Karl Urban Talks Star Trek Sequels April 19, 2010
by TrekMovie.com Staff , Filed under: Celebrity, ST09 Cast, Star Trek sequel (2012) , trackback
Karl Urban, Star Trek’s new Dr. McCoy, is the latest Trek actor to weigh on on the production start guessing game. During a press event promoting his upcoming appearance in the vampire movie Priest, Urban said he thought the Star Trek sequel will "start to shoot at the beginning of next year." The actor also talked about the evolution of his character, Trek fans and how many Trek films he thinks he has in him.
Karl Urban Talks Star Trek Sequels
[Excerpts via comingsoon.net]
Q: What do you think of evolution of your character is going to be like in the next “Star Trek”?
Urban: I have no idea. I just know it’s going to be good. I’m really looking forward to getting on board that one and I feel now we’ve introduced all these great characters. It’s going to be really interesting to see where we can take it.
Q: Do you understand the “Trek” fans a little more now?
Urban: Yeah, but in a lot of ways I geek out maybe not quite as much some as the other ones – I don’t dress up but I love going there and seeing all the models and the different stalls of the different movies and TV shows. It’s a great way for everyone to collectively get together and celebrate the pop culture. I have a lot of fun there. I have a lot of fun walking around and checking everything out more so than doing the Q & A’s and the press.
Q: You’re signed on for two “Trek” sequels right?
Urban: Correct.
Q: Do you see yourself going beyond those two or is it just going to be a three movie deal?
Urban: I don’t know. I think that depends on many factors.
Q: Do you think you’d get bored with it eventually?
Urban: That is entirely dependent. It’s like anything – if you’re in a long running TV show or a play. If you’re running out of new territory, then sure, that could get potentially stagnant. The thing specifically about “Trek” is that you have to look at who is involved. J.J [Abrams] and Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, they’re all incredibly onto it creatively so I’ve got faith in them. If it goes beyond three, then I’d go for it.
Q: Have you made any requests to the writers about where you want your character to go?
Urban: No, I think that they’re geniuses and you should just let them do what they do. I have officially thrown a genius label on them. I’ve got full faith that whatever they come up with is going to equal and surpass the first installment.
Go to ComingSoon for more from Urban on playing the villain "Black Hat" in the vampire movie Priest, due out in January 2011.
Urban ready for two (and maybe more) Star Trek sequels
Loading ...
Comments»
I want to see more of Urban in the next movie!
Most Under-Rated Trek Cast Member EVER
Yes, more Urban and more Spock vs. Bones interactions.
First, I loved Karl as McCoy! I only think that he could relax a little in the sequel and not portray Bones as being pissed off all the time.
yah, Urban was amazing considering I thought he was just bland and blah in LOTR, Doom, and Pathfinder, but he did a fantastic job inhabiting DeForrest Kelly.
I will also vote that while I like Bones being ticked off the entire time, I’d like to see him mellow out for just ONE scene and maybe hand out some booze to relax everybody. Then he can go back to being cranky the rest of the flick.
Good deal, Urbans rendition was the best of the lot, not to say that the other actors didnt do a great job in their roles, but he was the closest to DFKs style. He and Greenwood did their roles spot on IMO.
more Bones (Urban), more Scotty (Pegg) in the next Star Trek movie please!
the Bones introduction in the shuttle was pricless.
Glad he’s signed up for at least 2 more movies.
Urban stole the show (in my opinion) in the first film. I can’t wait to see where they take him this time.
# 6 I do agree. Urban is very close to the “Bones” we know and love. The full aspect of his personality will no doubt unfold in the sequel as with the other characters. Looking forward to see. What’s next Surprise me!
I think Greenwood actually did better than just channeling Jeffrey Hunter, I think he surpassed him. Mainly or possibly due to the writing of the character more than anything else…Pike was originally written too sullenly, with too big a burden on his shoulders–Greenwood still did the big important superior leader but he had more of Shatners winking dont take me quite so seriously type of thing, especially shown in his moments of humor like when Sulu didnt release the parking brake haha….
Karl Urban didnt quite channel DEE so much as pay homage to him….and he does look and act enuf like a younger dee to be able to get away with the southern accent and voice inflections….I agree would like to see him less pissed off some of the time….in tos McCoy was constantly giving advice from his perspective to the captain….
I don’t want Karl to leave his character in the hands of the writers. By what he’s spoken about, concerning his love of Star Trek, he probably knows more about Leonard McCoy than the writers do. So, what would happen if the Bones character is just written wrong in the next film? There needs to be actor input in any kind of production. It’s always a possibility that an actor knows more about the source material than the filmmakers. I don’t want Bones ruined. They already screwed up NuSpock.
There NEEDS to be more Bones in the sequel! I loved any and all scenes with Karl in them, and he is one of the most fascinating characters ever. The fact that he was barely promoted(I’m still pissed that it’s Uhura, Kirk, and Spock on my poster and not Bones, Kirk, and Spock) didn’t help. More Bones, PLEASE!!
Well we’ve had to wait THREE years for the sequel to “Star Trek” so I am betting this cast will do three movies in total, with a maybe a forth if the whole cast really want to do that.
Look at it this way>
2009: Star Trek
(THREE YEAR WAIT)
2012: Star Trek XII
(TWO/THREE YEAR WAIT)
2014/15: Star Trek XIII
(TWO/THREE/FOUR YEAR WAIT)
2016/17 (2018?): STAR TREK XIV
__________________________________
I cannot see how these people will do any more than four movies myself. I still don’t mind four movies if they are built and shown with quality and not just ‘money’ (sadly, I feel this is what happened with INS and NEM).
I am confident that the new team will produce two or three more really good movies that should blow the Star Wars prequels out of the water with J.J. Abrams team in command and others.
I hope I am right!
under-rated? how can you say that? He was definitely one of the highlights of the film. I can’t wait to see him do more bones roles.
4. I loved how Bones was pissed off all the time.
12. Yeah, really. I always thought it was “Kirk, Spock, Bones” too.
13. Holy crap you have a point! Darn I’m going to be OLD by then!!!!!
More Karl as Bones.
I was moved from broad grin to teared up eyes and back again watching how he so carefully and lovingly brought McCoy back to the screen.
He was a delight in the role. I’m sure DeForest would have loved his work in Trek ‘09.
and I should add Bob and Alex and all concerned clearly understand Bone’s which enabled Karl to get the job done- and done so well.
He was a bad choice for the role of Bones. He was so good at it that he made the other actors look bad. He is a nice guy though. I loved chit chatting with him at the Hollywood premiere.
I cant wait for XII i just hope that they will be carefull writing the new film. I hope it lasts for more than threee films…
Urban did a fantastic job as Bones. I swear he was channeling the Real Mccoy. (Pun intended) I want to see more of the big 3 together and have Bones and Spock Argue and have Kirk be the Medeator as he so often did. Also get Bruce Greenwood back in as Pike. He did a fantastic job as Capt Pike.
check out the results of the poll “Which new Star Trek actor best captured original character”….. the result is pretty clear I think. lol
I know I didn’t hesitate before voting.
I also want to see Urban at some point in the Movie to get that wide eye look that Deforest Kelley did in Tos. That is sonething I think Urban can realy pull off.
Ya, we saw the basic interactions between Kirk and Spock, Spock and McCoy, and Kirk and McCoy.
Now, we need to see them all together, bickering and all, in order to collaborate and resolve a major conflict or something.
More Bones and Scotty please
I had trouble pulling off the LOTR makeup at first, but he threw so much into McCoy, he made me a believer. Let’s get him into the thick of a story with Kirk and Spock. He needs one of those ‘alone time’ monologues with Spock where he dissects him emotionally. “Bread and Circuses.” “The Tholian Web.”
But they have to KNOW each other for it to work.
I guess I’m in the minority. While I loved the performance, I’d like to see less of the McCoy imitation and see more of what Urban can bring to the role. It just seemed a little over the top in comparison to everyone else’s performance. Though I am interested in seeing how the three (Kirk, Spock, McCoy) will interact together in the next outing.
I loved the story for explaining why they call him “Bones”.
#16
Ditto!
Urban was my favorite actor in the film. He portrayed McCoy much like Kelley without mocking Kelley (which is hard to accomplish). I easily could have seen Kelley portray a younger McCoy is the same way. Bruce Greenwood comes in a close second. The others did relatively well also, with the possible exception of Yelchin as Chekov. At times his portrayal almost seemed mocking of Koenig, and he needs to tone the accent down a notch.
I think Karl Urban did a great job as Dr. McCoy (apparently we all do), but I don’t think that should detract from what the other cast members did with their roles, either. We know they weren’t hired to imitate the original cast members. I think Pine, Quinto, etc. all managed to capture some aspect of the originals, but made the roles their own. This is to their credit, I would say.
And, of course, I’d love to see more of Urban in the sequel… more of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy relationship, and perhaps we might get to see the beginnings of the Spock/McCoy bantering.
Abrams has a great cast to work with, IMO.
I actually had a hard time thinking of him as Bones but once I saw the online clip of his intro in the movie, he’s perfect! Want him to be featured more and go back to the primal trinity of Kirk, Spock and McCoy (not Kirk, Spock and Uhura as the DVD cover will have you believe).
More Urban/McCoy, please. Why not have him be Kirk’s conscience as he was in TOS. If Kirk is struggling with the pressures of command and the weight of expectation, or if Kirk needs some moral guidance, have McCoy help him – whether Kirk seeks him out or not. McCoy is Kirk’s conscious and represents his emotional side, governed by the passions. This is contrasted with Spock, who is the other half of Kirk’s being: he is the logical, decisive, problem solver. Spock has more than one duality: his friendship and the nature of it with Kirk, as well as his ever-present battle between his human and Vulcan sides. In short, let’s see the triumvirate at play in the new films. The banter between Spock and McCoy could be really good, as it was in TOS and the films (especially 2 and 4). This is a huge part of Star Trek that I think needs to be in the sequels.
If there are going to be catchphrases in the sequel (I have a feeling there will be) here’s a few they should use:
‘He’s dead, Jim’: McCoy
‘I’m a doctor, not a [insert term]’ – this could be McCoy’s running catchphrase.
‘It’s life; but not as we know it’: Spock.
‘Beam me up, Scotty’: Kirk – these last two phrases are pretty much synonymous with Star Trek; so why not canonise them?
This may be taken as a joke, given the perennial call for the ‘triumvirate’ or ‘holy trinity’ to return to the force; and the distaste of the posters etc. However, why not kill Uhura off? Don’t take me to be anti-Uhura! But it would be shocking for her to die. She could get a great death-scene. Then the trinity could return. The problem with Star Trek, and this has always been so, is that it’s an ensemble cast. Everyone wants screen time and the result is that the plot can become watered down. And when you favour certain actors, the supporting cast get nasty…
speaking of bones…they should add 7 of 9 to the sequal!
The thing I want most in the Trek sequel? MORE OF KARL URBAN AS BONES!!!
Thank goodness…finally, an actor who doesn’t say he wants his character to “have more sex/romance scenes.”
32. I don’t think I would agree that TOS was ever really an ensemble show. It focused almost exclusively upon the relationships among Kirk/Spock and McCoy, with the secondary characters being featured now and then. Landing parties almost always included the big three, and maybe a secondary character thrown in and a couple disposable red-shirts or such. I really don’t want the movies to try for an ensemble approach because there just isn’t enough time to focus well on all the characters, and have a good, action driven plot.
I certainly do not want any of the main characters killed off. That has become almost a cliche in entertainment recently. “Hey! Let’s be really radical and KILL OFF A MAIN CHARACTER!” Except it isn’t “rad” anymore because it has become almost predictable – and usually it is badly done. Very few of these “shocking “deaths have had even half the pathos that the death of Spock did. Instead, they just seem a cheap ploy to show us how “cutting edge” the writers can be. Meh.
Such writers apparently do not understand fandom well. If they had killed off Kirk or Spock 40 years ago, do you really think they could be bringing the classic Trek back now and making tons of money? The kinds of fans who obsess enough to follow a show for 40 plus years get really PISSED if you kill off a beloved character, and are likely to NEVER watch anything related to the show again. I know. I’ve been there.
I really thought Urban nailed Bones. I don’t think he was intentionally mimicking mannerisms, so much as capturing the essence of Bones’s character and working from there. I think that’s why it came across honestly. I don’t think it’s fair to say that he should have re-interpretted the character and I do think he put himself into the role. I would agree that the script focused on the irrascibility, but I don’t think you can fault the actor for delivering on it since that was important to how those scenes worked.
I don’t think the comparisons to Pike are fair. Pike is such a minor character in TOS, that you can totally rewrite him and get away with it. Greenwood was great as always, but I don’t think the comparison is fair given the scripts and the role the character serves to the plot.
Urban was grossly under-utilized in STAR TREK (2009). And I sure as hell hope the writers realize this, and recall TOS and what made that series great: the friendship trinity that was Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
In a film which had a….variable quality to it in relation to some aspects, Karl Urban was a constant high point in the film. I get that the others werent there to do an impersonation, and Karl didnt, but he did channel the character with a quality that lit up every scene he was in. More of him in the sequel is most definitely a good thing.
He was/is excellent playing Bones….He was also great in the Lord of The Rings
Urban looks like Gary Mitchell. especially in the first picture.
Yes, more Bones in the next one. And can we avoid the villain outta nowhere route? PLEASE? How? Funny you should ask. Not every movie has to be about universal Armageddon. How about a nice ’small’ story about Kirk tryin’ to get laid and the woman turning out to be a Klingon spy or something. Bones and Spock help pull Kirk outta the fire. The other cast members get some fun scenes, but nothing to take the film off course. All familiar points covered, no cliches rammed into at warp 8. Is that too hard ??
Yes he was the best of the cast in his role. NOW if they only nail Scotty as a plumber and NOT an engineer for a better “engine room” fit. It was more like a water treatment plant. LOL
I mean comon they even had him stuck inside a water pipe for crickey sakes!
Personally, while I think Zachary Quinto & Chris Pine were awesome…Karl Urban was the *most* outstanding performance in this new movie!!!
And it really – REALLY irks me that I have yet to see one single nomination – ANYWHERE for his performance! Zoe Saldana besides the red dress and Uh Spock thing was no where close in her performance.
Karl Urban has something very unique in him to not just “play” a character but “become” that character! And this isn’t the first time. HIs portrayal of Caesar in “Xena: Warrior Princess” was another outstanding performance!
37. Ralph F
Agreed. There’s a peculiar obsession with the Kirk/Spock friendship in the media and academia, often because they seem desperate to find some sort of homoeroticism between the characters, when it’s obvious Kirk, Spock and McCoy are brothers in all but blood. It’s the story of three archetypes: a warrior, a doctor and a priest!
Kirk didn’t sacrifice his career and return to Genesis for Spock; he did it for Spock ***and Bones!***
I really liked neo-Trek, but for the next film the production team needs to look beyond the almost parodic view received wisdom has of the Trek characters and try to tap into the highly trained, extremely competent soldiers we see in the first season (in particular) of TOS.
And Karl Urban with his excellent portrayal ought to be very much to the fore in the film; from the moment his voice was heard in the movie, before we even saw him, people in the cinema I went to reacted with delight at McCoy’s arrival! McCoy represents the shows conscience to me: of all the characters, he’s the most human!
Given the lack of the “the three pillars of trek” kirk spock and bones in JJ’s Trek, i hope boborci is listening and tries to build that three character dynamic in the sequel. Action guy + Logic Guy + Emotion guy = trek’s native spirit
If any one actor sold me on the last film more than any other, it was Karl Urban with his portrayal of Dr. McCoy. He brought that same charm and sense of crabbiness that De Kelley gave the character years before – and besides, I just plain like Karl Urban! He deserves more screen time in the next movie!
I like the actor AND the way he portrayed the character. Bob, if you’re reading, please give McCoy more scenes in the next film. The fans will love you for it.
MORE MCCOY PLEASE, he was the most fun! And please tone down kirk’s cockyness, it was way over the top
#32 – Yeah, that’s a great idea. Kill off Spock’s mother and planet in one movie, then kill off his girlfriend in the next. I’m sure that’ll go over well.
Posted these before, but they fit here, too.
Plus, they are brilliant.
Here are some notes for the writers:
1. KIRK is the ladies’ man, not Spock.
2. Spock is the book-smartest guy in any room.
3. McCoy has “seen it all”, and is the most worldy of the crew. Ascerbic, but not just cranky.
4. Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov are (unfortunately) window dressing, and we only have two hours of film time. Secondary characters. If this were series TV, we would have more time to devote to them. We don’t.
4. Scotty is a notch above those three, and is NOT only simple comic relief. He is smart and tough, but witty.
5. The Enterprise is a character. She strains and struggles sometimes, because she is pushed by Kirk, protected and cared for by Scotty.
6. Kirk is stern. Do not confuse latter day Shatner comedic leanings with the Kirk character. He was not a cut-up in TOS. He made light hearted banter with his senior officer staff, but he is a stern, decisive leader.
As I’ve said before, JJ and crew could do worse than spending some time with some young Navy and Marine Corps officers. Go to the Officer’s Clubs, take a trip to Afghanistan and listen to the way they talk to each other and their men. Coon wrote Kirk as an amalgam of such men he knew from his time in WWII. That’s where the familiar Kirk/McCoy/Spock banter comes from, the sense of responsibility to their men, and ship.
There you go.
…oh, and that doesn’t mean I am suggesting that the next movie should be The Pacific in space. I am only suggesting how to catch a tone of dialogue, and a sense of where these guys are coming from.
An incredible actor. He was absolutely perfect for Bones and brought so much to the role! Very talented man, I can’t wait to see more!
LOL Not to spam here, but my 16 y.o. looks just like Karl in the above pics! We all dressed like Star Trek characters for Halloween last year, and he pegged Karl too- I wish there was a place for pics here! :D
I agree with everything Gele L Coon said about Gene L Coon and the characters except I do not think Spock is just a book smart dude. He has a fascination and love of science, the universe, and understanding in the abstract that I didn’t see in the last film’s script. It’s not enough to throw in words like “Fascinating” here and there. He needs to view the world like a scientist and approach it with the passion that that entails.
#50, Spot on points. Now I know that this is an alt time line, so one could expect them to react to things different with the changes (Kirks dad being dead, Vulcan being destroyed ect) nevertheless these are still the same people, just in a somewhat different environment. So their true nature should eventually come out in full as time goes by despite the changes.
I think he was the truest to the originals. No knocks on anyone else (well, except maybe Chekov) but he was really, really good as Bones.
I really hope we see more Kirk, Spock, McCoy dynamic and less of the supporting characters in the next flick. The relationship and interactions / conflict of those three are what drove Trek.
@ #50: Well said!!!
I agree that the primary focus needs to be on Kirk,Spock and McCoy. They only have 2 hours to tell a good story and tell it well…everyone wants a piece of the pie….be careful you slice them wisely.
Again I have to strongly disagree. I do believe more of the Kirk/Spock/Bones dynamic will be great to see in the next film. But I believe the more ensemble type of story telling would be more successful. I think some balance would be great so we all get to see all of our favorite characters.
Focusing on the triad, is not the route to take if JJ wants to continue to grow the fan base.
56.
I’ve stated above that I want more Urban, but I did like how the last film involved all the characters. Yes, Chekov was reimagined. But Yelchin did a good job of it. The only actor who I feel didn’t fit their role was Pegg (he annoyed me no end). The bridge crew is a team; everyone has a part to play in a mission. That should still leave plenty of room for Urban to be integrated more into the story being told.
Let’s not forget that all of the characters were about 7 years before where TOS began in age.
This is a much younger Kirk, Spock, Uhura, Sulu and Chekov comparatively.
Bones and Scotty were the older TOS crew, so of course Karl Uban [sic, look at the poll closely! ;) ] and Simon Pegg were going to be closer in performances to DFK and Jimmy Doohan. It makes sense that the two of them were least affected by the timeline effects that began in 2233.
Urban did the best job by far, as not only was he Bones, but he was also Dee, and Dee as Bones. Superb job casting, writing, and acting.
And Pegg can do serious, if the Boborci will just give him some serious lines.
If we get a “mission” story, perhaps we’ll see Pegg as Scott in command again, with Bones at his side and a now-older less-accented Yelchin as Chekov, while Kirk and Spock are off on Mission X. Uhura and Sulu can go along, and thus we have instant action scene as teased so far. Think of a cross of That Which Survives, Gamesters, and Arena… causing the two leads to end up off-ship.
Just wish we were getting some clues of what the L/K/O machine is thinking.
Karl Urban totally rocked as Dr.McCoy. He nailed it perfectly. If DeForest Kelly was still with us, Urban’s performance would have brought tears to his eyes for sure.
So I have to agree with the others in saying that the next film has to revolve around Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. And if any of the other characters get more screen time, it should be Scotty, not Uhura, Chekov, or Sulu.
Next time, the posters should have only Kirk, Spock and McCoy on them. Not Chekov, not Sulu, and not Uhura. I understand the producers wanted to bring in more female audience members by putting Uhura with Kirk and Spock, but the triumvirate must be preserved. And besides, its debatable whether a more prominent Uhura actually brought in more female viewers.
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Pine, Quinto, and Urban. Its just that simple.
I thought Urban was wonderful as McCoy as well… He is the one character I want more of in the next movie. McCoy has always been the soul of the Kirk, Spock, McCoy trinity. More McCoy please!!! Show more of his compassion, moralizing and medical skill!!
I voted in the new poll for Urban; he’s the first one to spring to mind. I definitely would like to see more of him, especially with Spock.
Also, as long as we’re all making wish lists:
-I’d like a scene where we really see McCoy’s skill as a doctor. Maybe someone is deeply imperiled but Bones’ skill is able to pull them through.
- I am personally not against seeing an old TOS episode adapted for the big screen (although you could argue we already got one with TMP). I’ve long wondered how Where No Man Has Gone Before would play as a theatrical feature.
- Having mentioned Nurse Chapel, maybe they’ll finally show her.
59, I’m glad I’m not the only one that was annoyed by Pegg’s rendition of Scotty. I don’t blame him entirely, though, as its my guess it was more the fault of the writers and JJ who wanted him as a comic relief. I’d like to think there’s hope for that, but sadly most people seemed to eat it up so I guess even though it was nowhere near true to TOS Scotty they’re going to go with it. As for McCoy, I think the writers did a great job with him, possibly better than anyone else IMO, but I think what was lacking was the dynamic between him, Spock, and Kirk together and I thought he could have used twice as much screen time. Honestly I say take it away from Uhura. I know that’s not the PC thing to do and what not, but its sticking with the original dynamic.
Love McCoy and Urban stood the test! Boy, I hope he has more than two more in him. I hope that nuTrek doesn’t get into a cycle of recasting every few movies or so. With the burgeoning careers of people like Pine, Saldana, and Quinto I see jumping ship as an inevitability at some point. If they recast Kirk, McCoy, etc. every few films that is where they loose me. I’d rather see a new character introduced to take the place of the old than a new actor fill the shoes of the old character for a third time, fourth time, fifth time, sixth time, etc. (in that sense I was happy with the direction that TNG and its predecessors follow). Then again, this is f’ng, reboot happy Hollywood (boy, that Spiderman movie from a few years ago is SOOOO DATED, how about recasting and starting all over again. F’ng idiots!)
BTW, next flick: MORE URBAN, MORE MCCOY!
Everything about the Trek sequel I’ve read about is encouraging and it looks like the franchise remains headed in a positive direction.
I think that the movies are in good hands, from soup to nuts. :-) By that I mean that I love the input from everyone involved, whether it’s the general fan, critics, actors, writers, producers, and even the corporate powers that be themselves.
Trek’s being a “tentpole” property is highly reassuring to me, and I have well-founded hope that it will continue to live long and prosper.
I cheerfully add to the call for more McCoy! Karl Urban was amazing.
Karl Urban IS Bones. Basically, Quinto can do a good Spock, too, but the part of Spock was so terribly written he really had no chance to show us Spock.
“No, I think that they’re geniuses and you should just let them do what they do. I have officially thrown a genius label on them.”
Grrr. Actors can be creative people to Mr. Urban.
He’s great as Leo McCoy, too bad De Kelley isnt around to see his performance, I think he’d be very pleased. But the “bones” legend? Contrived and unnecessary… surgeons are often called “sawbones”…
What if Kirk had often called him “Doc”? Would they had to have come up with a silly back-story behind that? Or just accept the common nickname for a medical doctor?
I’m so used to Nimoys voice as Spock, to see anyone else play him is odd, Quinto did a good job, too bad he couldnt lose a few more pounds for the role, Spock had a gaunt, desert world appearance, and Quinto looks a little water-fat (to use an old Fremen expression…)
The character I thought I’d hate the most, is the one I really liked, Chekov. Russian wunderkind…. he’s the original Wesley Crusher ( I know, I know, I’m the only Wes fan in existence)
Uhura was kind of underwhelming, the original was alluring and mysterious… Zoe’s portrayal was fun, but obvious. Maybe they’ll develop Nyota’s character a little better next time.
Pine had many great Kirk moments, I thought I would hate anyone but Bill, but hey, he did a very good job.
And forget about Pegg’s performance, I’ve been a fan of his for ages, and his portrayal as Monty Scott made me an even more devoted fan. Wish Doohan could have seen him.
Sulu was good, too. Had some great Sulu moments… looking forward to more!
Right, I forgot about Pike, excellent work there! I would like to see more of him in the next film! I had hoped this movie would have been a Pike story, depicting ‘The Cage” era of Starfleet, with a young’ns at college backstory…
TNG totally lacked that level of interaction that existed between Kirk, Spock and McCoy.
Not a major disaster for a tv show but a catastrophe for the big screen. Which is why their films came off as flat.
Coming back to the original characters was vital to the resurrection of Star Trek and thankfully someone knew to make that decision.
Urban rocked as McCoy and his interaction with Spock in the new movie nailed that personality conflict portrayed by the original actors.
Looking forward to more.
Karl Urban’s performance as McCoy was one of the few things I enjoyed in that stupendously overrated movie.
71. JWWright: ‘He’s great as Leo McCoy, too bad De Kelley isnt around to see his performance, I think he’d be very pleased. But the “bones” legend? Contrived and unnecessary… surgeons are often called “sawbones”…’
Actually, while the original producers were inspired by the traditional ’sawbones’ moniker, the backstory of McCoy’s divorce was always there. Indeed, ‘The Way to Eden’ was originally to have been called Joanna and featured McCoy’s daughter. The ‘Bones’ remark in the movie nicely blended the two backgrounds of the ‘Bones’ name!
‘What if Kirk had often called him “Doc”? Would they had to have come up with a silly back-story behind that? Or just accept the common nickname for a medical doctor?’
Actually, watching Return of the Archons last night, Kirk calls him ‘Doc’ quite a lot!
I loved Urban’s performance the best in the movie because he was eactly like DeForest Kelley.
DeForest Kelly will always be the real McCoy but I am glad Urban channeled him.
Unlike Simon Pegg, who was great to watch in the film but he was not Scotty to me.
Cho was good, too!
Megan Fox as Natira. Bring on Yonada!!
The last film was obviously a Kirk-Spock picture.
They need to dive more heavily into the Kirk-Spock-McCoy relationship. That was the real heart of the show. Kirk was the heart. Spock was the mind. McCoy was the soul.
Since we’re waiting so long for the sequel, I secretly hope they’re planning on shooting 2 & 3 at the same time and just making sure that everything is well covered up. I want as much Trek from these folks as possible but I don’t wanna wait 3 or four years between every stinking episode!
Sir, you make my day with each and every one of your posts. Thank you and semper fi.
Sincerely,
C.S. Lewis
50. Gene L. Coon was a U. S. Marine. Stand at ease. – April 19, 2010
Posted these before, but they fit here, too.
Plus, they are brilliant
I agree. It was too much Kirk/Spock instead of Kirk/Spock/McCoy.
But if they really do a 2-parter I want the trinity to evolve slowly (”organically” ;-))! They should also give more background info for Sulu and Chekov. The focus must be on the trinity but I want more about the other characters too. Ensemble sounds good to me.
And only more McCoy if it fits quality wise! I like to see more of his compassion, humaneness and vulnerability.
Karl Urban was great. I think he can slowly develop the softer side of Bones. Mr. Kelley would be really proud of him. :-) And he would probably be very impressed with himself. ;-) *lol* Because his character is portrayed by such a handsome and good actor and fan who wants to pay him respect. :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHB0-yPWZZE&feature=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bChuof_p8WQ
http://www.seeing-stars.com/ImagePages/ChineseForecourtPhoto%28StarTrek%29.shtml
Forgot: Yay for 2 squares. Fully deserved. He was the heart and soul of Star Trek. :-)
“81. C.S. Lewis – April 20, 2010
Sir, you make my day with each and every one of your posts. Thank you and semper fi.”
You are too kind, Sir. I am unworthy, yet grateful. I try and make ‘em count. One shot, one kill!
I just fell in love with DeForest Kelly and his portrayer of McCoy. He was passionate, affectionate, tender and firey witha righteous indignation to him. I can see that in Karl also. But I’m in agreement with what the others wrote above. I hope in the sequel he is more in tune with the original Bones character. He is a wonderful actor, though.
Funny, Gene, T.S. please don’t try to tell the producers what to do in the Alternate Universe these guys have created it is not the main Trek time line so it can Deviate a bit! Secondly, I hope they get more then 3 movies for this crew of the Enterprise!
Doesn’t dress up? He doesn’t need to because he does it for a job! =)
^ 84. Gene L. Coon was a U. S. Marine. Stand at ease. – April 20, 2010
As it happens a good friend and god father to my sons is demobing from his tour in Iraq (USAR O4 31B) and the experience affected him greatly. Pre-deployment frivolity no longer concerns him and he’s a fully grown man; one can only imagine the impact on a younger man on his first mobilization.
Not only Abrams &co would benefit from hanging around these men, but so too would the multitudes of our clueless civilians whose minds are occupied by matters so distant from reality as to be unreal.
Thank you again for your contributions here and also in the Corps.
Sincerely,
C.S. Lewis
88. C.S. Lewis – April 21, 2010
Tell The Godfather :Welcome Home”!! Raise a glass to him for me.
I couldn’t agree more about your point about spending time with these men (and women! Don’t want to get in trouble!)
The men and women who created TOS were shaped by WWII, and came from a more serious time. As competent as JJ & Co may be, they are very young. None of them, I am fairly sure, spent any time in the military. Now, that isn’t a bad thing, it is just reality. They have a different frame of reference, and different life experiences on which to draw inspiration.
Roddenberry and Coon were veterans. That experience colored their writing, and worldview. Today, unfortunately, many people automatically associate “military” with belligerence or thick headed jingoism. Reality couldn’t be farther from the truth. Senior officers are among the most thoughtful, best educated, creative, and open minded men in the world. They have to be.
What made TOS so appealing was just the right mix of (really very little)science fiction, short skirts, action, and comraderie. TOS also extolled the soldierly virtues of honor, integrity, loyalty to your friends and crew, and responsibility. Movies like The Dark Knight, and 300 were immensely popular championing these very same qualities. Trek is way ahead of them, in that these are built into the characters we all know already. My hope is that the writers recognize this, and largely resist the urge to “make Trek relevant to a new generation”. Don’t fiddle around with it too much, it already works. (see “poochie” from The Simpsons)
Pine’s Kirk has the opportunity to fill a vacuum. There really aren’t any non-ironic, unconflicted, confident heroes on screen anymore. Kirk is all of those things. Embrace those qualities. As I have said, I have a teenage daughter, and I am here to tell you Chris Pine is a heartthrob with her crowd. They don’t want introspective and troubled. They want to be swept off their feet. New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael once said of Sean Connery, “Women want to meet him, and men want to be him.” JJ and Co. should shoot for that as the takeaway for the sequel.
“Pine’s Kirk has the opportunity to fill a vacuum. There really aren’t any non-ironic, unconflicted, confident heroes on screen anymore. Kirk is all of those things. Embrace those qualities. As I have said, I have a teenage daughter, and I am here to tell you Chris Pine is a heartthrob with her crowd. They don’t want introspective and troubled. They want to be swept off their feet. New Yorker film critic Pauline Kael once said of Sean Connery, “Women want to meet him, and men want to be him.” JJ and Co. should shoot for that as the takeaway for the sequel.”
Both #88 and #89 have and are making some great points that I hope are heeded by some, and I actually bet they are. Now to the above statment, I could not agree more, the character of Kirk was almost a throwback to the older hero archtype that hollywood and literature used to put out at times, not a perfect being by any means, but a man (or woman) who held or attempted to hold virtue, loyalty, integrity so forth as a way of life. Again, sometimes perhapes going off the rails, but if they would “go off the rails”, they would always attempt to get back on and carry forward knowing that any other way would not succeed in the end or could even lead to disaster.
and when I mention a character like that Im not talking about one who is on a soap box to make themself “look good” to others, or who makes a great speach but says nothing, I mean someone who leads by example, true blue as is said. They talk the talk and walk the walk, and never sacrifice their own integrity despite all odds against them saying they should.
To me Pine’s kirk was the one weak point of the movie, maybe if only because the spock and mccoy characters were so damm good and spot on. maybe in the second movie he will do better, grow a little bit into the character. but that’s the rub, 3 years between movies, arghh! I want a series with these people. one hour every week. even if it was on HBO, you’d get 12 excellent one hour shows each year. then they could really explore everything, everybodies characters. star trek was a tv series and fine if you want to do an occasional movie here and there, but it should be first and formost a tv series. to me TNG was just hitting it’s stride after 7 seasons, it was really good, but they just had to do the movies, so instead of another 3 or 4 years of great tv, we get a few mediocre movies. I know I’m probably not in the majority here, but I’d rather see these actors doing a new series on tv than two more movies in the next 6 friggin years. 3 to 4 total hours of star trek, over 6 years, instead of 36 to 50 hour long tv shows in the same time period. and I don’t care if 25% of them are crap, at least if the rest are good, then i’ts worth it.
I think the next film should be a “Mirror, Mirror” film. That is something has not been done on screen yet. And with these new faces to the truly dark “mirror” version would be terrific! Imagine if Admiral Archer prized beagle did reappear in the parallel universe leading the film to an alternate universe devoid of the good natured heroes and displaying how evil they could be. Under the right circumstances, Kirk could have been a strategist power-seeking tyrant. We need to see something different. Alternate universe of an already alternative time-line!
#93
I thought about that as well. It would also be a great way to get William Shatner in the sequel. No one would worry about his current acting style anyway since he’d be playing the evil version he played in “Mirror, Mirror”.
J.J Abrams would be able to let Shatner loose and do his thing.
Plus, we could get another cameo in the form of the I.S.S. Defiant. But which version? The TOS design? Or the new design?
I thought the entire cast did an outstanding job as re-creating an iconic cast that would be in the eyes of such an incredible and committed fan base. As far as Zachary Quinto, I am very into the TV show “Heroe’s” in which he plays an ultra violent superhuman killer. When I first heard that he was going to play Spock I thought he was perfect for the part. I really loved all the suttle ways they got the familiar diolouge from the origianal show without being campy in it.
Mr. Urban if you read this, you must understand you just didn’t do any old movie. You set your feet into some big shoes. You are now part of a legacy that put many iconic figures etched into our minds. I don’t think you should move away from this in the least. ST was the brain child for much our technologies today and theatrical names were added to that tech. talk which may someday includes yours as well.
Embrace you new fan base and your charactor.
I want to see more of Bones Karl Urban was absolutely perfect in the role and I thought the rest of the cast did an outstanding job
In what way did they screw up NuSpock