarios where he may not have been able to attend, but the bottom line is the same—it really wasn’t that important to him. If he wanted to see the film, he probably could have gotten a private screening anytime he wanted. He’d only need to ask.
Harry’s point is still a valid one. Papparazzi or not.
#144
Harry, according to Abrams & Co., Shatner was approached, too, but then they couldn’t figure out how to…. ah, you know the story. ;) And it wouldn’t have been the Shatner we know and love so dearly (;-) if he had waited on the q.t. for the storm to pass by. I understand very well that he didn’t attend the premiere after that farce in the run-up to the film. Some of us do like the guy precisely because of this attitude, and some of us do not like the guy precisely because of this attitude. Nothing doing. :)
Ah, enough from me – whatever you think of him, the guy’s always good for a nice little discussion. :)
#151
- …it really wasn’t that important to him. -
I think it was very important to him to NOT go and see it. He’s made his point and I for one respect this attitude very much.
#152—”I think it was very important to him to NOT go and see it. He’s made his point…”
I actually don’t think he is so juvenile as to choose not to watch it out of spite. I think he really just isn’t into Star Trek that doesn’t mean potential work for him. He’s just not a fan (not that there is anything unusual about a 78 year old man not being into that sort of thing). Think about it. He never showed much interest in ever watching Star Trek he actually starred in—so why would he bother to watch this one? It was decades after TOS aired that he even admitted accidentally stumbling upon an episode while channel-surfing. It was the first time he had ever seen an episode!
William Shatner was always willing to work on Trek (even when it stunk up the theater)…He just wasn’t ever a fan. It’s okay to acknowledge that.
142:
Yes, Ben Kenobi’s reaction to the destruction of Alderaan is a direct “homage” to Spock’s in “Immunity Syndrome.” And as discussed before, Spock Prime’s ‘witnessing’ the destruction of Vulcan on Delta Vega can be construed as a similar psychic phenomenon.
One has to realize that, when George Lucas made “Star Wars,” there were few existing frames of reference in pop Sci-Fi lore for him to draw upon. He uses ‘deflector shields’ and ‘tractor beams’ which are taken directly from Star Trek. How about a cloud city on a mining planet? Lifted straight from Trek.
I’m not bashing George Lucas. I love the original trilogy to death. Trek was an important influence when he wrote his universe.
142 – And yet the Vulcans that were beamed up, including Sarek, had no visible reaction to the death of Vulcan. The only visible reaction was from Spock, in the form of throwing a temper tantrum much later and nearly choking Kirk to death. Shouldn’t all the Vulcans have reacted like Spock did in “The Immunity Syndrome”, only much much more severely?
#154—Don’t forget cloaking devices…
#155—”Shouldn’t all the Vulcans have reacted like Spock did in ‘The Immunity Syndrome’, only much much more severely?”
Perhaps the other Vulcans reactions were not so “visually” severe because they have far more mental discipline in such situations than the half-human (and totally unprepared) Spock in “The Immunity Syndrome”.
Bear in mind that Spock had no idea what was coming with the deaths of over 400 Vulcans aboard the USS Intrepid. He had more time to mentally prepare himself before the demise of the planet in ST09. He already knew what was going to happen to the planet before he even beamed down to the surface. Presumably, so did the Vulcans who were rushing to save the Katras in the arc.
#149 Demode
“William Shatner isn’t a guy who can just stroll into a theatre to watch Star Trek”
Sure he can! All he has to do is leave the hair weave off, take off the girdle, wear a moo moo and casually walk into the theatre as he hears the paparazzi point and whisper, “I thought Dom Deluise was dead!”
(oh, boy, am I gonna catch it for this one!)
#152
Iowagirl, you’re right! Discussing the Shat makes for fun stimulating conversation! :>)
#149/#157—-It isn’t as if Bill has “paparazzi” parked outside his house 24 hours a day. He is a B-level celebrity at best. He’s not Brad Pitt. And I doubt that anyone is camping out at movie theaters waiting to catch a glimpse of Shatner going to see ST09…
#153
Aww come now, not that old story again..;) He’s stated several times that he just isn’t comfortable watching himself on screen. A lot of actors aren’t. But when Shatner stated most recently about TOS “Your eye goes past all the faults because you’re concentrated on the actors and the plot“, I think he showed much more insight and liking towards the show than..well, ummm, let‘s say.. two other people.:D Anyway, Shatner doesn’t watch BL either and he definitely loves the role of Denny Crane.. “That’s me”. So, the fact that he doesn’t watch ST on a regular basis has nothing to do with him not liking it, or not being interested in it. When directing STII, Meyer once said that Shatner was very protective of Kirk. Maybe that was exactly the feeling that prevented him from attending the premiere, who knows…:)
Closet & Harry, go outside and play! You two have been indoors all morning. Daddy and Mommy need a break from you two.
#160—I still think he was unlikely to watch ST09 because he isn’t a Star Trek fan, rather than out of spite for being left out of it.
“When directing STII, Meyer once said that Shatner was very protective of Kirk. ”
That’s one way of putting it.
“Maybe that was exactly the feeling that prevented him from attending the premiere…”
Or maybe he just has no interest in watching Star Trek.
159…
No, I doubt Shatner has paparazzi outside his house all the time like other stars do. But, all it would take is one phone call from some guy at the theatre for them to show up. It would be BIG news.
Closettrekker wrote:
”. Finally, Vulcan’s demise is much more ‘personalized’ with the death of Amanda Grayson right in front of her husband and son”
And why is that BTW? I realized after I saw it the second time, that a human was participating in a ceremony in perhaps one of the most sacred and restricted places in all of the Vulcan worlds. At least I think she was participating (it went by so fast), but even under the circumstances, would she have been allowed to even enter the temple?
Not a big deal, just struck me as odd.
156 – so, Spock can tolerate the death of 6 billion Vulcans but freaks out and beats and nearly chokes Kirk to death when Kirk insults his mom. Spock in this movie hasn’t matured emotionally since he was a child? Spock TOS would never act like this. He was much cooler and in control, even when he was out of control. When he was beating up Kirk in “This Side of Paradise” or “Amok Time”; under bizarre influences, he was never stark raving mad. Spock TOS shows control, or the struggling attempt at control, of emotions. It was that internal struggle that was a key part of was attracted fans to Spock TOS. Alt-Spock or Spock AOK or whatever you call him, goes from grumpy Spock to stark raving mad Spock with no sense of even the attempt at control. And this difference in character is more than can be explained by a change in the timeline.
It appears to me to be a poor understanding of the character of Spock.
113: You are right. Pike had on the TMP Admiral’s uniform at the end of the movie. Or as I call ‘em, the penguin greys.
125: Youre absolutely right. It was good to see them come come
Bruce Greenwood was one of the coolest characters on the new Enterprise, no disrespect to anyone else of course. He’s just got that older wisdom and clout, coupled with a likable disposition. He’s the badass father of all mentors!
Definitely keep him around for all 3 movies.
Bruce Greenwood was certainly a “bright spot” and pleasant surprise as cast in the new movie. His on screen chemistry with Chris Pine was quite fluid and comfortable to watch. It’s going to be interesting to see what Alex and Robert come up with for these two characters since the “time line” has been thrown out the window and it’s a pretty much an anything goes TOS premise at this point forward. In my opinion of course . . . ;)
Greenwood was fantastic in this role and I, too, would love to see more of Pike. What an impressive man!
Please, no re-doing.
And can we please see more BONES (taking his shirt off for once, too!?).
They re-booted the whole story.
Forget a second movie, they could do a complete new series! Kirk and Spock now know something secret about each other. You can’t bring that back to the beginning. (Well, given the task I would hire the writers of Battlestar Galacitca).
‘Back To The Future’ seemed more possible.
I did love the movie. I believe it is second only to II.
Now that history has been altered the sequel could feature Kirk (played by William Shatner) coming back from the future to stop some crazed Andorian and in the process create a new alternate reality based on the Nero-Spock reality in which Captain Robau was never killed and Vulcan never destroyed.
Better yet, Kirk (Pine) and Uhura could walk into a bar and there could be a major Jonathan Frakes cameo followed by Guinan at the bar who tells Kirk that the universe “doesn’t feel right” and that he needs to go to the nexus (where time and space don’t matter) to meet up with his future self and some dude names Captain Picard who will help him repair the time line. Pine Kirk, Shat Kirk and Picard emerge from the Nexus and find a rather pissed off Captain Braxton and a confused Spock Prime who delivers some classic one-liners and mysteriously goes to save the day.
Turns out he hops through the Guardian of Forever to various points in time assembling his Dream Team with which to go back to the Kelvin incident and blow the Narada out of the stars before the Kelvin even shows up. He manages to enlist Kahn, I-Chaya, Nomad, V’Ger, the Metrons, Keanu Reeves, T’Pol and Doctor Sevrin who are all eager to assist after a quick mind meld. As Spock is about to save the day, Q shows up and the film ends on a cliff hanger setting up the movie to follow: Spock vs. Q.
Good storyline. As long Shat gets to wear the TMP Admiral’s penguin greys again and we can get Pike going “beep,beep” at the end of the movie. Then I’d go with that.
#164—-”And why is that BTW? I realized after I saw it the second time, that a human was participating in a ceremony in perhaps one of the most sacred and restricted places in all of the Vulcan worlds. At least I think she was participating (it went by so fast), but even under the circumstances, would she have been allowed to even enter the temple?”
I think that was a tribute to some of the novels, in which Amanda had attained some significant status on Vulcan as an intellectual.
#165—”so, Spock can tolerate the death of 6 billion Vulcans…”
I think the fact that he becomes “emotionally compromised” suggests that he has difficulty tolerating it, but what other choice (logical or otherwise) does he have but to tolerate it?
“…but freaks out and beats and nearly chokes Kirk to death when Kirk insults his mom.”
Kirk never insults Spock’s mother. He intentionally causes Spock to reach his breaking point (which he knows is near under the stress of recent events) by suggesting that he did not feel for her death and worse—that he never really loved her.
As Spock prime makes very clear to Kirk, the younger Spock is quite vulnerable at this point. I’m not sure why that would be difficult for you to swallow.
So the plan is to do a trilogy… What happens after that? More movies from another team, another TV serise, or does Star Trek die?
Greenwood did a great job. Any suggestions on who will play Carol Marcus? Has to happen eventually. Maybe she’ll be Pike’s niece or something like that? A protective uncle that knows enough to steer her away from Kirk. Who is one of the hotter blonde babes these days?
BEEP! BEEP!
Pike needs to be in the sequel , pike is reunited with spock to find capt garth who has gone rogue, Kirk and crew have their hands full with a incident with the klingons, garth has a plan to destoy the klingons pike and spock try to stop him , kirk is then sent to find garth pike and spock , pike is mortally wounded , spock salvages ship but is captured by garth , kirk and crew fight off klingons trying to stop garth and save pike and spock