Open memo to J.J. Abrams -- Star Trek

[Midnight Marauder]

TO: J.J. Abrams
FROM: Me
STARDATE: 2009.1119
SUBJECT: Star Trek

Okay, I got the DVD and watched it and all of the special features. Being a life long ST fan, I had to at least see for myself what you have done.

I skipped this movie at the theater, because from what I saw as a long time editor of the Star Trek Wiki I didn't think I would like it. I objected to your destroying of the canon, and really felt the time travel plot device and the "Evil Renegade Romulan" have been way overused in Star Trek.

Everything Star Trek before your movie is still canon, but now canon of an alternate timeline. I get that, actually got it a year before the movie came out. Accepting it was the problem.

But after watching your movie, only one thought came to mind: Gene Roddenberry somewhere was smiling. Gene, wherever he is, approves. I really believe that. And I hope that to you, it's the best complement I could pay.

Because Gene was all about solving problems, and your problem was twofold -- the massive existing canon made telling new stories nearly impossible especially if you're going to use the original crew, and there's no getting around the fact that pretty much everything has been covered already, either in the original work or the many spin-offs and movies which came after. The Star Trek Universe was stale.

Now it's a whole new palate, a whole new canvas for yourself or perhaps future Trek film makers to paint on, making the entire thing all new again.

My hat is off to you and all who worked on this film. Nice job. You've won a convert and a fan.

Carry on. Warp Speed.

 

[Oddball]

Shit.....I'm gonna have to see it now, huh?

 

[Midnight Marauder]

Shit.....I'm gonna have to see it now, huh?

I recommend it.

 

[Xenophon]

It was a good movie but it destroyed Trek as it was.

Kirk went from a confident able commander to an angry badboy.

Gene wouldn't have liked it, they solved things with force.

 

[Modbert]

I think the main reason that Gene wouldn't like is what Xeno basically said. They used action and force to compel viewers instead of a message behind the story.

 

[Oddball]

Does Kirk at least score the green chick?

 

[random3434]

That movie made my 13 yo (at the time) daughter into a Star Trek Fan. She was never a fan of Star Trek or such, , but wanted to see the movie because we love J.J. Abrams (because of LOST) and she likes the guy who played Spock because he's on Heroes.

Now she wants the movie for Christmas. I enjoyed it too. Good to have some movies we both like in her teen years too!

 

[Xenophon]

Does Kirk at least score the green chick?

Gets caught in the act.

There are some good points, Bones is well cast and has some fun scenes with kirk, Kirk meeting the original Spock and finding out that his father in the original timeline saw him become Capatin and was proud of him, a very funny Scotty and a midget (you just have to see it).

Bad points is its Kirk & spock 90210.

 

[Andrew2382]

 

[Missourian]

The first 12 minutes rocked...the rest was hum-drum.

Good problem solving plot device...but it weren't Star Trek.

C+...I'm hoping the next one is better.

 

[Oddball]

Spock with a goatee makes any episode better!

 

[random3434]

Spock with a goatee makes any episode better!

I'm slightly nauseous, slightly aroused.

 

[Modbert]

Spock with a goatee makes any episode better!

I was trying to figure out what he reminded me of. Then I realized it was one of the apes from the original Planet of the Apes.

 

[random3434]

Spock with a goatee makes any episode better!

I was trying to figure out what he reminded me of. Then I realized it was one of the apes from the original Planet of the Apes.

Why is xenophone on Spock's desk?

 

[Xenophon]

Spock with a goatee makes any episode better!

I was trying to figure out what he reminded me of. Then I realized it was one of the apes from the original Planet of the Apes.

Why is xenophone on Spock's desk?

Who?

 

[Oddball]

Who the heck is xylophone?

 

[Toronado3800]

I've watched and enjoyed tons of Trek. The Borg movies and episodes, the Wrath of Khan, Yesterday's Enterprise, I have favorite episodes even and they're usually the violent ones lol.

The new movie was entertaining. I hide from spoilers pretty well so I was surprised at how different it looked. Thought they were within a good critical rereading of the script of having a five star movie. Just too much, too haphazardly, no more intelligent than either Transformers or GI Joe but equally as entertaining.

 

[random3434]

 

[Midnight Marauder]

It was a good movie but it destroyed Trek as it was.

Kirk went from a confident able commander to an angry badboy.

Gene wouldn't have liked it, they solved things with force.

1.) Solved things with force after all other options were exhausted and/or determined not feasable.

2.) THIS Kirk is much younger than the one in ToS. By the time we "met" Kirk on the original series, he was 35 and seasoned. THIS Kirk is 25 and not.

3.) Trek is not destroyed. It is expanded into an alternate timeline, which no doubt is one of millions of alternate timelines.

I think the main reason that Gene wouldn't like is what Xeno basically said.

See 1.) above.

They used action and force to compel viewers instead of a message behind the story.

If you missed the message behind the story, that's not really the fault of the film makers. There wasn't just one, but several. And I'm just SO sure you're going to know what Gene would have liked. His wife would, and she said herself Gene would have appreciated this. I knew Gene for many years, and I happen to agree with her.

There are some good points, Bones is well cast and has some fun scenes with kirk

I was actually for Gary Sinise as McCoy, but the one cast did well.

Bad points is its Kirk & spock 90210.

They DO somewhat defer to what Abrams euphemistically calls "the modern movie audience" meaning of course, younger folks. But again, we are dealing with characters who are all 10-15 years younger than they were when we first encountered them. Younger and in an altered timeline.

There are nits to pick, as with any movie. But overall they did a monster job and really pulled out all the stops. They got the crowd they were aiming for, and they also got the traditional trekker. Mission accomplished and I look forward to more. As I said before, this movie establishes a pretty clean canvass for future ones. That's to the good.

 

[Midnight Marauder]

• Will the Romulan home world still be in danger of a Nova in this timeline, in the 80 years or so which passed between the time we see in this movie and the time it happened in Old Spock's timeline? Shouldn't Old Spock be thinking about that and possibly helping them?
• Young Nero. If there's an older, bitter Nero, there's a young Nero. No mention of the younger Nero at all.
• Old Spock actually gives up when he fails? Surely he knows time is fluid, and he COULD go back and stop the nova of the Romulan star, thus stopping this entire new timeline from ever happening in the first place. It's out of character for Old Spock not to want to fix this.
• Klingons? No mention of them at all, do they exist in this new timeline and if so, are they changed?
• Will Spock and Uhura have a pointy-eared baby boy and name him Obama or, Barack? (rhymes with Spock) Or is this where Tuvok comes from?

Anyone else left with questions?