Editorial: Star Trek Movie Thoughts - Canon Anyone?
So I have been geeking out the past 3 or 4 days on the new Star Trek trailer, of which I have to say it is a good trailer to get people excited.
That being said in my last editorial I talked a lot about the argument against the re-imagining, paraphrasing Adam and others, who are not excited by the film.
Let me start by saying that I am excited about Trek. I think it is great to see it back on the big-screen as well as a fresh new take on the best aspect of the franchise, The Original Series and characters. I like the added detail in the ships as well as the special effects.
That being said my biggest and only concern for the film is that this “re-imagining” will in turn become a reboot and almost 40 years of canon will be wiped out in order to bring Trek to a new generation. I am certainly against this and can’t support the film if in fact this is true but that is something that remains to be seen.
Here is an example that I have already noticed about the canon possibly being screwed-up or jacked-up with already.
The image released by Paramount of the new Enterprise shows us JJ’s new and improved ship that brings more detail and functionality to the ship. However, I began to feel torn, as I love the design it looked strangely like the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 A, which we first saw in Star Trek: The Voyage Home.
2009 Star Trek Movie - Enterprise NCC 1701
1986 Star Trek: The Voyage Home - First Appearance of the Enterprise NCC-1701 A
USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from TOS - first seen in the episode "the Cage"
The argument I make is that if canon was to be adhered to in this “reimaging” then why does the “new look” of The Enterprise look more like the A version that wasn’t issued until 2286, years before the first version (same as the “new look” from JJ) was serviced by the Federation, circa 2245, especially when the events of this movie are supposed to take place with the crew being younger? If somebody would like to answer this question I’d appreciate it, otherwise, this to me is a prime example of JJ and crew ignoring canon or just taking liberties with it, which is just as bad.
On that topic too, in The Making of Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry and Stephen E. Whitfield, the components of the Enterprise were built at the San Francisco Navy Yards (seemed like Iowa, in the trailer) and the vessel itself was constructed in space (didn’t see that in the trailer).
The film’s co-writer, Roberto Orci, acknowledged depicting the Enterprise being built on Earth (which we see). He believed that this would cause debates among fans regarding canon [uhh..yeah!].
Explaining that the concept came from their own creative licence and the precedent set in Star Trek novels, he said that the idea that some things have to be constructed in space is normally associated with “flimsy” objects which have to be delicately assembled and would not normally be required to enter a gravity well. He said that this did not apply to the Enterprise because of the artificial gravity employed on the ship and its requirement for sustaining warp speed, and therefore the calibration of the ship’s machinery would be best done in the exact gravity well which is to be simulated. [Source: TrekMovie.com]
Some other questions I have regarding canon have to do with the personal history of Kirk. Judging by the trailer (these thoughts are obviously assumptions and presumptions - hopefully they are wrong) Kirk seems to join Starfleet due to the persuasion of Captain Pike, who we guess already has command of the Enterprise, meaning the ship has already been serviced by the Federation so this film must take place in between the years 2245-2285.
So what am I getting at? Well after Kirk passed the infamous Kobiyashi Maru, he received a field commission as an ensign and was posted to the USS Republic, then he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), then one of Kirk’s students, remarks in the TOS episode Where No Man Has Gone Before that one could either “think or sink” in Kirk’s course. Upon graduation in the top five percent of his class, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut. Having risen rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Academy, Kirk received his first command while still quite young [Source] .
So my question is - are we going to see any of this personal history take place in the newest re-imagining of Trek or at least mentioned?
Judging by the casting of Chris Pine, who is 28 years of age, one would assume Kirk would be the same or close to that age in this new story. Kirk didn’t assume command of the Enterprise until he was 31 years of age, that is at least a 3 year gap, therefore I am hoping this film will certainly reveal some of this canon and hopefully they will show these stages properly in the film, showing him rising through the ranks and maybe this will be true and Kirk’s plot shows him leaving command of the USS Farragut. However, in the trailer Kirk is seen staring up at an Enterprise being built in his hometown of Iowa (not San Francisco?), it seems, probably before he enters Starfleet, however how much time in this film will pass before he gets on the ship? There needs to be at least 15 or so? Because based on proper canon, Robert April and Christopher Pike are Captains of the ship before Kirk, Pike of which is the Captain for almost a decade according to the canon laid out in Trek lore, but I just do not see that based on what is shown in trailer. Kirk should be in his teens when he was staring at the Enterprise being built.
So to conclude, Kirk in this film should be 28 and leaving command of the USS Farragut, he will at some point join Pike and his crew to thwart some major happenings, probably time traveling Romulans hell bent on killing Spock and his family as well as Kirk. Obviously, Kirk’s accomplishments in the film will lead him into taking command of the Enterprise. This is all of course, assuming that writers Orci and Kurtzman got the canon right. Otherwise, it seems that Kirk joins Starfleet and then gets thrown into a situation where he is either in control of the ship or does something to receive command of the ship for its 5 year mission (we do see him in the yellow command shirt in the trailer).
So there you have it…my little ramblings and musings regarding the new Trek re-imagining by JJ Abrams and team.
[Sources: Wikipedia Entries - Enterprise, Kirk,
Star Trek.com and Star Trek wiki]
This is an email that was sent to me. I never thought of it this way before.
Email:
“For people who aren’t very well versed in Trek lore, this is an all-new beginning for them. For people who have been deeply immersed in Trek lore, however, the little bits of continuity here and there are little Easter eggs for you.
Still, I believe that the film will work best if people think of it as its own separate production (which it is) and stop trying to shoehorn it perfectly into TOS. It’s J.J. Abrams’ version of Star Trek–or Star Trek 2009, if you prefer–and that’s really all there is, IMO.
Can’t wait for the toys to hit store shelves…”
Here is a response I posted on a friend’s blog. He is an extra in the new film, and was making the argument that traditional Trek fans just need to get over themselves and realize that the changes are only small, and needed to be made in order to make this movie appealing to a broader range of people. My argument is that the changes are not small at all, and if they deviate significantly from the original plot lines and character histories, then the whole thing just becomes even more rediculous than it already is. Anyway, long-winded, because I’m a huge Star Trek nerd (at least I was…fizzling now).
Oh, and for the record, I hate the new design of the Enterprise for all the reasons you just mentioned. Plus, I just don’t find it appealing to look at. What is the fascination of the artists for these new Enterprise designs to have the support beams for the warp nacels flow and blend in with the tail section of the ship (see TNG, see Enterprise, see Voyager (?))? What’s wrong with having the support beams in the middle of the hull, and as separate pieces, as seen in TOS, and movies 1-5? Much cooler I think. But maybe I’m nitpicking here.
Nah. It looks stupid.
Blog response:
And one more thing(I can’t believe this matters so much to me…but I USED to love Star Trek, until these 9 million attempts to appeal to new fans ruined it): anytime someone says they are trying to make the series “appeal to a whole new generation of fans”, I start picking out headstones. That means it has died, and the new writers and directors have no idea what direction to go in or what they are doing. In this case, Star Trek has already died. By appealing to new fans, they are trying to resurrect it. I wouldn’t go picking out shovels just yet, though. Is there a void of imagination in Tinseltown? Why screw so much with a sci-fi icon? Can’t we find a new one, and stop being so lazy in Hollywood?
The problem with Trek, is not that the fans are too serious, and stubborn, and won’t accept changes. On the contrary. The problem is that it has deviated just waaay too much to be either believable or good. It can’t figure out what it wants to be. Does it want to be a James Bond type series, where there is no pretense of continuity, and actions of previous movies are never really mentioned or referred to in subsequent movies? Or does it want to be a true series, where the movies build on each other in some kind of sensible time-line? In waffling between these two approaches, Star Trek is muddled, confusing, and silly.
It seems to me, that these Trek movie-makers want their cake and eat it too. They want to make all kinds of changes to Trek, so that things are contradicted from big to small, and the fans are just supposed to accept it instead of seeing it for what it is: an attempt to keep making money at their expense. Hey, here’s Trek! Now we know we’ve changed a lot of things, and this will only sort of approximate the Trek you know and love, but, hey, get over it! Stop being such a fuddy-duddy about it. It’s just Hollywood, you big, giant, sexually-challenged nerd! Stop being such a huge sci-fi Trek dork! Um…wait. Don’t change yet. Come see this NEW Trek movie, and then you can stop being a dork. Well, not that it matters, because this new movie will be so cool that EVERYONE, a whole-new generation, will want to see it. Even cool people…the ones that used to beat you up in gym!
I have high hopes for this movie, because it looks great. But I believe that skeptic fans have a right to be skeptic. Every movie since four has basically been horrible. I hope this is not just an attempt to dazzle us with new-fangled CGI effects and to squeeze just a little more juice out of this shriveled lemon. I hope not. I really do. Because I love Trek. Which is why I’m writing these posts like a moron.
This movie is a remake and a reboot of the Top Gun Franchaise set in space it is not a Star Trek Movie!!!!!!!!!!!!
I Phisically felt sick and and dizzy the moment i saw that new Enteprise just now on the web site, My concerns have now been justified, Kevin i entirely agree with you, I have also been argueing about this at the following sites wiht closed minded ignorant people who are deluded and naive enough to actually think this new movie will work. (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/130442/star_trek_loads_of_new_images_released.html) and (http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/93213/5_reasons_to_be_worried_about_the_upcoming_star_trek_movie.html)
I have delibratly been avoiding the trailer because i knew it would annoy me so much i still havent seen it because it would annoy and upset me so much. Foe the first time in my life i actually feel that i wont bother to see a Star Trek Movie or series. Enterprise was bad enough but this movie has completely done away with Canon, History and continunity. Like my comment from the above site says (”I dont see how this movie had so much dealings with the romulans, If it is set in a pre TOS, The Romulans were first seen in the “Balance of Power” so how can we see them now, Yet another continunity error. And if this is kirk in a pre TOS how can he be on the Enterprise he should be serving on the USS Faragut under Garrovick, Another error. And the shot of the bridge looks far far to advanced to be a Pre-TOS bridge, looks like somthing from the 25th century”) I feel so let down i cant put it into words. That complete muppet and f##king twat Abrams even said “This is not a movie for fans of Star Trek, It is a movie for fans of movies” That comment has absolutely enraged me How can he possibly think that by saying that the movie will work, That comment alone alienates your main viewing audience the fans. I dont really know waht else to say except i am quite sure this is the end of Star Trek.
I can only hope that when this movie fails due to it being a prequel and to many changes that, They will learn from their mistakes and moake a movie that should have been done in the first place A DS9 movie or VGR movie wich would certainly have worked. But you think they would have learned not to do a prequel movie after the prequel faliure that was “Enteprise”.
“Perhaps this movie is a good movie to die”
I have decided this -
JJ Abram’s Star Trek movie is not official canon nor is it an official Star Trek film in my book.
The saddest thing is that Star Trek will live on through this universe and new shows, films and canon will develop out of this version and not the previous 40 years of material.
For all intensive purposes Star Trek’s original spirit is dead and it has been replaced with merely the name Star Trek and a film that seems more like Star Trek: 90210 or rather a Top Gun/Wing Commander movie, with lines like “buckle up.” Kirk seems more like Maverick than he does Kirk and Spock I guess is Iceman - they do not like each other at first. But then I guess there will be a quote like:
Spock: “Live Long and Prosper, Kirk”
Kirk: “Bullsh*t! You Live Long and Prosper, anytime!”
What it sounds like to me is a complete and total re-boot. The original story that was told over the last 40 years ended with Nemesis. That was it. Now, we have a new production crew looking at the source material and inventing their own kind of Star Trek movie, with probably, their own continuity and back-stories. So this is NOT Star Trek part 11, it’s Nu-Trek part 1. It’s something totally different. Totally new. It might even be a really good movie. But it is not Star Trek. For that, I watch the fan films online. Those are the people who have now taken custody of Roddenberry’s original vision.
wow when did you guys get to see the film? Oh you havent? You’re making assumptions?
No assumptions when everything i am basing comes straight from the trailer.
Kirk didn’t meet Captain Pike until Pike was fleet Captain (See the episode The Menagerie)
In this whole movie Kirk meets him in a bar and then stows away on the Enterprise of which Pike is in command.
That and many more things are easily noticible from the trailer!
I second that Kevin, Obviously Daveyd know’s nothing on his Trek History, Kirk serving on the farragut e.t.c, Do some research before you comment on somthing you know nothing about.