It always bums me out that all 6 or 7 films with most or all of the original cast could not of been equally strong. But it is rare for any film series to have every film be equally good. Oh well I guess that is just my opinion on how I feel the original series films played out. Now I enjoyed the newest film for the most part. I just hope they keep the quality in the next one and bring in a few more elements from the original series. I still think the first season of TOS really had some great mood, style, sound, music and writing. It really struck a nerve with me at least.

And much as I like William Goldman and Rob Reiner’s better movies, I always thought “Princess” was overrated. Kind of like how you feel about Roger Ebert. I just wish you’d left it there.

Meant it literally. Understand?

Not rhetorical.

Of course, the issue was never about your “criticizing critique.” I think you understand that full well, Mr. Orci. Challenge Roger Ebert’s review of your film on the merits, say he’s overrated as a critic, lament the state of American film criticism in general, whatever. Have at it, no problem. That’s a very different thing, though, than deploying a very sick man’s illness as a rhetorical weapon against him. Choosing such a means of defending your work strikes me, at least, as the act of a very angry man. And while I really can’t fathom that sort of anger from someone who has been so blessed by life and circumstance, I think it may go a long way towards explaining your take on young Jim KirK, who is handsome, charming and immeasurably gifted, yet confronts the universe with a Jupiter-sized chip on his shoulder because he had to grow up without a father. Daddy-less and having to put up with critics–oh, the unfairness of it all! Of course, people can change. It’s possible I might eventually come to like your version of my childhood hero. But that won’t happen unless he grows up–and for him to do that convincingly, I expect his creator will have to do likewise.

Star first, then Nero can enjoy the luxury of sitting around to see if time will hand him Spock Prime and his technology that he can use to torment Spock while twirling a Romulan moustache.

You’ll excuse me if after two years (2 and a half? 3?) of calmly engaging in dialogue and feedback that I used the critics thread to criticize critique.

Well, I was wrong. I thought once Bob left the thread it would be over.

Personally, I’m sorry this whole thread ever got started. Lord knows that many of us are prone to intemperate comments from time to time (see my own to Luke upthread), so when Mr. Orci made his suggestion that a sick, disfigured critic disliked Trek 2009 as the result of being high on his cancer medication, I gently (and respectfully) suggested, for his own sake, that he reconsider leaving such a harsh and mean-spirited assertion on the record. Instead, he chose to dig in his heels–pretty much the way he responds to anything he perceives as criticism, I now see–ranting about “culture wars” and generational conflict and things that have godknowswhatall to do with the issue at hand.

It seemed to me that Roberto Orci was a stand-up guy, and though I never pretended to think the work that he and the rest of the “Supreme Court” did in “reviving” something so near and dear to me was anything less than a colossal letdown on my part, I shared in the general opinion that it was mighty big of this Hollywood hotshot to stop by here once in a while and participate. Now, I have to suspect it’s more about having his ego stroked, and wielding the power of feeding the occasional tidbit to an info-hungry fanbase, than any sincere desire for dialogue or feedback.

Again, I wish this discussion had never taken place at all. It didn’t reflect particularly well on any of its participants, and it doesn’t bode well at all for Trek 2012.