STAR TREK BEYOND Trailer 2 thoughts...

WARNING: Hardcore Trek nerd fan ire to follow. I apologize in advance. But I know people will want my reaction, so here it is.



(Link courtesy of bigfanboy.com)

I know its not popular to voice a pre-opinion before seeing the finished product. Usually I am against this. But this is a property, which many know, is dear to my heart. How could I not give an initial reaction. So that said, This new trailer did not really change my intital reaction to the first trailer at all. Let me get TREK NERD FAN PICKY here:

1-I HATE the new uniforms. Even the away team jackets.
2-Why is it when we get an awesome black actor on Trek we gotta put a bunch of prosthetics on him? Idris Elba can act circles around anyone in this cast.
3-This looks like JJ TREK mixed with HELLBOY 2.
4-(and this is REALLY fanboy picky) that if that is a Captain Archer era ENTERPRISE, the timeline was not effected in his era, so therefore the NX series would look like the NX series we saw on ENTERPRISE. So if it is a ship of that era, it looks completely different. I doubt it is, cause why go to that well if the casual audience that probably this is pitched to doesn’t even know of ENTERPRISE or the NX series. So I am betting this is another ship, confusingly designed like the NX series. Which will drive us nitpicky design Trek nerds crazy!

The only thing I feel that can save this movie is that in the end, they get a new Enterprise and its retro-looking… like the 60’s show but updated a bit. And the uniforms change. I think that would be good fan service, especially considering that its the 50th Anniversary.

But this looks like more ACTION/STYLE over substance. Granted I haven’t seen the flick, but honestly, unless the reviews come back saying its really good, I am gonna skip seeing it. I can’t believe I’m saying that because I’ve seen EVERY Star Trek flick since SEARCH FOR SPOCK on opening day. Its a record I have. But this one looks like shit. Worse than Insurrection. More of the same shit I didn’t want.

But I say all this knowing that my tastes are just stuck in classic sci fi. I love George Pal’s THE TIME MACHINE (RIP Alan Young BTW), and classic TREK. TREK has always been “classical” music. Not “rock and roll” (Or the BEASTIE BOYS). Its fine, but its not for me. I’m sure modern audiences will love this movie. But its not for me. I’m a product of a bygone era of sci fi viewing. At least I have plenty of episodes and movies of Trek I can re-watch, of an era that I liked. And books. And comics. And fan films. (thank god they dropped the lawsuit!) TREK is now for us, the fans who grew with it and love what it was. So Hollywood can keep making these rock em sock em blowup bike ridin’, hunky guys, hottie bra and panty shot girl blow em up flicks. I’ll be home watching the REAL Kirk and Spock and what Trek was all about. Gene Roddenbery has to be rolling over in his grave. Wasn’t he buried with his mistresses too?

I really liked the first JJ Trek. Although I had complaints about certain design elements of it, I still could see past it and really enjoy the flick. It made me excited for the future of TREK. Then INTO DARKNESS felt like an extreme step back, with inconsistencies in Trek lore and history as well as just bland action and no substance. But I could see why modern audiences would like it. But to me, it tried to take too much from a previous Trek movie that was way better and only reminded me why it was better.

We live in a time where everything I grew up with is being remade. And I don't really see it being improved like the remakes of my era. Maybe that is nerdy old man B.S.  But you know what? That unpopular opinion of old man B.S.....that is valid too. We come to a piece of art (film, music, etc) based on our experience and what we want to take from it. And I prefer my sci fi a certain way. Especially when it comes to a beloved franchise that I grew up loving. We build these things in our head and we like them a certain way because they are at the core of who we are. We don't have to change with the times if we don't want to. It doesn't make it worse or better at all. Like what you like. At least I have hours and hours of the stuff I like to still relive over again until I croak.

Unfortunately, count me still out. But I will be waiting for trusted reviews to decide. But I’m betting I don’t need to bring out my magic 8 ball for what they will say.

Some Nerdy things I'd Love

Okay, something a little less serious. A bit of a list of cool nerdy things I saw that I'd love to have for myself. Maybe I'll get em, maybe I won't. Maybe the wife will read this post and look at it as an early Xmas list! :) Here are some cool things for sale out there that I am kinda interested in...

I collect all things Riddler, so one of these new 12" Riddler figures based on the great Frank Gorshin from the 60's is necessary for me.

Hasbro is doing a kick-ass job on these new black series of figures. I have my eye on the Boba Fett (natch). If they make one of my other favorite Star Wars character (Bo Shek) then I'll get that too! I might have to get a Slave Leia, Han Solo and Luke (ROTJ) as well.

I'm not too big of a cookie eater but this Dragon Egg cookie jar is kinda neat. Maybe get two of them and fill them with Flour and Sugar for the kitchen. Heh.

This was just announced this week. A mega box set of both the new Trek movies in a super box set with all the extras. Now, I already have the first flick and am not a major fan of the second one. However, I am a completist and would like this box set. Reason: When they released Star Trek into Darkness on disc, they did this new bullshit thing studios are doing where they release certain extra features as store exclusives. Like the Target version has different extra features as the Best buy version, or the Walmart version, etc. This box set collects ALL of them and even adds more like a gag Reel and more. While it would be a double dip of sorts to re-own the first one, it would be good to own all the extras for the second flick. Its one of my least favorite Trek movies, but again, I'm a completist and I love to watch the film making process on dvd extras. It is an entertaining movie, sure. And I never got it on disc because of how much I didn't like it. that always bothered me. I think the fact that I didn't care for the flick, coupled with the various versions out there pissed me off, so I didn't get it. I didn't fall for the quadruple dip. Glad I waited.

For other things I didn't list, check my AMAZON WISH LIST right HERE

There we go! Something fun!

Much Love, T

Thoughts on new STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS trailer

My initial reaction to the first trailer was one of excitement. And then the second. But then I saw the opening nine minutes thingy online. I hated it. In fact, I started to get scared for the success of this film, in my head at least. People were griping (as they usually do). "This isn't Trek anymore. Trek isn't about vengeance and violence/terrorism." I was kind of seeing their point. But really when you think about it, We've lived with one version of Trek for almost 50 years. We've seen that movie ten times. We've seen 500 episodes and countless comics, books, fan fiction and fan films like that. Why not something new?

This Trek seems to me that it is highly reflective of the post-911 world we live in, where gratuitious violence and terrorism themes are prevalent in all our flicks. We can't unsee it now cause we live it now. And if you think back, what Trek did best was put whatever was going on in the world into their stories and used them as subtext to make comments on it, indirectly. For example, episodes of TOS like "A Private Little War" dealt with the Vietnam War at a time where TV shows weren't allowed to comment on such a thing. There are TNG episodes that deal with Terrorism for a good cause, drug addiction, euthinasia and much more. So why not let this new flick do the same? Perhaps they've channeled into something we had forgot about Trek and its purpose at times.

This new international trailer shows us a lot more (and in the case of Alice Eve as Carol Marcus, A LOT more). And I am very interested as to how this will all unfold. As frustrated as I am about JJ Abrams and his secrets, he's certainly brought the fun back to movies for me. I am reminded of the days where there was no internet and all I had was peeks at Starlog magazines and the occasional TV trailer that played if you watched TV enough. How he does it, I don't know. We are extra annoyed because with today's technology, we are right there in the minute as things are being made and know all the scoops. But this dude keeps the secrets and magic of the movies to himself. I kinda respect him for it. (As much as it frustrates the hell out of me. Just say the villian is KHAN already!!!)

Reasons I am excited for this flick:

1-Benedict Cumberbatch---The dude can act. Just watch SHERLOCK and see that he's a scene stealing bad ass motherfucker. And these trailers just make him look even more bad ass. If anyone can pull off a switcheroo of a role, its him. If he is indeed KHAN with maybe some extra enhancements to alter his appearance, I'm all for it. Why the fuck not. Its exciting.

2-Kirk's evolution---Capt Kirk was always my favorite character. While I dug the first flick, he never felt like "Kirk" to me. I think as the events unfold in this new movie, we'll see him go through some major shit that will develop him into more of the Kirk I am used to. One I can cheer for rather than watch him get his ass kicked 20 times and feel sorry for him. Maybe the events in this flick will give him the "pain" he needs to become OUR Kirk. "I need my pain!"

3-Enterprise destruction---No secret I wasn't a fan of the redesign. Its okay, but I am not in love with it. But seeing the shots of the Enterprise as a burning hulk and crashing into the ocean on Earth after a battle, I just feel its gonna be awesome.

4-Simon Pegg as Scotty---Haven't seen much of him in the trailers. But I think he's gonna be a great comedic element to the flick to keep it a bit "fun" among all the chaos. Perhaps Karl Urban as Bones too (Who did an awesome job in the first one BTW).

5-More Michael G score---The first flick's score was awesome. Can't wait to see what he comes up with for this one.

Trek was always its best when real stakes were high. Shit got epic and things mattered. (Think Wrath of Khan/Search for Spock) I am glad we're gonna be put through the wringer again. May 17th cannot come soon enough for me.

Trek on, T