Paramount has posted a new clip through Facebook featuring Spock/Uhura drama plus some sage words from the good doctor, this gives a glimpse of the new emphasis on the Spock/McCoy relationship, that we’ve heard was in Beyond. As with all clips, this comes with a warning of spoilers for those trying to stay pure before July 22.
Urban just gets better as McCoy with every outing
Yeah I agree he is a real treat I am glad he is getting way more screen time this movie he was very underused in STID. McCoy should always be one of the leading characters with as much screen time as Kirk\Spock.
Agreed. His dynamic with the crew is fantastic. Love that sense of humor.
Agreed & they added more videos today including an alt take on the scene where Bones tells Spock its definitely you Spock’s reaction is classic!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-KTjXh_pHI&feature=youtu.be
TBH I love Urban in everything he is in. LOTR, Dredd, Trek. We’re lucky to have him. He needs more leading-man roles.
Love the Bones\Spock banter here its going to be great seeing those 2 working together for most of the movie. Also they released another 2 new TV spot’s which shows a few more seconds new footage including Enterprise in the Yorktown as she is about to leave on her mission early in the movie.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWA4Hh8kK_w
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OHsV_uLPWjA
Thanks for posting those, both spots are great and show some great potential for the character development of the main 3 in this movie.
Look on youtube now guys Paramount posted all the TV spots there in HD I tried to post the links here hours ago but it said my comment had to be moderated!! Avoid the Kirk spot though it gives away a major spoiler about that happens to what appears to be the bad guy either before or after he has done what he does!??
Looks like they added a bunch of clips. If there’s an ongoing theme developing McCoy seems to be having a hellva time getting Kirk into sickbay for his checkup….
Thanks for posting! I loved McCoy’s “Jim, you look like crap” and Kirk’s reply. Strange how this movie went from being off my radar to “will be there opening weekend”.
Thanks Paul. I find that if I am freeze-framing a trailer often, like I did with your 2nd link, then I know I’d better make sure I am buckeled up opening weekend.
It’s what I always loved about Bones (always my favourite character across all the crews): he’s the most ‘human’, and by that I mean the most like the man on the Clapham omnibus, an everyman, that guy you might meet in the street. In many ways he is the POV character in the way he reacts, questions, argues. He does not quite see the logic of Spock or the big picture of Kirk, and he asks the questions we would ask. He is not perfect. He has his prejudices, he has come out of a failed marriage, he is the one member of the crew who does not really want to be there. In many ways he is the deepest, most rounded character. I love him.
LJ, I have always loved McCoy too!
What happened to the rest of this article? Where are Dr McCoy’s sage words or new information about the Spock/Uhura relationship?
Could this be a case of Oooops?…:)
Also, i heard there are featurettes out there featuring Kirk Bones Jaylah and Sulu.
Video clip?
Follow the links Paul put up above…
It’s a Facebook video embedded in the article. If you have things blocked and/or filtered it won’t show up.
@Keachick, It may be that old dragon, availability by region; i.e., some clips are on sites not accessible to those in other countries. :-(
Hope you got to see it some way or another!
Hate the new unis. Hope the movie is good.
The new one’s have grown on me and I actually prefer these to the previous ones. They always felt to loose and was never a big fan of the repeating delta pattern.
LOL at McCoy’s advice to Spock. That was priceless.
I read comments on other sites from people saying they though McCoy was being a ‘bully’ or ‘racist’. I did not see that: I saw the ribbing most men would give to a friend. In many – if not most – cultures, good-natured teasing such as that is a sign of endearment.
LJ, people thought McCoy was being a racist in this scene???
I agree, good-natured teasing. I used to see this stuff in the military all the time. Never said in anger, always out of a sense of brother/sisterhood.
Urban is dope. This is all great. Can’t wait. And yeah, I also want another Dredd, goddamnit.
Wow Spock and Uhura breaking up?? Nooooo, they were one of the best things I liked about these films. Of course I’m sure they will be back together the end of the movie if true.
@Tiger, I do hope so, and I agree wholeheartedly — one of the best things in the NuVerse.
The Spock/Uhura relationship was always one of Orci’s biggest blunders. Let’s hope they remain broken up.
When I see the TV spots with Uhura Screaming, It looks like she is calling out to Spock.
I thought she was screaming ‘Kirk’… We’ll just have to see. Roll on 22 July.
glad to know I am not only one trying to figure out what she is saying .
I thought she was yelling, “NOOOOO”
Guess I’ll see in 19 days … counting down !!!
And yet, it’s an interracial/interspecies couple that is the most fitting for trek spirit, not to mention is something Roddenberry would have done too if the time wasn’t so racist and sexist. There are hints about that in trek books. So much for that trek progressiveness some fans talk about but when it boils down to it, you expect the reboot to reflect our time only in better special effects but culturally, we must be stuck in the 60s where no girl is allowed to the party, everything gotta be about 3 white dudes, and if Spock loves the woman she is a threat to your epic bromances being relevant because, clearly, real dudes don’t have both a significant other and friends.
And btw, even Nimoy totally liked the romance. He said it was one of his favorite aspects of their reinvented trek.
Jemini, agreed, but a lot of guy fans like it when there are “not enough ladies, too many mens” :-(
Flight of the Conchords: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wl_uQOABxg
Disagree. I thought it harkens back to the original series when Spock is playing his vulcan harp and uhura is playfully singing with him. I would not be surprised if they got the idea from that TOS episode.
Actually if you watch the show there is a definite sense that Uhura thought Spock was weird and teased and made fun of him – but they both loved music. However, having a jam session with someone and having a full blown relationship with that person are kinda different animals. IMO it’s a big stretch to assume they got the idea of the relationship from that.
Even Roddenberry realized having relationships with your main characters was a bad idea. That’s why Janice Rand disappears pretty quickly, after being featured in the promo material leading up to the premiere.
@Curious Cadet, That’s not why Janice Rand disappears pretty quickly. Read up on Grace Lee Whitney’s story.
Yes indeed. Grace Lee Whitney was raped by one of the producers/crew (she has never said who). William Shatner claims that he found her soon after the rape, but she would not let him report it to anyone. Soon after, she began drinking (again) and as the weeks went by, she would keep turning up late for filming, continually muff lines etc, because of the alcohol. Finally, she was let go… That is why she disappeared, along with her character, Janice Rand.
@curious, that was in the days of ’60s television, when the male hero had to be “available” for romances-of-the-week.
Disagree, Spock and Uhura being together was one of the big plus for the new films IMO. They couldve done more with it though in STID but I really like them together. And I highly doubt they are breaking up for good but we’ll see.
McCoy did not say that Spock/Uhura were breaking up. He asked if they were. He also “laid the ball in Spock’s court”. Unclear as to why – no doubt watching all of the film will give us a clue there. Couples have tiffs but it may not be the end, unless one or both are certain. It seems that, from McCoy’s perspective, Spock needed to make it up to her (whatever “it” was). It was his move.
If this relationship was an Orci blunder, it was certainly not one that belongs to him alone. Both Leonard Nimoy and JJ Abrams really liked the idea of the Spock/Uhura relationship as well. The studio seemed to have no problem signing off on it, and there are LOTS of people who not only like this relationship, but LOVE it.
I have no problem with it whatsoever.
I don’t think Spock/Uhura would have worked in the Prime Universe, but in this mirror Abramsverse, it is no more lame than some of the other things in these movies.
It is certainly less bad than blowing up Vulcan.
>:>{
I love it … but I think I already said that. It’s a great way to explore, as you said above, relations both social and close, between races.
Big difference between liking the idea and liking the execution. Personally, I wouldnt have done it because it was clear they would never give it the time it needed or explore the appropriateness of it in a military setting. Was it important enough to do it half-assed? I dont think so.
But again, a much better way would have been the Uhura crush on her professor. Is that a stereotype? Sure, but as one it would have fit the writers on these films. Spock turns her down repeatedly. Have a scene where Spock assigns her to the Enterprise rather then her demanding her boyfriend do it, unbeknownst to her.
Have her go to him when his mother dies. Have him continue to deny her affections before finally giving in. Shows us some motivation. Shows us a Spock would finally HAS to let someone in. Gives us a platform for the issues between them in STID. That Spock is emotionally isolated. SHow them keeping their relationship on the down low. Play the opening scene more subtle. I know subtle isnt in Bobs vocabulary. But it would have made for a better relationship.
And ultimately, you draw parallels between Spock having lost his mother and Kirk losing his father and how both continue to impact them and their decisions. Kirk, becoming a better officer and struggling to step out of his father’s shadow. Spock perhaps going the other way, perhaps breaking up with Uhura because his way of dealing is to isolate the emotions and being with her would always remind him of his “weakness”.
As it is, I bet they break up in Beyond but the events of the film bring them together. We end with a wedding on New Vulcan and whatever the homage to Nimoy is would happen here…
Nah, the people who have a problem with it, don’t have a problem with it because of how subtle it was played. Guarantee, even your way they still would have had issues.
It was the most controversial move in the first reboot, even more than Vulcan blowing up, and it’s pretty obvious why.
@Gingerly – its true, some people just wouldnt like it at all. I wouldnt have minded if it was done well. It wasnt so you have people that would hate it no matter what and those that thought the execution was poor. Then you have the few that wouldnt have cared if they ripped each others clothes off and got it on in the Captain’s chair during a space battle.
Agreed with the comments on here about Urban. He just keeps getting more like D Kelly’s Bones with each film imo. And its fantastic!
At the moment, there is only one other person I could imagine as Bones, and that is Dominic Cooper from Preacher.
Love it! Now that feels more like the Spock and McCoy banter we all love!
Too bad Spock Prime couldn’t give him a holographic pendant. Could have worked that into the script. After watching the Shatner hologram maybe Spock felt it belonged to Spock Prime and was rebuffed and said similar lines as once it is given you should not give back. Could have added nice meaning to this scene. Come on Simon.
Star Trek, season 3: Ugly polyester uniforms, mediocre storytelling with a few notable exceptions.
Star Trek reboot, movie 3: Ugly polyester uniforms. Hopefully the story will be a notable exception.
As long as we a complaining about asthetics, whats up with the cast looking so older. Perhaps it is way past seasoned three.
Yeah…Spock’s face is looking a bit chunky there. Isn’t dieting in their contracts ?
I’m sure there is but he looks fine to me.
Not only has he been looking chunkier (in the face at least), the wig is terrible. Looks like a hair helmet sitting propped up on top of his own hair. Awful.
@Alec, so is “bulking up” for ACTION! scenes. Which definitely played into the Kirk and Spock stomach muscles bulging beneath their tunics in STiD.
Also, the actors are all about 9 years older, when The Thickening begins. Alas.
They’re getting older, Pine is the baby of the trio at 35, Urban is 44, Pinto is 39, Cho is 44, Pegg is 49, Saldana is 39. Even Anton (RIP) was 27. It’s been almost 10 years since they started filming the first movie. I think John Cho and Zoe have aged the best
Who is Pinto? Do you mean Quinto?
I’m actually starting to look forward to this movie which is not something I would have expected to say after the god awful first trailer.
“What’d ya do?” Hahaha. McCoy is great.
Is, always was, and always will be. The best character in any Trek series (and that includes both Mr Kelley and Mr Urban).
Totally agree. Kelley and Urban are the two best actors in the entire franchise, IMHO.
That was perfect. Quinto’s look after “it’s definitely you” is just priceless.
1) the tease about Spock/Uhura better be just a tease because it would be beyond ridiculous and petty fanboy agenda if you have to drop this relationship, thar is unique to the reboot and a legit creation of the other teamin, order to give more space to Mccoy and make dudebro more meaningful and relevant. Please we are in 2016, Spock can multitasking he can have both friends and a girlfriend. Too much for trek spirit and you turn it all about white dudes only ? Probably just a tease but it’s safe for me to not trust Pegg and out anything past that guy.
2) actually, I dislike Mccoy here. The more I watch the more I find him inappropriate and mean with Spock for really no reason. If your supposed friends are in a sad moment you first mind your business a bit , and then surely don’t use that moment to make a petty joke as if you are waiting like a vulture to say something mean at the guy you don’t . He doesn’t even look concerned for them, he is just happy about Spock eing in a bad situation. He doesn’t even know what happened. Horrible. That’s what you are turning even this Mccoy into? We are not in the 60s anymore and his racism and bully attitude with Spock is not acceptable in this trek and for this Spock.
Of course some people will love it. Spock being a Vulcan must be respected only when it comes to Uhura being his girlfriend and her getting called a b*itch in the other movie for arguing with Spock, but on the other hand Mccoy and Kirk acting as racist bullies with the man is funny and character development? Lose me with that bs.
Huh? I think my universal translator is on the fritz again.
Actually, this scene from STB seems to take its lead from TOS in terms of the Bones/Spock relationship.
I wholeheartedly approve.
I don’t think McCoy is bullying Spock here. Now in fairness, there were times when he would seriously argue with and shout at Spock or snipe at him. Even then those were more to show how passionate humans were in comparison to the cool composure of a vulcan. But I don’t think that’s what’s going on here. I think McCoy has enough faith in their relationship (why shouldn’t he, they’ve been together for years) that he probably thinks this is more of a bump in the road than anything to actually worry about. If he really thought they were over, and felt that Spock would really be hurt by it, he’d probably be a bit more careful. And I’d say this says a lot of the prospect of them getting back together.
I cannot understand where some posters (especially at Trekcore) get the idea that McCoy’s comments to Spock were racist. His comments had nothing whatsoever to do with anyone’s race.
I think that he was commenting on the nature of relationship dynamics and perhaps, being himself a divorcee, it gave him special insight into those dynamics and where things can go belly-up. Also, it is only a few seconds of dialogue without much of a context. Perhaps there were examples of where McCoy saw Spock act like an eye rolling “tool” with Uhura at times but never said anything. However, when things appeared to be going wrong, that is when he spoke.
Dr McCoy has always been a fairly direct character from way back and wasn’t afraid of telling Spock what he thought of his (Spock’s) attitude. This was no exception. Thankfully, it came without the racist overtones.
@jemini, I took it more as McCoy saying, “Spock, get your stuff together. You’re about to lose a very fine woman. Wake up before it’s too late and you lose her!” because Spock didn’t look sad so much as baffled by Uhura’s interaction with him.
It’s premature to assume they are breaking up, but I understand the fear. Even fans of the ship have assumed it would happen since it started, because that is pretty much standard for black girls in mainstream films, when it comes to romance. Happy endings are the outlier.
I am really looking forward to the pairing of Spock and McCoy this time around. And, like an earlier commentor here, I hope they don’t totally ditch the Spock/Uhura relationship. It is possible that they’re going for a bit of distance between them, but I’ve enjoyed seeing this usually hidden side of Spock.
Come on Trek Movie!!!! Paramount put a load of TV spots up today in HD on youtube!! You can now clearly see some vital details in HD so do not view if you do not want to be spoiled as most contain minor spoilers!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7U9oX_wZQc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WWyStV-GoM8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWlk0nLUdx8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z2F7HwDUJo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P7sVvX_Kl4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPkmkIIoV-k
The clip below highlighting Kirk shows a MASSIVE SPOILER I would not be surprised if it gets removed by Paramount when they realise it as it gives away what happens to Krall either towards the end of the movie or at the start & appears to show some of his motivation for why he does what he does!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7yP7YpVC5Dk
In the Sulu one it seems Pine really channels Shatner for a moment lol. Great stuff.
Agreed he is channelling Shatner a little. Still cannot believe the Kirk clip it must be a mistake otherwise it gives away the Villains fate or reveals his motivation. If you think about what happens for a few moments why is he even on the Enterprise…………!!!!
Did the clip change because I saw nothing that indicated his fate or motivation.
Yeah, feeling a little Shatner in the clips – he seems to be playing Kirk a bit more mature as well….
McCoy to Kirk: “Jim ya look like crap.” ROFL! =D
Paul, thanks for the warning. Although it is difficult to resist, I have decided not to click onto the links you have provided. I feel I have seen and heard enough and will wait for the movie’s release.
Please – to other posters – do not reveal here (on Trekmovie) what is contained in these links.
Thank you.
No real spoilers in any of them outside of things we saw in the trailers. And I agree that Pine is terrific those moments he channels Shatner. One of my favorite scenes in the film series is the end of 09n when he walks onto the bridge, looks around briefly and says “Bones” as he walks to the chair. So Shatner-rific.
I love Zoe Saldana. Great actress and beautiful woman. And what exactly did the talentless hacks in charge of Trek these days do with such talent? Shame on them once again.
So they can’t win with the “get off my lawn” Trek fan. Uhuru gets a prominent role as number 3 instead of Bones and she’s supplanting a member of the holy trinity. Now Spock and Uhuru MAY break up and what? She’s a wasted talent? I don’t even know how to answer the nonsense anymore. Some are just contrary to be contrary.
@Harry Plinkett, Oh boy! I too don’t even know how to answer anymore to your nonsense, except maybe that your are borderline bullying on these forums. Beware. First, her character’s name is Uhura, not Uhuru. Second, the whole thing about making her Spock’s love interest and not much more was indeed a major waste of talent. And the fact that she’s number 3 with so little, tells a lot about this whole joke of a new timeline. So again, those talentless hacks in charge of Trek these days wouldn’t know talent if it hit them in the face, let alone know what to do with said talent.
First, pointing out spelling mistakes is the last bastion of a losing argument. Second UHURA has been very prominent in BOTH movies. She was key both in plot and character development through two films and if you can’t see that you are simply blinded by hatred for this new Trek. If I come off as a bully, so be it but I see it as calling BS when it’s plain as day. You are a hater who just wants to hate with absolutely no shred of logic, reason, or proof behind the crap you spew so either prove your claims or be silent.
“get off my lawn” Trek fan…Awesome! And I can say that because I am one.
>;>}
How is giving Zoe Saldana an opportunity to play a lover wasting her talents? She is an actress and I suspect it takes as much talent to play someone’s lover as it does to play any other aspect of a character. Zoe is the actress and Uhura is the communication officer and xenolinguist. However, what they have in common is that they are women who also appear to want/need something more than just work.
There is also this saying, which I think is most appropriate here – “All work and no play makes Jack (replace name with any Trek character) a dull boy/girl”.
Oh for the edit button…sigh…:)
Why is it that no one seems to accuse the writers/director of wasting Chris Pine or Zachary Quinto’s talents by having them play the male half of any male/female romantic/sexual relationship?
So tired of reading all this sexist nonsense.
I agree Zoe isnt entirely wasted. But I did role my eyes at her portrayal of the whining needy emotional girlfriend. But I think most of us are in agreement, whether we like the films or dislike the films, that writing strong women wasnt the forte of this particular writing group (the first two films, I mean).
From the way Uhura was portrayed to Carol’s infamous and despicable underwear scene to the “extras” that were nothing more than whores for Kirk to seduce. It certainly raises the volume of those who want to see more women writers in Hollywood. I hate to say men cant write for women, because its not universally true, but films like these first two Trek’s show you that in many cases, it is true.
Who are you calling whores, TUP?
Carol Marcus and Nyota Uhura were NOT whores!
There was nothing despicable about the underwear, but your comments about these female being whores is DESPICABLE.
Either you really believe what you write (and you have the gall to consider yourself some sort of feminist) or you are trolling to get a reaction. Either way, your comments are inaccurate and disgusting.
Where did I call Uhura and Marcus whores, Rose? lol Reading comprehension, Rose! Try it.
As for the underwear scene, you’re entitled to defend the scene as relevant to the film even though it wasnt. But you’re not arguing with me. You’d be arguing with a vast number of people who thought it sucked enough that the director was compelled to apologize for it. What say you of that?
For what’s worth, I love seeing beautiful women nearly naked. But when I pay to watch a film, I want quality first and foremost. Anyone can watch naked women on the internet. That scene was juvenile and pointless and disrespectful to both actors in the scene. If you dont see that, then you’re blind defense of all things JJ/Bob is truly a lost cause.
Notice Rose hasnt come along to apologize? lol That’s three apologies she owes me (and Im probably forgetting a few)…
Keachick,
Re:whores
I’m not sure which denigrates female movie professionals worse, TUP’s proposition that the female extras’ characters were all whores, or your twisting that to make Eve and Saldana “extras”.
@Disinvited – EXACTLY! lol Ofcourse to any intelligent person my post was pretty clear. I wasnt referring to Uhura or Marcus as whores. I meant the green girl who was sleeping with Kirk in 09 and the two “sisters” having a threesome with him in STID. “Whores” was used to describe how the writers seemingly felt about them as disposable throw away characters who’s sole purpose was to look sexy and get laid with Kirk, not a ringing endorsement of the writer’s efforts to represent strong female roles.
“Why is it that no one seems to accuse the writers/director of wasting Chris Pine or Zachary Quinto’s talents by having them play the male half of any male/female romantic/sexual relationship?”
Quite easy to explain. Kirk had no real love interest in the two movies. There was no more than sex with extras and a bit of one sided flirting with Uhura. He also had so much else to do in both movies. And Spock got outside of his relationship scenes also tons of other things to do. On the other hand with Uhura it is so, that quite a big part of her screen time is dedicated to her being the love interest.
So you know how she’s been handled in STB without seeing the movie??? Got it.
This timeline is great by the way! Yeah!!!!
@Great Trek, you’re missing the point. The whole argument here is about exposing what bad has been accomplished so far with 2 movies + a bunch of ”wham bam” trailers for the third one. The whole thing is not about telling what’s going to happen in the 3rd movie. It’s about telling why you should stop pretending those movies are anything other than mindless popcorn entertainment for the masses.
Jeez, lose the cliches.
The point is you hate the new movies. All the characters have been used in fresh exciting ways. And they’re much more than wham bam movies. Of course most the first 10 movies focused more on action.
The whole point of trailers should NOT be to tell an audience what will happen in an upcoming movie. The trailers are intended to give little clues, glimpses of various events, mostly of a fast paced action kind, and not necessarily in the correct order as they occur in the full length film.
“It’s about telling why you should stop pretending those movies are anything other than mindless popcorn entertainment for the masses.”
It is not about telling anything of the sort. That is your own interpretation laid upon the trailers. It is NOT particularly MINDFUL for a person such as yourself not to have discerned this.
“mindless” … “popcorn” … “entertainment” … “the masses”
[yawn]
silly repetition of insulting tropes
@Marja – its relevant to describe a film that way. However, I actually like the more recent trailers and commercials for Beyond. STID wasnt a mindless action film…well, it WAS to a degree but only due to the limitations of the writers. It was far too convoluted and silly and eye-rolling in the big bad American government schtick to be mindless. Unfortunately, it was reduced to that to so many viewers because it was too easy to mentally check out of the film and just watch the flash bangs.
Yeah, because TUP, RollieG and guys like Cygnus are not one of the “masses”. Their intellectual discernment (*hindsight being their go-to choice) is complete and beyond repute and of course, they always know what any writer meant as to how any dialogue/scene must be interpreted, ie their way, even if TUP’s, as well as others’ understanding seems so lacking in many ways…
* Actually, hindsight makes a fabulous crutch, because, after all, where would all the critics and self-styled experts on all that is Trek (or not, according to them) be?
@Rose -Your post is another irrelevant example of you choosing to attack posters here rather then adding to a discussion. If you have nothing to say, why not just say nothing? You dont have to always lower yourself to insults and attacks. I mean, you are a grown woman, no?
You have this hilarious but moronic need to express your opinion but yo then denigrate others’ and act as though their expression of opinion somehow attacks yours. It doesnt. This is a discussion forum. You can engage in discussion or not. But please, dont sully the board with your usual childish antics please. From one friend to another, please dont do that.
@Harry – you’re the perfect example of the “get off my lawn” type because you unabashedly love something to the extent you plug your ears and scream na na na na na I cant hear you. Im intrigued as to why you bother coming here and posting when you so clearly have zero desire to engage in discussion…you simply want everyone to adopt your view.
Thew Spock/Uhura thing, if looking at the first season TOS with a very jaded eye, is there on the screen but played as an undercurrent as if Roddenberry had the writers just toying with it, just to see if it might take hold— checking the chemistry so to speak..
I am glad they dropped it there, not pleased at all it was pickled up full blown by Abrams’ team.
And the Scotty/Uhura thing out of nowhere in Final Frontier was just a warmup for Chakotay/ Seven…
I don’t think that either relationships came “out of nowhere” (ref. Star Trek V). Scotty and Uhura had known each other as colleagues for many years. I never saw why it might not be possible for the two of them to form a relationship that went beyond simply being work colleagues. In TOS Scotty and Uhura did spend quite some time together working on the communications engineering side at times and so did she and Spock do similar. What’s more – they are all adults! The writers were simply allowing these ADULTS to get on with being so, in every sense.
I feel that these criticisms of relationships that have a romantic aspect to them is about wanting these characters to remain essentially as children and the only so-called romance okayed is the supposed bromance between three white dudes. I have no problem with supposed bromances, but these adults need to be shown as being capable of having other relationships as well, even ones that can be of an erotic/sexual kind and not just being one-night stands either.
These characters are supposed to be grown up, intelligent, well rounded individuals. Thank God that BR is actually showing all the possibilities that being such can mean when it comes to the various kinds of relationships to be had.
“I feel that these criticisms of relationships that have a romantic aspect to them is about wanting these characters to remain essentially as children”
It’s exactly that. Doctor Who fandom is notorious for that, so much so that the writers couldn’t even say it out loud when Rose left the show. The entire scene was structured so that just before he could say it, he was prevented. But it was there to appease the mostly middle aged men who couldn’t deal with anything other than an asexual Doctor. A Doctor who, before the start of the series, had actually been married, had kids and a grandkid.
One of the things I’ve like about nuTrek, surprisingly, is the Spock / Uhura thing.
For fucks sake, this board needs an edit feature. Edited to say: “so much so that the writers couldn’t even have the Doctor say it out loud when Rose left the show.”
Part of what made the Spock character work historically was the lack of emotions. Or as the series progressed, the “forced” emotional when it happened or the struggle and eventual acceptance of his human side. That was completely erased in the JJ films.
Spock was the character most harmed by film makers who thought Trek needed to be fixed. They wanted 30 years of Spock to be realised in one film. What made the emotional moments great/important for Nimoy’s Spock was the history behind the character. We got none of that in JJ’s films.
The reason the Kirk/Spock/Bones dynamic was basically missing for much of the first two films was because Bones’ role was taken over by the hot headed Kirk and the emotional Spock.
Rose is, ofcourse, entitled to her opinion but its not a very advanced one. Disliking a romantic relationship doesnt have to be due to some deep rooted psychological reason. For most of us, we dislike it because it sucked and was written poorly.
Spock’s relationship with Uhura just isnt in keeping with the character’s history at that point in his life. As I said elseware, if he had pursued Uhura after his mother’s death, it would have had some deeper meaning. In fact, an Uhura that went after Spock in 09 (though a bit of a stereotypical hot student with crush on older professor) with Spock rejecting her would have been more interesting (and in keeping somewhat with TOS)…then Spock’s mother dies and he finally gives in to her affections. Far more interesting dynamic.
And gee, golly — Uhura can be BOTH a professional linguist AND have a romantic interest outside work! Progress!
I bet many women in the military are successful career women and have romantic relationships outside of work. Is that progress? You know what isnt? Showing that women are too needy and emotional to separate professional life from personal life. Its not feminism to defend Uhura. It would be more feminist to criticise how male writers portrayed her.
Golly!
TUP, I have complained about how her role was written. Many times. Apparently a couple of minutes in a two-hour film cannot be afforded to show a more adult relationship conducted by two professionals. (See my comments elsewhere in this thread.)
Bleh. I get that drama at work and at home. Don’t need it in my escapist fantasies.
There is a reason the armed services held fast to non-fraternization regulations since ancient days.
I like Spock and Uhura together. They don’t show clips like this unless there is something bigger happening on the back-end. So I’m sure they’ll be back together by the end of the film. I do wish they would have toned down Bones response a bit in this clip. As a medical professional who is well versed in psychology–his response should have more interpersonal instead of seemingly indifferent (especially knowing Spock has lost so much already in this universe). They’ll be plenty of opportunity for Spock and Bones comedic banter apparently; but in my opinion; this wasn’t one of them.
I am so over this forced “Spock-Uhura” relationship thing. I wish the movies would just drop it already.
Why is it forced?
It’s not forced and there’s no evidence to the contrary.
Padme and Anakin in Attack of the Clones is an example of a VERY forced relationship. Spock and Uhura had a relationship prior to the events of 09 Trek. Just because we don’t see the beginnings of it doesn’t make it “forced”. I found Spocks admission to her as to why he chose not to “feel” in STID was one of the movies best lines/speeches and really showed how he felt about her, and it felt genuine.
Spocks admission to her as to why he chose not to “feel” in STID was one of the movies best lines/speeches and really showed how he felt about her, and it felt genuine.
Agreed, Harry..
Meh. wasnt the explanation based on how Pike felt as he died? The Pike scene was awful and pointless and if it was to set up Spock’s feelings later in a scene partially played for laughs, it was pointless. I havent seen STID in ages so I might be wrong on the details.
It was okay as a scene between a couple but felt forced. I would have thought the death of his family and planet would have impacted him more than Pike dying. They needed to drag out his explanation and make it more difficult for him to express it. ie. if you need to have Uhura play the needy emotional girlfriend, Kirk should have shut it down, “saving” Spock (which to these writers would have made sense in the stereotypical bros saving bros way), only to CHOOSE to go to Uhura later and confess his feelings (maybe after seeing her nearly killed by a Klingon).
Characters needed more motivation to behave the way they did. In many aspects, not just Spock/Uhura.
Yes, that would be great TUP, if they could have nixed 3-5 minutes of ”splosions” your ideas would have fit perfectly.
I thought the NEEDLESS death of Pike (exploitive of audience emotion) served two contemporary action movie shorthand purposes: (1) Kirk has another parental figure die and becomes a man as he seeks revenge (ugh) and (2) helped Spock understand perceptions of death (whut — his whole planet’s population and his mum died in the space of a few minutes — he didn’t understand death??) … I guess the HUMAN perspective … okay, okay. Which understanding helps him “get” Uhura’s fear at his near-loss. The enroute to Kronos scene fit into Action movie tropes and speedily addressed legitimate emotional concerns (which was unfair to Spock and Uhura’s characters) but Uhura’s feelings were not played for laughs, nor were Spock’s words to her. I don’t think the emotional tone of the scene should have turned on a dime like that though.
@Marja – well said. I also think Pike’s death was sort of a simpleton’s view of the over-all film series that Kirk’s father figure had to die in order for Kirk to rise to that level himself. STID oddly re-set events from 09 to try and do them over again – Kirk rising from punk kid to captain…and then repeated in STID. They needed Pike out of the way. Except they didnt.
Pike was infinitely more interesting than Kirk. Which I guess is an issue. But if they had patience, the real story was Pike leading the Enterprise to Kronos. Kirk, having been manipulated by Marcus perhaps with a secret assignment to launch the torpedoes regardless of Pike’s intent, only to be torn between Marcus’ arguments and Pike’s. But that also would require the writers to write Marcus’ perspective with some justification rather then making him a Dick Cheney boogeyman.
They would have needed something else to spark a revenge desire in Kirk. But it would have been better than killing Pike who’s death was used as a rather weak excuse for a lame argument between Spock & Uhura rather then being the main driver for Kirk.
I suspect there was little appetite for another Trek film that had Captain Pike as the lead though…which is to bad because it would have been better. It took Luke three films to become a Jedi. Patience paid off. In Star Trek Kirk went from chump to Captain in both films.
No, they didn’t need Pike out of the way. Pike found himself in the way of John Harrison/Khan (ie his weaponry) and bought it, as did others that day. Such can be the tragedy that is life.
For both Kirk and Spock, Pike’s death was yet another sadness, another loss, another reason for grief.
I keep thinking about straw and a camel’s back…
Rose – you know STID was a movie and didnt really happen, right? So your counter-point to my assertion that the writers wanted Pike out of the way for Kirk to take on that role doesnt make sense. Pike was written out. By writers. For a reason. yeesh
I must have missed that bit where Kirk, McCoy, Sarek spent their time forcing Spock and Uhura to make out because it was good for them. Or perhaps it happened when Kirk and his Caitian ladies got together because it was such a turn on for the three of them… Who knew there were so many busybody match makers in the Kelvin universe?
:)
I probably wouldn’t mind watching the Catian scenario (as part of the movie of course!)
@Rose – notwithstanding your failed attempt at humor, you know what the OP meant (and if you dont, then you shouldnt bother replying).
The relationship seemed forced and was to often shoe-horned into scenes. If we take it for what it was, it was unprofessional. If we ignore that aspect, it was still forced. If they edited the films fairly, much of it would have been cut but it seemed like something they really wanted in.
Part of the film makers’ lack of wanting some “quiet” moments between characters in favour of action, action, action, was the lack of realism and appropriateness as far as the Spock/Uhura relationship went. Would have been much better if they had been shown to keep their relationship quiet and show us them “off duty”. The on duty whining, crying, arguing stuff was just to much. It was like a 14 year old boy writing grown up relationships for his creative writing class. Just not the best choice of genre’s.
I think many of the problems people have with the S/U relationship is that so much of it is not private between Spock and Uhura, it is shown in the company of other ship’s personnel, such as Uhura’s confronting Spock about “not caring” when they were on their way to Kronos in STiD. I have said many times that it would have been much better if that scene had taken place when they were changing from uniforms to civvies for the mission, in quarters, out of earshot.
But oh, gosh, that might have used up an extra two seconds of screen time, or an extra set, or something — horrors!
And as a general comment, Uhura was not “whining.” She was speaking. I guess because she was challenging Spock on an aspect of their relationship that is automatically translated to “whining”?
@Marja -agreed 100%. You take that scene and you make it private, have it end with some tension and it actually becomes a positive moving forward. But then they dont get the “laughs” of Kirk feeling uncomfortable.
The scene would have played better if they had private changing areas and Uhura burst in on Spock and confronted him. He shoots her down before reluctantly explaining (although I wouldnt explain to the same degree he did in the film), have Kirk then walk into a tense situation and appropriately demand if everything is fine, as a good Commander would. Not played for laughs. And if you really need the laugh, Kirk walking in on Spock and Uhura in a seemingly private moment could be it.
And thats part of the problem. The transporter kissy scene was played for laughs too. Unneeded. Need the laugh? Have Kirk join them in the mess hall, inviting himself to sit with them not picking up on the fact they are having an “intimate” dinner. Annoyed, Uhura walks off but kisses Spock first and he calls her by name. Same “moment”, same “laugh”, more appropriate setting. And if they tried really hard, maybe they can have some quality moment between Kirk and Spock in a non-action packed scene.
TUP, as usual, defining what was written to be played “for laughs” and what is not. The only person who seems to see the so-called humour/laughs is TUP. He even manages to describe a momentary intimate scene between two people, one of whom was likely not to return as “kissy”. Who writes like that, except perhaps, my 14 year old daughter, but then she can be excused because she is just 14. She might also get the nervous giggles at seeing some scenes, because, once again, she is 14.
What is TUP’s, or any other adult’s, excuse for such childish descriptions?
@Rose – Stop searching for my handle and making your idiotic replies. Do we really need to go down this road again? You’re a vapid bully. Knock it off.
You knock off defining what writers supposedly meant and being critical of people who don’t see scenes/dialogue what you call done “for laughs” as necessarily being such.
“You’re a vapid bully.” Touche
“Knock it off.” Touche
Why would I “search your handle”? Duh
Rose, you want me to “knock off” providing my opinion of the films? You’re admitting you attack me (and others) in an effort to silence an opinion you dont agree with. I commend you for being honest at least.
Again, please stop with your irrelevant posts that serve only to attack others. Disagree with the opinion if you want, provide a counter point to the discussion if you can. That’s what forums like this are for. But the personal attacks and lame remarks are beneath you (I think). You can do better. Please stop acting like a bully.
You’re entitled to your opinion. I don’t agree with you on either point.
How would people here feel if Spock chooses to meld with Uhura at the end of the film?
Gary 8.5,
Re:meld
I’m not sure I get your drift? Do you mean something like Decker/V’ger or more Spock/Valeris?
Definitely not like Spock/Valeris that was a rather invasive mind probe or at least, it felt that way when I watched it.
Spock Prime never really felt Sarek’s love for him until he melded with Picard.
In that instance, feeling Sarek’s love moved Spock to tears.
I just thought that through a mind meld, Spock could do some thing similar, Share his feelings with Uhura in the most intimate way possible.
Or at least, what is the ultimate intimacy for a Vulcan.
I’d just assumed they had been ‘melding’ from the get go…..
I know the comics are not canon. Notwithstanding, issue 18 had them melding, apparently before their relationship had ever reached a physical level.
Bond, vulcan bond.
I would feel very happy. Very happy indeed.
With the possible break up of Spock and Uhura, I SO want someone to do an ’80s style music video featuring these two, with the track “Drive” (by The Cars) or “Broken Wings” (by Mr. Mister) playing in the background during a montage of flashbacks while the couple is dealing with their separate angst. ;-)
So in Star Trek 09 we got foot stompy fit throwing Spock, and in STB we’ll get mopey love sick Spock. Great!
>:,>{
Two more four-word delineations of a character. Criminey.
Nah, lets see Spock get over it with a scene of him and Kirk dashing through the surf with ‘Gotta Fly’ on the soundtrack (Rocky 3 reference)…..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVY8SbQGW-Y
Uh maw God, you guys are like breaking up?
What a bunch of crap.
No more crappy than yet another Kirk romance.
If they end up breaking up so we can put the relationship to bed, then its worth it. Really, their two options were to ignore it or to break them up.
I didnt mind the attempt as something different but I thought the writing was far too weak in both previous films to do it justice. Probably the lack of ability to write for women by these writers hurt it. Uhura’s character became defined by her relationship with Spock. It just didnt work.
Might have made more sense if Spock pursued Uhura after his mother’s death. At least then we might have got a psychological reasoning for it. What we got seemed far too unprofessional and shoe-horned into the films. It made Uhura seem weak and emotional in a stereotypical needy-girlfriend way.
TUP, If Abrams had been willing to devote, say, three minutes more to the development of Spock/Uhura, I could agree with you, but he wasn’t, so the writers “made it fit.” I would have liked more background and less “telegraphing” and more meaning and less “shoehorn,” but there it is.
I disagree with you on Uhura’s character became defined by her relationship with Spock. I think that’s how a lot of nay-sayers justified their feelings about it, but in many scenes she was professional. The problem was that in JJ’s movies, “not a moment could be lost” depicting Uhura’s and Spock’s private life together and their professional lives as officers in a more professional manner. (The movies needed ‘spolsions more, I expect. Darn it.)
My hope is that Pegg and Jung have done a better job and justified the relationship as more of one between two adult professionals.
@Marja – I agree with much of what you said. I agree Uhura had flashes of being a more defined character but it always came back to the fact she was a hot woman or involved with Spock. She’s the girl Kirk hit on, the girl the cadets irrationally and violently defended, the girl in her underwear, the girl leaving the bridge because her boyfriend was upset, the girl chastising Kirk, the girl acting irrational during a critical mission because her boyfriend was at risk, the girl crying on the bridge, the girl disobeying orders to engage in a personal conversation during a critical mission, the girl kissing an officer on the transporter pad.
I agree they could have written better relationship scenes in more appropriate settings but didnt want to devote the time so just did it while the action occurred. Some of Trek’s best scenes were the quiet moments. Imagine if the WoK didnt have the scene in Kirk’s apartment, or the Genisys Cave or Kirk/Spock speaking in the hallway after the Maru test. The quiet moments.
Spock/Uhura was an interesting idea hurt by poor writing. Im sorry, but the writers just couldnt write strong women and certainly couldnt write reasonable and professional adult relationships.
Just the commercials for Beyond show a WAY better female lead in Jaylah then any women previously depicted in the JJ Treks.
TUP, equal time to criticize the guys please. Spock kissing Uhura at the transporter pad. Kirk on brink of vital mission asking about Uhura’s first name. MANY interpersonal interactions between the professionals were inappropriate and played for laughs. Let’s not place it all at the character Uhura’s doorstep.
You rightly said above that the writers seemed to have difficulty writing grown-up relationships (such writing is a bane in action movies). This goes for all the relationships, I’d say. Cram ’em in to give the audience a personal emotional investment, then jerk ’em around during the ACTION! scenes.
I like the characters in the movies despite their action-induced flaws and have made up for the emotional defects by exploring the themes in fanfiction. That’s my coping skill ;-)
You’re absolutely right about the male characters but because they had more important roles in the film, their actions cant be boiled down to just being the “hot one” or the “girlfriend” or “needy” or “emotional”.
My overall point being (and I’ve said it many times), the writers just werent up to the task of writing character drama. Im sure they are perfectly successful writers who work a lot…but everyone has a ceiling to their talent and we found theirs, unfortunately. Although I bet there were restrictions placed on ever slowing down the action…so you’ve got writers who arent exactly Academy Award winners trying to shoe-horn dramatic character moments into a film that wouldnt slow down long enough to let anything really matter.
If Spock has pursued Uhura AFTER his mother’s death, what would that make him look like? Someone desperately seeking a mother substitute in Uhura to make up for the one he just lost, as if he were a five year old.
Uhura was not needy. She was about giving and taking, which is what genuine relationships are about.
@Rose – Im sorry my pint went over your head, you do realise that many people pursue relationships for all sorts of reasons, right? And as it so happens, death of a parents can lead to that. There is nothing shown in the films to give us any sort of insight as to what either one sees in the other. I merely suggested a reasonable motivation which would have some depth and provide a place to go as the relationship progresses.
How many 5 year olds do you know that lose a parent and pursue sexual relationships with grown women? I hope not many. That’s weird, Rose. Weird.
Not physically five years old, but emotionally akin to that of a healthy five year old, ie young child. And yes, I am aware that people pursue relationships for all sorts of reasons, however some may not be for the best of reasons.
Why shouldn’t Spock and Uhura seeing worth pursuing in the other? They are both young, physically healthy, intelligent, reasonably to very good looking, share similar interests/career path like exploring space, xenolinguistics, communications technologies, sciences, etc.
The way the Spock/Uhura relationship has been developed is much healthier.
@Rose – you’re stating an opinion you feel is relevant but dismissing mine. What difference does it make to you? Sure, Spock & Uhura could just like each other for no stated reason other than being young and attractive. My point was providing more depth to the relationship and being truer to the characters.
Why would you say “no we dont want more depth and motivation, just accept what happens”? Why cant it be more?
How do you know their relationship is healthy? Who knows what goes on behind closed doors. Seems in the little we saw, they had issues. They werent communicating effectively, Uhura had a difficult time focusing on her job when Spock was working, they both engaged in public displays of affection during on-duty times (and inappropriate times). Not sure it screams “healthy relationship”.
As Marja has stated better than either of us, these elements were the result of weak writing and the refual to devote any non-action time to the relationship. So we can say, well if they had spared 5 minutes to show us the relationship in better settings it would have been all the better. But they didnt and we can only judge it on what happened.
But if Spock was impacted by Pike’s death and it affected his relationship with Uhura, why would my suggestion that the death of his mother and entire home world being the catalyst for him reaching out to her not be just as relevant? It would have connected the two events (loss) and made each even more relevant to Spock and his relationship with Uhura.
“Sure, Spock & Uhura could just like each other for no stated reason other than being young and attractive. My point was providing more depth to the relationship and being truer to the characters. Why would you say “no we dont want more depth and motivation, just accept what happens”?”
First of all, other than you, TUP, who else said that they didn’t want more depth and motivation? Answer – NOT ME, for one. Secondly, what else can one do but accept what happens, especially since it’s done already? This whining and using hindsight as a crutch has become a mindless go-to for many people. There are so many more dreadful, insane, stupid stuff that happens that ultimately has to be accepted for being as it was/is. Constantly griping about what can be (erroneously) seen as a “lack of depth and motivation is well, dumb. And, thirdly, I had stated more reasons other than the two finding each other “young and attractive”.
Why does there have to be a major, sad event(s) in order to show that a relationship has more depth and motivation? A good many relationships develop where there is no major crisis for either couple and they can often be healthy, sound relationships. Indeed, who knows what goes on behind closed doors, therefore a question could equally be asked – how do you know that their relationship is NOT healthy?
Then again, one has to define what “healthy” means? It seems that more people get worked up about public displays of affection than they do with public displays of violence. How is that healthy? So Uhura and Spock kissed each other on the transporter pad before Spock went off (very likely) to his death? Really, so what?
Nobody ever gets as uptight about Spock’s public display of violence in attempting to strangle Kirk – on the bridge no less.
It sure is a skewered culture we live in…:(
@Rose – we agree that there are far more dreadful, insane and stupid stuff in these films that we simply have to accept.
You’re nonsense about public displays of affection vs displays of violence is irrelevant. And yes ofcourse people disliked Spock physically attacking Kirk. It was stupid. Glad we agree on that.
You constantly gripe about a lot of things so try and calm down and stop with the petty insults. Are you even able to have a discussion without trying to insult people? You’re really quite a one note bully, Rose.
My opinion is mine. You’ve been unable to counter it with anything relevant, which is unsurprising. Thank you. Let’s move on now.
Keachick I think some people desperately want to rewrite it as Spock starting to date her only after what happened to vulcan BECAUSE that way they can write the relationship out as being something that happened only because he was emotionally compromised and thus not real. So transparent.
Instead, they have to reconcile with the fact that Spock fell in love with her and wanted to be with her since the academy. That doesn’t compute because they’d have to admit that she must be something more than a fling. It was his choice and he made it when it wasn’t ‘simple’ and even before Sarek admitted himself that he loved Amanda (thus making Spock see that he has something in common with his dad, after all. Or that his dad is like him)
@Jemini – I think some people come up with really transparent excuses for the unprofessional and silly representations of the Spock/Uhura relationship because they want to live vicariously through these characters who represent something more exciting then their real lives.
Or they just dont care enough about Star Trek to want anything more interesting and meaningful then names picked out of a hat and assigned relationships.
See how easy it was to insult someone’s opinion?? So easy! Too bad, my point went way over your head. Read it a few more times, maybe ask a grown up to help, and come back and we can discuss. :-)
Its one scene out of the movie,I wouldn’t worry about it.
Replayed a half-dozen times from the point where McCoy walks in. I wanted to analyze the whole photography choices, musical cues and the way it was directed. Just by that scene alone I see A LOT of TNG and TOS-movie era style frames and angling. The cues are subtle and just analyzing it all and nitpicking the hell out of it in my mind…
It looks AWESOME!! It’s just 30 seconds but it does tell A LOT!
least fav part seen so far, not really into the whole dating stuff between characters. Would prefer more debates on issues etc or developing other characters like the Villain etc
Yeah, since people don’t date in real life. You can’t have that in a “Trek film.
Perhaps what the OP meant was that he/she is not into crappy dating stuff between characters.
You know, you dont have to go on the offensive against everyone who doesnt love the JJ films…
By the way, seems the forecasts have Beyond making less than the first two on opening weekend.
I love the new movies just not the parts where Spock and Uhura gets into love/soap drama
@somethoughts – a valid opinion.
“crappy dating stuff”. Yea that’s how my 11 year old nephew describes relationships too. Perhaps one day you’ll be old enough but I suspect you’re still in the “girls are icky and have cooties” phase
@Harry – your insults and stupidity are a thinly veiled cover for your lack of insight. Please try to engage in reasonable discussion or dont bother. Do you own stock in Paramount? You seem be taking it personally when people dont share you irrational love of everything Star Trek. Its rather amusing!
Debates on issues? I think you’re looking for C-SPAN, not Star Trek.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/jul/03/simon-pegg-its-terrible-i-have-become-the-very-thing-i-feared-star-trek-beyond
There’s a long new interview with Simon Pegg. It has a bit about Star Trek in it, too.
Did his Ponn Farr finally kick in?
Gawd I hope not. ponn farr will be too much for a pg 13 movie
Chris Pine looks a bit heavier in the face in the reshoots
Well, forecasts for the opening of Beyond are starting to trickle out. The usual group of malcontents are spinning this as bad news already, failing to mention that the articles are also pointing out that: 1. It’s early. 2. The numbers are in line with other franchise opening weekends where those other movies were considered successful. 3. The full effect of promotional efforts will probably juice the numbers a bit. 4. The movie is trending better through social media then STID did, and 5. Paramount is expecting a publicity boost from the Comic Con premiere.
I’m not making a prediction, one way or the other, just observing that when someone with a historical bias against is speaking out, it’s a good idea to check the actual sources. People with a MO of cherry picking their data to support their bias have no issues lying to support their bias.
Promotion: Paramount’s downfall with Star Trek. I’ve been to the movies at my local AMC 20 for 12 weeks in a row, and haven’t seen ONE trailer — or even ONE poster! Haven’t been to see any action films since “Captain America Civil War,” but criminey, they should give “Beyond” more visibility than that. Apparently it’s only trailering in previews at action movies. Too bad. Have trailers been on TV? (I don’t have one, so I don’t see ’em. The only disadvantage of streamlining video :-D )
I’m in Southern Ontario and have seen both posters as well as trailers in theaters. I don’t own any kind of cable or tv service so I can’t speak to how often or heavily the trailers or tv spots are showing up.
Listen, the blissfully unaware can spin it as great news. The negative nancies can spin it as awful news. No real sense arguing with either. The rest of us who dont seem to have an odd vested interest in either side can discuss it rationally. $60 million would be nice but still short of the prior two films. The franchise isnt growing. STID damaged it unfortunately.
Which is a shame because I like the trailers and ads I’ve seen, showing a fun Trek film. But I think a lot of the mainstream fans checked out after the convoluted STID. Going to be hard to get them back. However, I think opening weekend does alright. But it will fall off a cliff after that.
I’ve seen the Trek trailer often when I’ve seen other films (to zero reaction although most trailers get zero reaction). I’ve seen a few TV commercials. I think that Beasty Boys trailer was an awful awful idea in retrospect because it probably was THE trailer seen by most people with even a passing interest and it probably turned many people off.
The more traditional trailers and commercials have been really good. I very much like the quick hitter 30 second commercials. They show fun and adventure and excitement and stakes. But will they be enough to grab non-hardcore fans?
Gosh, now TUP is telling us to “listen”. Oh dear…
@Rose – that might be the best post you’ve ever made on here! Good job!!
@ Marja, there is a difference between discussing Paramount’s promotion practices, which is certainly an open topic, and taking a single bit of information out of its context from a story about early projections ad using it to reinforce their very worn ‘tale of woe’ bias against the BR productions.
As far as promotion goes, I suspect that Paramount still believes that Treks name recognition is at a par with its counterpart from a galaxy far, far away. Personally, I believe that’s a mistake, as Lucafilm (and now Disney) have made it a point to consistently produce content to keep their franchise in the public eye, something Trek hasn’t done. Now, is it a mistake that matters? Maybe not – Trek made the news for the reintroduction of the old studio model back into the Smithsonian, Trek related stories have been featured in several magazines, the actors are routinely identified as Trek actors….and like it or not, BR has had some success heavily promoting their movies in a short time frame leading up to their release.
Phil, I hooked into the discussion just to express my usual disgust with Paramount publicity practices — or lack thereof. That seems likely to affect their profits later, but maybe the late promo model works.
Or maybe they think North Floridians in a college town don’t read posters?
Re: ultimate profits from the films, I’ve been pretty silent on the matter — my only care is whether there’s another Trek movie coming later :-)
For what its worth, I believe that will be another film after this one.
Whether there will be a fifth film is an open question.
Barring Beyond being a complete BO disaster (not likely), it sounds like Paramount is moving forward with another episode. It’s been inferred from the trailers that our current crew is heading back to explore the unknown, so I don’t think the Kelvin Timeline is at an end just yet….
So, does anyone else think that Paramount is dropping the ball on marketing for this movie? I mean, it’s the 50th Anniversary! I haven’t seen anything from Paramount to promote or capitalize on that fact! One of things that drove the box office for The Force Awakens was nostalgia alone. Disney did a great job on invoking past images and music for Star Wars. I thought it would be a no-brained for Paramount to do the same, and I was looking forward to cool montages or call-backs to old school Trek. But, nope! It’s like they are actively avoiding it! So weird, and so stupid.
VZX,
Well, Marja clearly does and I can report the same abysmal promotion at my local AMC. The only trailer that’s ever shown is the first one that both Pegg and Lin lamented.
There are many here that will tell you the marketing is amazing because they tweeted out some posters. Yes, the marketing is not good. Certainly not blockbuster level. Seems clear Paramount does not want (or is unable) to spend a ton. It could be they see the projections for box office and have cut the marketing budget to make up for it.
My Trek buddy works out of town so I was asking him yesterday about when he can come in to town to watch the film, when should I buy tickets. And then I checked and said “dont worry, not a SINGLE ticket has been sold in our city, including the opening night at the best theater”. Not ONE.
Does that mean anything? Maybe not. My city is a notorious walk up city. But Star Was sold out in minutes with more screens being opened to handle the demand. And I believe that was 2-3 months ahead of time. Star Trek is no Star Wars ofcourse. But no one seems to feel they need to buy advanced tickets.
I think Beyond does a decent opening weekend and then falls off a cliff.
Now here are some interesting breakdowns on who Brad Grey’s STAR TREK audiences, actual and potential, are:
http://deadline.com/2016/07/star-trek-beyond-box-office-projection-ghostbusters-secret-life-of-pets-1201782223/
”2013’s Star Trek Into Darkness skewed the highest among older males, even more than the 2009 version: 64% to 60% guys and 73% to 65% over 25. And it comes as no surprise to hear that Star Trek Beyond is also tracking at an 83% total awareness in that demo. Hence, this past week, Paramount made a point to annex females and the under 25 bunch by roping in pop star Rihanna to its Star Trek Beyond campaign. A trailer dropped Monday that included her new song “Sledgehammer”. In a YouTube message (below), Rihanna revealed to fans that she’s a Trekkie; hence why she booked the singing job. And her music video for “Sledgehammer”, released yesterday, is currently clocking 3.3M views on YouTube. Tentpoles that have attached themselves to performance artists in this viral age have proven to work, read when Universal unveiled the first teaser for Fifty Shades of Grey, they did it through Beyonce’s social media in an effort to expand the property’s demo beyond its core book fans and access an entirely fresh, younger crowd. While iSpot.TV shows that the current TV spend for Star Trek Beyond has been heavily placed on such testosterone programs like the NBA final games and the Stanley Cup, Paramount has also shelled on such shows as NBC’s The Voice and AMC’s Fear of the Walking Dead which have their fair share of females too.
First choice for Star Trek Beyond is at 12% among men over 25, 7% guys under 25 and 4% women under 25. In unaided awareness — that poll category which tells a studio if their marketing is truly working as potential moviegoers cite their upcoming title without any prompting — Star Trek Beyond is strongest with men over 25 at 7%, followed by men under 25 at 5%, and women under 25 at 3%.” – ‘‘Star Trek Beyond’ Could Hit $60M Opening, According To Some Early Projections’; by Anthony D’Alessandro; DEADLINE.com; July 1, 2016 1:17pm
Boxoffice projections don’t seem really good.
“Paramount’s Star Trek Beyond began charting on the tracking boards yesterday with various sources putting the threequel’s opening range between $48M-$60M when it debuts on July 22.”
http://deadline.com/2016/07/star-trek-beyond-box-office-projection-ghostbusters-secret-life-of-pets-1201782223/
Sounds about right. Could be worse, it could have Nemesis numbers.
Not great projections. But that is the unfortunate by-product of a lousy previous film, despite those that point to rotten tomatoes or box office, STID clearly had a negative impact on the appeal of Star Trek to the masses. Beyond looks like a fun movie…looks like it could be the move they SHOULD have made instead of STID.
That was my ultimate fear.
I am glad that we were spared the inevitable comparisons if that had been the case.
The problem for Paramount isn’t what’s reasonable for a STAR TREK projection on a normal release,
http://deadline.com/2016/06/viacom-shares-down-teenage-mutant-ninja-turtles-hurt-earnings-1201774481/
but that its TMNT 2 only opened with 35.5M and Paramount’s taken a damaging hit from that. As nice as it would be to consider the next Trek’s opening numbers in isolation, the fact is Paramount is looking for a way to turn those Turtle numbers around and the batter that’s up next, unfortunately, is BEYOND and reasonable expectation or not, Paramount NEEDS to turn things around on those half-shell grosses, even more so now that the courts have stalled the plan to sell off a little stake in Paramount to fix its financial woes, and so it falls to BEYOND to save Paramount’s bacon.
With so many rats fleeing the sinking boardroom ship, it is difficult to know what the overreaction might be, if BEYOND pulls to its low end 48M, from the remaining stressed-out suits and their unreasonable STAR WARS expectations.
Again my lament, “why oh why doesn’t Paramount just sell Trek to a studio which is actively interested in making it, making it better, promoting it, and getting a big grown-up audience and intelligent young’uns, releasing it in the holiday season when they can do more intelligent stories?”… blah blah blah, regular readers here will have seen my bitchin’ and moanin’ before …
Has there been a studio that has expressed an interest in the Trek franchise recently?
Deadline is reporting that the Secret Life of Pets is estimated to make $80 -$90 million with Finding Dory estimated to make about $30 million.
Imagine what would have happened if STB had stayed in that date?
True, they have to deal with Jason Bourne.
But if I were Paramount, I would take an action franchise over two strong family films, not to mention Ghostbusters which is estimated to make between $40- $50 million the following week.
Gary 8.5.
Historically, Disney once did. You got me whether whatever numbers they put up for that in their internal investigation then would still hold up now that they’ve got STAR WARS, and allow them to still pursue it?
Marja Today 1:36 pm
Again my lament…
The Trekkie’s lament. I know it all too well. From your lips… Maybe Viacom will sell off a chunk of Paramount, as they’ve been talking of doing since the end of last year, and the new investor will make some much-needed changes that will do right by Trek. Here’s hoping. . . .
I don’t imagine this clip will do much for those box office projections.
There’s been what…four or five teaser/trailer/clips released for this movie, and not a single one shows a compelling dramatic scene. The highlight of the entire marketing effort for this movie has been McCoy’s one-liner to Spock being beamed away: “Well, that’s just typical.” It’s a funny line, but not enough to carry this movie.
@Cygnus – You’re completely right. And maybe Im just worn down by low expectations but Ive found the recent trailers and clips to be rather fun and Im looking forward to the film. But more so in a two hour escapism “oh that was fun, whats for dinner” sort of way rather then the “i’ve waited years for this epic” sort of way. If anything, the bar has been sufficiently lowered that Beyond has a good chance at being “okay”.
TUP Today 6:54 am
Chris Pine definitely lowered the bar by saying that it’s impossible to make “cerebral” movies these days.
Before BR Trek happened, Pine’s statement would have been unimaginable. You mean to tell me that you’re promoting a “STAR TREK” movie by asserting that it can’t really be Star Trek-like?!?
People are taking it all in stride, but it’s kind of amazing when you stop to think about it. Imagine all of the devoted letter-writing Trekkies being told, in response to their efforts at keeping the Trek flame alive: “OK, we’ll make more Star Trek, but it won’t be the kind that has meaning and gives you something to think about.” Uhh…then, it’s not Star Trek would have been the fans’ reaction.
It’s like saying that you’ll make a rock concert movie, but it can’t have any rock music in it because that would turn off audiences who don’t like rock music. And, furthermore, you’re going to effectively shut down the non-profit rock concert movies that are being made by fans, because you don’t want them competing with your non-rock movie.
I don’t begrudge anyone wanting to have a good time at the movies. But, I can’t support Paramount’s effort in all of this. I actually have more respect for Marvel movies. They’re pablum that you can have on in the background while you’re doing family stuff around the house, and it won’t really matter much if you miss chunks of the movie here and there, but at least they’re not betraying their source material or their long-time fans.
Oh I agree Cygnus. The studio and film makers, I think, thought they were writing intelligent Trek in 09. They did so-so. STID killed it. They thought it was sooooo smart with the War on Terror stuff that would appeal to the leftist Hollywood elite.
But they have gladly lowered the bar for sure. I think many fans like myself are maybe resigned to it and hope that if we cant get an intelligent film, at least one that is fun. There was nothing fun about STID.
The fact many signs indicate this might be the last of the series also makes it easier to swallow I think
Cygnus-X1 and TUP,
It’s annoying, all these whitewashings of a simple call, that what gets slapped with the label STAR TREK be better written, strawmanning it into this plea that a movie that’ll last 90 minutes or longer somehow conform to the exact production values and filming techniques of a first series’ episode and then dismissing it all in blatantly ageists’ tropes .
Then it gets followed by all these faux media wonk tautologies that would take GALAXY QUEST making a billion gross in an alternate 1999, as an excuse to say “Well, that’s the end of making STAR TREK the way they have to date. Now they are going to have to totally retool STAR TREK and make it EXACTLY like GALAXY GUEST but slap STAR TREK on it.”
And all these endless comments claiming that true Trek fans only “share and enjoy” like they did on the planet in THIS SIDE OF PARADISE and not get angry or mad makes me wonder what television show did they watch and mistake for STAR TREK?
I think it is time someone told these noMads just who and what they are: Brad Grey’s Paramount is not your STAR TREK’s creator and you are space happy if you believe this to be so. His Paramount is not going after the younger demographic because it perceives them as a better smarter cooler wiser savvier worthier more discerning lot, but because it believes them to be more gullible and therefore can be easily persuaded to part with their hard earned lucre for far less effort than it would take with someone who’s been around the block.
Disinvited Today 2:01 am
Well, you fingered the root of the problem by referencing Paramount’s leadership. The saddest part of it all is that an audience for “cerebral” sci-fi exists. Let me bang the INTERSTELLAR drum yet again. Twice the gross of either JJ Trek movie. Paramount’s leadership is like a spoiled child given a toy designed for kids above its age level, and doesn’t know what to do with it, so they misuse and abuse it. Instead of letting “Star Trek” be Star Trek—a unique franchise that would be the brand leader in its own category—the block-headed Paramount keeps trying to jam the square peg of Star Trek into the round slot of comic-book/action-spectacle movies, bashing and hammering it into place, and breaking off pieces (the fan base and corporate profits) in the process.
But, such is the very old tale of corporations that grow increasingly conservative as they age until their entire corporate culture eventually rejects ideas with long-term profit potential in favor of ideas that appear more tried and tested in the present. The flaw in Paramount’s reasoning, of course, is that the box office results that they’re chasing for Trek are resultant from a different category of product, i.e. comic-book/action-spectacle movies. Marvel movies have been tried and tested. And Marvel is right to keep on keeping on. Their formula works both in the long-term and in the short-term. But, Star Trek was never meant to be Marvel-type content. By way of another music industry analogy, it’d be like Mercury Records telling RUSH, after the success of their “2112” album in 1976, to adapt their musical style to writing TV commercial jingles instead of cerebral, progressive concept-oriented rock music. Fortunately for the world, Mercury had the wisdom to let RUSH be RUSH after they saw that there was an audience for 2112.