Thanks to Entertainment Weekly, you are looking at the first full image of the redesigned USS Enterprise from the new Star Trek movie (you can head over there for a larger version).
As a long time Star Trek fan, whose favorite series is the original, my from-the-gut reaction when I first came across this was:
That is one ugly ship.
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Here is what J.J. Abrams had to say in regards to the new design vs the original:
“If you’re going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you’re going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?”
I don’t know… maybe it’ll grow on me or it will look awesome while in flight on the big screen, but at the moment it’s not doing it for me. While he went pretty “classic” with the saucer section (that’s “primary hull” for the Star Trek fans out there) the connecting pylon and the secondary (lower) hull just look… incongruous.
If I had to pick one word that comes to mind when I look at that image, it would be:
Taffy.
You know, that stretchy carnival candy? You get it warmed up and then you can pull on it and it stretches and thins? That’s what the secondary hull and the nacelles look like to me. The lower hull looks like it was molded out of clay, rolled between two hands and rolled narrower at one end.
Almost exactly one year ago I wrote a speculative post asking “How radical is the USS Enterprise Redesign?”
Pretty damned radical, it seems.
Here are some comparative images from that post to help put things in perspective:
The Original USS Enterprise NCC-1701
JJ Abrams’ Redesigned USS Enterprise NCC-1701
The USS Enterprise NCC-1701-A
Tell me the new design doesn’t look like the movie Enterprise saucer section tacked onto some completely different alien ship.
In another post, I tried to guess how a redesign of the Enterprise might equate to the modern trend of doing design updates of classic cars. As it turns out, I think my 1960s to 21st century Camaro comparison turned out to be the closest in design ideology:
Classic Camaro
Modern Camaro
At the time I wrote:
“Let me say that I think the new Camaro is really, REALLY hot and from a design standpoint pays homage to the classic version, but that degree of change for the Enterprise would be completely unacceptable.”
Oh well.
Or… is it just me? Do I need to give it time to sink in and see it in action? I’d like to hear opinions from both Star Trek fans and non-fans.
[UPDATE: Thanks to "Spockboy" check out this minor change to the design via Photoshop that makes the new NCC-1701 look FAR better by adding some bulk to the lower part of the ship.]
Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.
Source: EW.com via FirstShowing.net
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275 Comments
I’ve been a Star Trek fan since I was a little kid and liked both the original and new generation series for reasons that appeal to it’s intended audiences.
However, the franchise had become very stagnant and as much as those fans of the original series don’t want change, the reality is there’s not enough of you to buy tickets to any feature films that would keep this franchise alive. It would be a serious tragedy for Star Trek to become some obscure old series that exists only on certian websites or blogs with a very small cult following.
Honestly, when I saw the new design, I had to adjust my thinking a little bit (it looked like the old but not quite). However, it grew on me.
The original Star Trek series will always be a classic and retain it’s status in the universe of sci fi (that’s for us older generation to always treasure). However, this new take on the original series should be viewed as just that “New”. And, I look forward to seeing the new picture in 2009 and its impact on a new generation of fans.
“To boldly go where no man has gone before” was the core of the shows existence. I always took those words to imply risk. Why not risk a different concept on an original. You never know, you just might be inspired in a whole new way.
@Larry
I echo your thoughts completely. As long as this version is done WELL, I will accept it as a “re-birth” of Trek.
Vic
I fully agree with what you have stated, its a re-imagining re-birth of the final frontier and it has a new beginning for a new generation of fans to follow it is as we have followed all the previous incarnations of trek’s past.
A lot of fans refused to follow Enterprise which is I guess classified in its own right as contemporary trek because there was a song for the opening theme, because the ship looked like a flipped upside down akira class looked more advanced technology wise but hey that is the 2001 it was produced in not 1960’s, in a way I can agree with trek had run it’s course by 2001 I followed the show on and off and was put off with this temporal cold war going on and on and on and well you get my point, then season 4 came along and finally the stories of the UFP coming together, I really liked the story of the Klingon forehead ridges being explained, but the way the finale story was I would say it was a big F**K Y*U to the fans and there’s Berman and his cronies, oh its a swan song and valentines gift to the fans, the only gift I got from it was the ending with the 3 enterprises signing off.
But the new movie has fresh faces writers stories like a clean slate to start from, I think it is promising from what I have seen so far.
I don’t think there’s much to worry about canon ect what use would it be for J.J to say it was sticking with canon story wise if it wasn’t going to be, that would just make him look bad the world over.
I’ve come to accept the new movie, and as I stated in an earlier post, I’m pretty excited about the upcoming JJ Abrams film.
However, whether you are a Trek Fan, or just a movie watcher, none of you can honestly tell me that you find that design attractive. I know some of you on here have stated that you like it. Personally (not that it matters) I don’t believe you, and I think you’re lying. *Laughs*
Look! When the new Camaro came out, how many in here went, “OMG! That’s one bad &SS car!” Okay, yes I thought it was attractive, but it just isn’t a Camaro. It’s an over-priced futuristic design that isn’t affordable to the traditional Camaro lover. The new Camaro is a target for the rich boys….as if they don’t already have enough. They already have Porche, Corvette, Dodge Viper, Lamb., Farari., etc.
This new design Enterprise doesn’t have to look like TOS. [As much as I’d love seeing TOS model on the silver screen} But I just don’t see a large support for this new design. I see a lot of so called Trek Fans trying to build support for this….but the fact you’re trying to build support, proves to me that you’re not a Trek Fan.
Traditionally, Trek Fans don’t require someone else’s approval. They’re picked on, and teased, yet they keep going, and going, and going. Their loyalty is based on internal passion, and NOT the main stream society, if you want to call them that. Therefore, if main stream soceity has to convince me that this new design is awesome, then good for them. But how many times will they come back? Name a single movie that’s ever been supported by the main stream society that rarely watches any SCI film?
My point is simple! I’m a Trek Fan, and I love the Original Series design, the Motion Picture design (My favorite), and the Enterprise-E design. With every ounce of me internally, this new design is the funniest looking, high on drugs design I’ve ever seen. It has too much Star Wars taste in it, and the only two crafts I liked from Star Wars was the Millennium Falcon and the X-Wing fighter. The rest I didn’t care about.
My point is simle folks, and it’s up to anyone how they react. We’re accustomed to the Trek universe changing, but the changes are why Trek was sliding down the hill. Change the universe, and you might get a gradule increase of those who will accept it (such as myself). But you keep screwing with the Enterprise, you’re only making more enemies.
The Enterprise already has a well established history (40 years). This new design deserves a new name. Let them use their imagination to come up with that.
LEAVE THE ENTERPRISE ALONE!
I am a die-hard Trek fan and have a problem with this new design. It looks slapped together. They took the saucer section from Star Trek the Motion Picture and slapped in onto this awful secondary hull. I understand the need to update the Trek universe, as the technology today is advancing far more then Roddenberry first imagined back in the 1960’s. It was certainly tough when the designers had to come up with the NX-01 for the Enterprise series, but I felt they pulled it off farily well. I was hoping that with this new movie they would have tried to blend the NX-01 design with the original series Enterprise. That would have at least made some sense. However Star Trek has always been about the idea of a better universe and Roddenberry’s vision of that. It was the stories that made the series and hopefully this new one will at least live up to that.
That design is UGLY. COME ON! Any one with paper and crayons could scribble a better design that that ridiculous crap. It’s totally out of proportion. The design looks newer than the Enterprise(s) used in Star Trek 1-6. The ship should look more like the original design. Fan-made designs looks better. Just like Superman Returns with the maroon and navy costume, small symbol and leather cape I am disappointed. The one thing you don’t screw around with is the ENTERPRISE you SOB.
Wow… that is one ugly ship. Looks like they took Picard’s enterprise(1701D) and tried to give it a retro look. That ship was ugly in its own right, this one looks like she fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down, and then was beat with the limbs that it knocked off on its trip to the ground.
I just pray this is not a sign that Paramount is in the process of taking another dump in a paper bag and then writing “Star Trek” on it to sell it…
i think that J.J. is try’in to Pull an X3.
where as he’s trying 2 adapt the original for a younger audance, and by doing that he is straying way away from the original mythos of what trekies learned 2 love.
but either way i will see it. and depending on the film i will erither praise it or B*tcH about it.
I still don’t understand the design of the nacelles and secondary hull.
The saucer looks pretty good and has the detail/updates I would expect but the rest looks like it could come from TNG. Hell it looks more advanced than the 1701A, it just doesn’t make sense.
Come on guys, it’s J.J. Abrams on board writing about a time travel story. J.J. is great at telling stories about time travel. Hasn’t anyone seen “Lost”? Er…ummm….
We’re in trouble aren’t we?
Well Abrams isn’t responsible for the writing of Lost and I actually like Lost–although the compiling of question upon question in Lost is a little ridiculous this far out into the series.
That said I also loved MI:3 or whatever it was called but I’m not happy with this ship design–hell even the mod with the more tube-like secondary hull is a major improvement IMO. This thing shouldn’t look like the Enterprise D at all.
I gave it some time, and my position has not budged. This ship is extremely ugly, and too retarded to be called a “design”. I feel sorry for the poor guy who designed this thing. I’d like to believe it was nothing more than a joke, and JJ Abrams chose it purposely just to piss off the True Trek fans. Then again, his move Clover Field sucked, so I don’t expect much from this new movie which he’s calling Star Trek. Actually, as another website puts it, it should be called Star Wreck! I think Paramount made a huge mistake picking a Star Wars fan to direct a Trek film. It’s not as though the last few Star Wars movies did very well. In fact, more women seemed to watch Episodes 2 and 3 just because of the romance scenes.
Good luck JJ….Their’s still plenty of openings in the unemployment line! *Laughs*
So, what happens if the movie works out…then you guys are gonna look like a bunch of idiots…I’m a treky, but I’m giving him a chance, and personally, I liked cloverfield.
My vote: C-
Obviously they needed to alter the Enterprise styling a bit. To give it a modern retro look. A cross-over styling to satisfy the old timers plus something fresh to capture the younger newbie crowd. But the designer really didn’t have a feeling for it. And it shows. Its doesn’t flow as a complete design. Amateurish. This will disappoint Trek fans like myself but I must reserve final judgement until I see the ship in context. It may fit within the revamped world they have created quite well. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on this movie. It had better not do what Quantum of Solace did to James Bond… rip the soul right out of the franchise. But on a positive note, I can hardly wait till May. Finally, another Star Trek Movie!
PS: If you have a chance to see either of the 2 traveling ST exhibits do it. Saw the one at the San Diego Air and Space Museum just before it moved on. Fantastic. Sitting in Captains Kirks chair on the bridge of the Enterprise telling my wife to “Fire Phasers!” was priceless. Hint: Don’t go on a weekend.
I remember all the vitriol directed at TNG by “real” Trek fans. It was similar to the hate being directed at JJ’s project and in the end will probably ring just as hollow. If you think the JJ Enterprise is a radical departure then just look at the 1701D vis a vis the 1701 and 1701A. With TNG many TOS fans swore it would be crap and most of them changed their tune somewhere around season 4 when it was obvious that TNG would be more successful than TOS ever was.
The trailer makes it obvious that this is a character driven story instead of simply being a tech fest for chief engineer wanabes. Don’t get me wrong cool SE is always a draw, but only for those already interested in the Sci-Fi genre, which is to say not the group needed to revitalize Trek. People like me, my wife and my children were going to see Trek anyway because we dig Sci-Fi, but the franchise needs to draw in new fans. One way to do that with a brand that is seen as dry and inaccessible as Star Trek is to reboot the series with action and human drama being accentuated over Trek Canon. Already my mother and one of my sisters have shown an interest in this film and they are far from Trekkies; those are some of the fans that Paramount is trying to draw into the Trek Universe with this film.
Abrams said this is a reboot, set in an alternate branch of the Trek Universe, which was borne out of Romulans screwing with the time-line. This allows Kink, Spock and company (including the ship) to have slight differences while still maintaining their core values. It also allows a new story that fits within existing canon and one that follows rules long established in Trek lore. This probably the best way to make new adventures involving Kirk and Company unless someone develops an actual time machine to retrieve Shatner, Nimoy and the rest from the mid sixties.
For those concerned that this is going to turn out like the Star Wars prequels I will provide two glimmers of hope:
1. Thus far here is no sign of any character as annoying as Jar Jar in any of the Star Trek Trailers.
2. JJ Abrams is not (post Empire Strikes Back) George Lucas and unlike Lucas has proven capable of telling a story in recent years.
As a fan of ST:TNG, I know how the TOS fanboys feel about the redesign of their Enterprise.
I am certain that I feel for the 1701-D as you feel about the original and the A. When I first saw the 1701-E, I just about puked. I still can’t stand that ship.
Now to see this mish-mash of porpoise-like nacelles stuck on half of Black Manta’s head leads me back to those initial feelings of the Enterprise E.
The elements are there, but they have gone too far in reinterpreting an iconic design.
Then again, maybe the kids won’t care like we do.
I agree with your assessment of the 1701-E. I hate that thing with its dark panels and ginormous size. As if the 1701-D weren’t huge enough they had to go and make the next one even bigger.
Vic
I have to agree with you as well Vic.
This interpretation of the valiant NCC-1701 is really odd. I looks as though starfleet contracted out the primary and secondary hulls to two seperate design teams.
I admit to being a trekker, trekkie, geek or whatever but I am pretty accepting of a lot of things. I have no problem with the cast especially after the trailer was released and I’m on board with a new hyper action Trek movie. It wil definatley work for a broader audience. It looks like what the Enterprise series aspired to be but didn’t deliver until the final season.
On that note, I am in my early thirties and have been a fan of Trek my entire life, but Voyager happens to be my favorite of the tv series. Also could you people lay of the Star Wars prequels. Just admit you aren’t really Star Wars fans. You are merely fans of the nostalgia you feel when watching the OT. I’m sorry your inner children died but it’s not George’s fault. None of the six movies are flawless exercises in filmaking…except maybe ESB, I’ll give You Jar jar but come on…ewoks?
Just had to get that out since every prequel hater feels the need to rip on Lucas at every opportunity.
As for the “new” “old” enterprise. I really feel it did not need to be so overly redesigned. They could have taken the classic and tricked it out with more hull detail and minor alterations in it’s sleekness and new audience members would have been fine and so would most of the hardcore fans.
’nuff said.
I’ve read most if not all of the posts here. Not entirely impressed by you nay sayers. To those of you, vic included, who have grown and changed your minds somewhat, ain’t it fun being human.
I’m a 25 year-old Trekker. I proudly admit it in public. I value the story and the core principles above all else. I’ve been a Trekker since I first saw The Voyage Home, and to this day still use the phrase, “double dumb@$$ on you,” and ever since. I’ve even debated on whether the Probe from TVH could actually cripple a Borg cube with another Trekker. I’ve seen as much Trek as I could get my hands on, which is basically everything some TOS, TNG, DS9, VOY and Enterprise. I’m starting to watch TOS online, though I have seen some episodes and screencaps of the ship. The trailer sold me that this was a Star Trek movie and I’m happy. However, this isn’t what this message board is about.
I LIKE THE DESIGN!!! If it were a woman I’d rate her as a 9.8. She has meat in all the right places and has curves. I’m more of a fan of the classic Shelby GT500 than the new one by the way. This design looks more functional. The primary hull is for habitation and the secondary hull is engineering. The secondary reminds me of a submarine, especially with the positioning of the neck that joins it to the primary hull. I always had issues with such a bloated secondary hull and such a tiny connective neck. This reimagined design corrects that. For what they’re supposed to do the nacelles look meaty, like they can generate a large field that is supposed to warp space/time to promote faster-than-light travel. And from a functional standpoint instead of cosmetic, they look like ENGINES. The only detail I would have change was the spacing between the nacelles themselves. It could have been wider but I can adapt to it. But functionally, and believe me, I love nitpicking functionality, it sells me. If I look at it artistically, the saucer actually stands out more with the engineering section being this small also, which actually draws my attention to the primary haul as where the majority of the action is, as far as the ship is concerned.
On to the bridge. All white? I have the trailer up on my computer right now and it is most definitely NOT all white. It IS brightly lit however and the sheen off of the panels may give the appearance of whiteness. However, what’s wrong with a white interior? The Space Shuttle’s cockpit is almost all white. That’s been the way long before Apple Stores existed.
Scratch the 9.8. Saw it from a different angle and it pleased me. It’s a 10.
So yeah, my humble opinion and observations. Take them or leave them.
Oh yeah, I thought the 1701-E was purely aesthetic and not very interesting. It looked more like a sports car than the flagship of the Federation.
It’s kind of ugly. Its secondary hull lacks the aft warp undercut beneath the shuttlebay, which if i recall actually had funtion. the secondary hull also looks like it was squished, and doesn’t have enough substance. yet the saucer section is almost identical to the E-A? It makes no sense. He should’ve kept it a little more original. You’re not generally supposed to mess with the ship. In THIS movie, the ship is a bigger star than its cast is, save the TOS actors.
I have to marvel once again at the incredibly long list of ridiculous comments from some people. I am a fan of both Star Trek and science fiction in general. I was also an architectural technician and a student of design. All of the versions of the Enterprise have had elements of design that I liked and some that I didn’t. All of them look extremely good in some pictures and not so nice in others. It all comes down to personal taste not ‘Lore’ or ‘Canon’ or any of the other ridiculous words used by some to describe a fictional set of stories for gods sake. People in this blog actually say that this new ship design just wouldn’t work. It’s not real! Others have said its not the Enterprise or its not Star Trek. It appears to have a Primary saucer shaped hull attached to a secondary hull by a pylon and then 2 warp nacelles protruding from the seconday hull on struts. Sounds like a Federation starship to me! If you are narrow minded enough to be posting comments on here complaining that the choices of the new films witers/directors/designers and producers are not the original ideas chosen by a group of people in the sixties then you fail to understand the vision of those responsible for writing those stories in the first place and consequently you are not worthy to be called a science fiction fan. As a genre it’s about embracing both new ideas and fresh takes on existing ones but above all else its about being open minded. JJ Abrams is a talented individual with some interesting and creative ideas. If you enjoy his vision for Star Trek that’s great. If you actually watch the film in May 2009 and don’t enjoy it then you can say so but only if you judged it on it’s own merit. Until then please stop complaining.
[Quote]I have to marvel once again at the incredibly long list of ridiculous comments from some people. I am a fan of both Star Trek and science fiction in general. I was also an architectural technician and a student of design. All of the versions of the Enterprise have had elements of design that I liked and some that I didn’t. All of them look extremely good in some pictures and not so nice in others. It all comes down to personal taste not ‘Lore’ or ‘Canon’ or any of the other ridiculous words used by some to describe a fictional set of stories for gods sake. People in this blog actually say that this new ship design just wouldn’t work. It’s not real! Others have said its not the Enterprise or its not Star Trek. It appears to have a Primary saucer shaped hull attached to a secondary hull by a pylon and then 2 warp nacelles protruding from the seconday hull on struts. Sounds like a Federation starship to me! If you are narrow minded enough to be posting comments on here complaining that the choices of the new films witers/directors/designers and producers are not the original ideas chosen by a group of people in the sixties then you fail to understand the vision of those responsible for writing those stories in the first place and consequently you are not worthy to be called a science fiction fan. As a genre it’s about embracing both new ideas and fresh takes on existing ones but above all else its about being open minded. JJ Abrams is a talented individual with some interesting and creative ideas. If you enjoy his vision for Star Trek that’s great. If you actually watch the film in May 2009 and don’t enjoy it then you can say so but only if you judged it on it’s own merit. Until then please stop complaining.[Quote]
You first! Who are you to judge anyone on our opinions, or anyone else’s opinion. What? Are you the kind of guy that cooks a steak medium well, when the customer asked for Medium Rare, and you merely roll your eyes as if to say, “Just eat the steak! It’s still a steak no matter how it’s cooked!”
That is exactly what you’re suggesting to those of us who flat out hate the weird design of this thing.
You can’t honestly tell me that JJ Abrams viewed dozens of model designs for the upcoming film, and for some odd reason, stared long and hard at this photo, and said, “oh yea! That’s the one! It’ll be great!”
When James Cawley saw it, he doesn’t exactly admit it, but by the response JJ Abrams had, I’m pretty sure JJ Abrams was displeased that James Cawley may not have liked the design.
It’s simple! If you want to please Trek fans, then you’ll listen to them. But if you’re merely trying to produce new tastes and flavors, then keep it at that! NEW! That’s my entire point!
JJ Abrams cheated by borrowing a 40 year successful franchise that did quite well with its honest, loyal, and awesome fan base…..even during persecution and insults from the non-fans. That shows the loyalty of the fans who love it, and always will. But here comes a man who wasn’t that successful with Clover Field, and yet a few of you are bending your backs as though he’s some sort of spectacular movie producer! I wasn’t impressed with any of his programs.
Here’s a man who knows nothing about Star Trek, and you expect all the customers to consume a well done steak when as asked for medium rare….and why? Because it was cooked by JJ Abrams?
All I’m saying is don’t be so hard on the nay sayers; you have to take the good with the bad….even when it hurts. Trust me….Trek fans are quite used to taking bad, while holding on to what we like.
Joseph
As a fan of the original Trek series (not the newer ones, which taper off in likability for me as they progress), I was excited to hear they they were going to make something new based on the original. Unfortunately, I agree that this is an ugly ship. It has nothing to do with similarity to the original, it has to do with the fact that the design is completely out of balance. Jeffries designed the original Enterprise with an idea in the back of his mind that the ship would have to be balanced based on the direction of thrust of the ship. It’s something that gave all the original series ships a unique look and which they threw out with the new editions. As for this one; I do like the warp nacelles for one. I also like the duck tail back, but to save the aesthetic balance, you have to slide the neck of the thing forward, so the “boob” on the front is less onerous, and the neck doesn’t seem so top-heavy. Just sliding the entire saucer forward would probably save the looks of the ship.
Okay, a lot of us need to lay off each other a bit here. Let me try to add a little perspective here.
First, J.J. Abrams, love him or hate him, he is a talented guy. One poster was bitching about how Cloverfield sucked. Well the box office tells a different story here. I was not a fan but I have enjoyed other work of his.
Second, Star Trek as a franchise has performed very well over the years. Some people liked some series over others. I, personally liked them all for different reasons. IMO the reason TREK fell out of fashion is there had just been sooooo much of it for so long. It’s not Paramount, George Bush, or over exposure of the sometimes scary hardcore fanbase.
The story just needed a break.
Third, the animosity between fans and casual viewers is just silly. Okay, a couple of TREKKIES films shined a unflattering light on the hardcore community. Granted some of those fans are clearly troubled people but if TREK gets them through the day it’s alright by me. Who are they hurting? Nobody. Extreme fans exist in all kinds of fanbases not just TREK. TREK just happens to be one of the more high profile franchises.
Fourth, the new TREK movie is aimed at more than just the existing fanbase. So all of us diehards need to get over this inflated sense of entitlement. This leads to silly statements that start with things like; “How dare they…” or “So and so doesn’t understand anything about TREK…”. The fact is, that fresh eyes have always helped TREK improve. Nicholas Meyer who directed STAR TREK II an VI (My favorites btw) knew almost nothing about TREK when he started. Let’s give Abrams a chance. Now the intention of this film is to both attract a new audience and please the old one.
Fifth, non-TREKKies or casual viewers need to accept that we fans care a lot about continuity. When I really love something I pursue other related stories and mediums. I and others like me enjoy continuity because it enhances the story and makes the events more tangible. We like to see things and think to ourselves; “That happened because ……. happened in this story.”. Well when producers, directors, writers, etc. ignore this stuff it devalues our invested interest in the subject. Although the slight is not really a financial one, it operates as though all the time and money we spend in loving this story or these characters suddenly doesn’t matter. It’s silly, I know, but it does matter to some of us.
Lastly, there are many things to consider when designing a starship called enterprise. It can be a tricky balancing act. My first impression was a geeky one. “What the crap did they do to the Enterprise?” Since then I have reconciled with it but I still don’t like it. I am not completely opposed to change. Though I was not a huge fan of the “D” from TNG on first impression, I grew to love it and was saddened they blew it up in “Generations” THen I saw the “E” and loved it. To date though, my favorite remains the first movie version. “A” and it’s predecessor. One thing I watched on a DVD special feature or behind the scenes promo was about how when you design an iconic object, one factor is that a child should be able to draw it. It can be very detailed but the basic shape needs to have a certain balance and be constructed primarily, and whenever possible, out of basic geometric shapes. THis made a lot of sense to me as I know I drew the Enterprise a lot as a kid. My problems with this new design a primarly a matter of proportion and balance. It’s not because fictional physics but because some of it is designed in a forced perspective while other parts aren’t. It is common in design to make something look like it is going really fast while standing still but there has to be a balnce though and this ship misses the mark. While some may not like designs of starships from the previous TREK offerings, most of them, imo, looked good from most angles. There was a sensibility that made them look balanced, symmetrical and interesting from certain camera views. This new Enterprise is ugly, unbalanced, ungainly and butt ugly from the few views we’ve seen. I sincerely hope to change my mind once I see it in action, but I still don’t understand why it was changed in the first place. When this new movie is going out of its way to look retro like TOS, with the silly primary colored sweaters, short pants and boots, miniskirts and monochromatic set design why were they so eager to change the ship. The old design was perfectly servicable as the reduxed TOS DVD version demonstrated. The shape was fine. More detail was all that a new feature film would have demanded. I did say that I am not so rigid and resistant to change that I would hate this thing on principle. Honestly though, if they really felt that the old design was that bad, a less intrusive compromise should have been possible. Like I said above though, I reserve final verdict until May 2009.
Sean,
Great post. I can say based on comments that I think many old school Trekkies ARE coming around on this.
Vic
If I were Capt. Kirk; I would set the warp engines to overload, effect emergency saucer separation, and send the aft section on a kamikaze run into Nero’s ship.
The resulting conflagration would please both the Newbies and the Die-Hards.
Not likely, I know, but a guy can dream.
I just read on some site that an insider from ILM was stating that the nacelles were designed in this way as the are multi directional they can pivot go up down so the ship can do a 360 degree turn on a dime so its much more maneuverable also flaps to stop the ship in an instant , I actually think that is cool i have always thought the ship having to do a wide turn to go in the other direction was ridiculous , this design would also prove to be better in a fire fight as the ship can skip hop and dodge incoming fire . as for the other guys on here wanting the original enterprise it would never ever hold up to the digital effects of 2009 back in 1966 that was fine and to be expected, and as for the internal design what the hell do you want to see cardboard walls with that ugly orange color damn u couldn’t have any drama with boring garbage sets, but as the producers and a few others on this site have said its not the ship sets ect…. its the story and the original concept of the characters that matter, which I could not argue at all, you nitpickers need to get a life instead of saving a pick of the ship opening it in some photo editing program and zoom it and say this is wrong thats wrong, who gives a crap the ship still has the same basic design saucer nacelles 2ndary hull the neck connecting saucer to 2ndary hull which i always found funny because the original was so narrow you prob couldn’t get the turbolift through it . anyway i am probably gonna get blasted for my opinions but who cares.
@Kelly
Here at Screen Rant we try to keep the conversation civil – so people may argue their point and disagree with someone else’s point of view, but we don’t tolerate people “blasting” each other.
I find it ironic that you prepare to be blasted, especially since you used the term “nitpickers get a life.” If you don’t want to get blasted, perhaps you shouldn’t throw out the first volley, hmm?
As to “garbage sets,” for the mid-late 60s those sets looked damned good. I realize you must be probably in your 20s, if that, so you have no perspective when it comes to having watched the show when it originally aired, when most people still had black & white TV sets.
And the neck on connecting the primary and secondary hull was indeed wide enough go get a turbo-elevator through it (speaking of nitpicking…).
Vic
Vic
I know and understand what all of you are saying, and in a way, you are all right; and at the same time, you are all wrong.
You are all missing the point: It ain’t about the actual, specific design of the Enterprise, NCC-1701; it is about the ‘re-imagining’ of the Franchise’s two main stars: The bad-boy Captain, James Tiberius Kirk, and the Lady herself, the Enterprise.
William Shatner was Kirk for forty years, and we knew no other, but he is just an actor; the character, James T Kirk, was a two-fisted, bar fight-startin’, womanizing bad boy headed for a penal colony before his 30th birthday if he didn’t find his destiny, his niche – in the Big Chair. By becoming Captain Kirk, he saved Earth, several times over, as well as many other alien worlds besides, more than making up for the loss of the red Corvette Stingray sailing to its destuction at the bottom of a quarry when he was twelve years old. Chris Pine captures that feel perfectly, the personality of a saved soul who found his true mission going where even angels fear to tread, where no man has gone before – plus, he bagged Uhura! Nuthin’ wrong with that! This is 100% in alignment with Roddenberry’s original concept for this character.
Similarly, the seat of his destiny, the Starship Enterprise, had to be reimagined, for the same reason that the STMP refit was necessary, to fit the big screen, draw in new fans, and keep the model makers happy for seven fat years (sad but true), and no, it won’t please everybody – let’s face it, it pleases almost nobody, including me – the saucer’s too big, there is no strengthening 360-degree ‘dimple’ underneath it, the dorsal pylon is upside down & too far aft on the strongback, the the new nacelles & pylons are beautiful, yes, but they’re too far back and not ballanced at their attachement points, and yes, the cove under the shuttlebay has been completely deleted, I could go on and on (a photon torpedo tube down below, when the originals were just underneath the bridge area? Please!) – but therein lies the genius of JJ Abrams, traditionally a non-fan: He understands, perhaps better than anybody, that the Trek Universe is dying, the fans are hide-bound over such silly details like ship hull designs, and the Great Masses still see us all as nerds, so he retooled the Big E to look, well, cool. That is the original story all over again, and just as Trek invented the cellphone (and no one appreciates that as they should, don’t bother to thank Gene), the Cat Scan, Pet Scan and MRI, a new generation (I know, unforgivable pun) has to be hooked, just like we all were.
Star Trek may even become cool, who knows? You’ve got some sexy leads, from Chis Pine to Karl Urban to Zoe Saldanna (God, I LOVE Uhura!), and people who had always dismissed Trek (and Trekkers) are going to be absolutely jazzed by what is coming in this movie!
Just think, we’ll all be able to say honestly “Hey, I was into Star Trek before it was COOL!”
I know, I drank the Federation Koolaid. I admit this. I even went back for seconds. I am not ashamed….
JOHN
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