Screen Rant » star trek 11

Superbowl Star Trek Trailer = More Adrenaline

Vic Holtreman — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 19:38:03 +0000

So here’s the deal, if you’re a long time Star Trek fan you’re either going to love the upcoming Star Trek movie or you’re going to hate it. I’m betting there will be no middle ground on this one. But I’m betting that if you’re NOT a Trek fan, this movie is going to rock your world.

While I’m still having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around Chris Pine as Kirk (especially his use of the word “man” 200 years from now in the following trailer) I’m leaning towards the “gonna love it” camp.

Enough yakking, check out the latest trailer, which will premier on TV during the Super Bowl…

[See post to watch Flash video]

There have been comparisons of this film to Star Wars but I don’t think that’s right. This looks like it’s going to have its own look and feel and is going to be like Star Trek on steroids. In the end, will it be great? That remains to be seen, but at this point I’m thinking my cautious optimism over the course of the production will end up being justified.

What do YOU think?

Star Trek opens on May 8th.

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Detailed Look At Star Trek (Toy) Prop Designs

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 05:55:19 +0000

There have been images of Playmate toys related to the new Star Trek movie floating about, but today I came across the cleanest versions of them yet. There are pics of the the new transporter room and bridge plus a detailed look at the new tricorder.

Oh and a first clear look at the phaser.

Now keep in mind of course that these are toys, and probably prototypes at that – so don’t get all wound up if they don’t look as great as you might expect. Also, I understand that the phaser doesn’t look nearly as shiny as depicted below, but has more of a brushed steel look with grey highlights that harken back to the original props.

And as a bonus there’s a two view line drawing of the new Enterprise, with a comparison against the original movie version of the NCC-1701.

New Star Trek transporter room

New Star Trek Enterprise bridge

New Star Trek tricorder

New Star Trek communicator

New Star Trek phaser

Compare original movie NCC-1701 to new design
(Click on image for larger version)

I have to say that the new ship design doesn’t look as bad to me in this comparison image, but I still think that the rear of the secondary hull looks too thin and I wish the support pylons attached to the nacelles farther back. It looks like there is no way those pylons could support the nacelles from an engineering standpoint.

The tricorder isn’t bad – looks like a cross between the Next Generation design and the original. The phaser? Not to sure about that one… I think they may have gone all shiny on it so it looks better on camera, it certainly has lots of gizmo details. If you want larger versions of all of these images click on the Flikr link below.

So what do you think?

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

Sources: Flikr (hat tip to AICN), ShipSchematics.net

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Star Trek To Be Digitally Re-Mastered For IMAX

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 23:29:06 +0000

More Star Trek news today: It’s been officially announced that the new Star Trek movie will be released in IMAX in addition to standard 35mm film.

Guess which format I’ll be watching it in?

I’m a HUGE fan of IMAX (no pun intended). In ascending order (excluding the quality of the movie being watched) here is my “movie experience scale”:

Standard 35mm film projection.
Digital 35mm film projection.
Digital 3D film projection.
70mm IMAX projection.
3D IMAX projection.

Yes, I know – some of you hate 3D and others aren’t fans of IMAX… but this is MY list of escalating movie theater experience nirvana.

Now the problem with showing Star Trek in IMAX, you may say, is that it wasn’t shot using 70mm film and the special cameras required. Ah, but there is a solution to that: They don’t just blow up the 35mm film so it looks all nasty on that gigantic screen – proprietary software is used to digitally re-master the film so that it looks good at the much higher resolution.

From IMAX.com:

IMAX digital re-mastering starts by converting a 35mm frame into digital form at very high resolution, capturing all the detail from the original. Our proprietary software mathematically analyses and extracts the important image elements in each frame from the original grainy structure to create a pristine form of the original photography. This is the most complex step in IMAX digital re-mastering.

The image on a 35mm film frame is comprised of a fine grain structure like that of all photographic images. This grain when projected on to the IMAX screen looks like a TV channel with bad reception. IMAX DMR removes this grain while preserving the quality of the underlying image making what you see on the screen crystal clear.

To create the brightness and clarity that audiences have come to expect from The IMAX Experience®, IMAX uses a proprietary computer program to make the images sharper than they were originally, while colors are adjusted for the unique technically superior characteristics of the IMAX screen.

And here’s the actual press release from Paramount:

Paramount Pictures and IMAX Corporation (NASDAQ: IMAX; TSX: IMX) today announced that Star Trek, directed by J.J. Abrams (”Mission: Impossible III”, “Lost” and “Alias”), will be simultaneously released to both IMAX^® and conventional theatres worldwide on May 8, 2009. Star Trek, which chronicles the early days of James T. Kirk and his fellow USS Enterprise crew members, will be digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience^® with proprietary IMAX DMR^® (Digital Re-mastering) technology. Paramount Pictures will be the exclusive distributor of the film to IMAX theatres worldwide.

Star Trek is one of the world’s most successful science fiction entertainment series and media franchises. Created by Gene Roddenberry, the Star Trek phenomenon has lead to six television series, ten feature films, dozens of computer and video games, hundreds of novels and fan stories, as well as a themed attraction in Las Vegas. Star Trek has also inspired a following of millions of “Trekkies” of all ages that span across the globe.

“We’re excited to share the enhanced IMAX version of this film with the millions of dedicated fans who have been anticipating this release since production began,” said Rob Moore, Vice Chairman, Paramount Pictures. “The IMAX Experience adds that extra level of excitement to an already action-packed film, giving moviegoers a premium ‘event’ at the multiplex.”

Added J.J. Abrams, “I’m thrilled that audiences will be able to experience this new, epic world of Star Trek – with an incredible cast and mind-blowing visual effects – on what is, obviously, the most remarkable film format in the world.”

“Star Trek combines top Hollywood story-telling talent with space exploration, and each is very conducive to The IMAX Experience,” said IMAX Co-Chairmen and Co-CEOs Richard L. Gelfond and Bradley J. Wechsler. “Expanding our relationship with Paramount Pictures to include this film strengthens our 2009 slate, and with the continuing rollout of digital IMAX theatre systems, we will be able to offer the fan-base more locations to experience the epic first journey of the USS Enterprise in the most immersive way.”

“Both Star Trek and IMAX have taken audiences to far away places they would normally not be able to go, and in this case, it’s space – the final frontier,” added Greg Foster, Chairman and President of IMAX Filmed Entertainment. “J.J. Abrams has created a powerful movie that has fans worldwide feverishly anticipating its release. We are thrilled to partner with Paramount Pictures to bring J.J.’S exciting vision of this incredible space adventure to IMAX screens.”

From director J.J. Abrams and screenwriters Alex Kurtzman & Roberto Orci (”Transformers,” “MI: III”) comes a new vision of the greatest space adventure of all time, “Star Trek,” featuring a young, new crew venturing boldly where no man has gone before. Star Trek explores the early Starfleet careers of future Enterprise officers Kirk (Chris Pine), Spock (Zachary Quinto), Scotty (Simon Pegg), Amanda Grayson (Winona Ryder), Uhura (Zoe Saldana), McCoy (Karl Urban), Sulu (John Cho), and Chekhov (Anton Yelchin). A Romulan, Nero (Eric Bana), and a much older Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are influences, as well as Captain Pike (Bruce Greenwood), the first captain of the USS Enterprise.

If this movie turns out to be as good as I’m hoping it will, combined with watching it in IMAX – they may have to carry me out of the theater from Star Trek sensory overload.

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009

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New Star Trek Movie Takes Place In Alternate Timeline

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 20:02:25 +0000

Man… I love it when I’m right – and this makes twice in one week for me.

Over the course of the last few weeks I’ve read small comments by Roberto Orci over at the TrekMovie site which led me to believe that yes, Star Trek “canon” issues (how this film fits into the overall Star Trek history) would be addressed in the new movie.

Today we not only confirmation of that – but exactly HOW these apparent inconsistencies will be addressed.

In an discussion over at TrekMovie, Anthony (who runs the site) finally asked the question that Trekkies have been wanting the answer to:

“OK, now let’s get really into it… the big question is: Is the destruction of the Kelvin, the canon reason why everything is different?”

Will the following answer be satisfying? I’ll leave that up to you to decide. I’ll include bits and pieces of the interview, you can head over to TrekMovie for the whole thing (which is quite long and technical and will be a joy to read for real Star Trek fans).

Roberto Orci: It is the reason why some things are different, but not everything is different. Not everything is inconsistent with what might have actually happened, in canon. Some of the things that seem that they are totally different, I will argue, once the film comes out, fall well within what could have been the non-time travel version of this move.

TrekMovie.com: So, for example, Kirk is different, because his back story has totally changed, in that his parents…and all that. But you are saying that maybe Scotty or Spock’s back story would not be affected by that change?

Roberto Orci: Right.

Anthony: Does the time travel explain why the Enterprise looks different and why it is being built in Riverside Iowa?

TrekMovie.com: Yes, and yes.

So J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie takes place in/creates an alternate timeline/version of the Trek universe we know and love. He talks a lot about quantum physics and the new way of viewing time travel (if it were actually possible). According to Orci, the old time travel paradox question of whether you can go back and kill your own grandfather has been answered – and the answer is: Yes.

The idea is that event would exist in an alternate timeline in which you would never be born. In that timeline you’re a guy who came from nowhere and killed the man who was to be your grandfather. In that timeline you will never exist. According to this theory there is NO WAY to go back in time and change events that will affect the timeline you started from.

The problem with even this explanation is that it goes against what has been established in previous Star Trek episodes and movies: In prior Trek time travel DOES repair problems and the crew returns to the “fixed” future they left. Examples of this include the TNG episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise” where a starship was sent back to fight a crucial battle and it set the existing timeline straight, and the film “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” where Kirk and Co. went back in time to bring humpback whales back to the future to avert the destruction of humanity.

The reasoning given is that at the time those were filmed there was a different view of time travel. Actually the version of time travel they’re using in the new film goes all the way back (in movies, anyway) to the first Back to the Future film, where Dr. Brown explains the splitting off of an alternate timeline to Marty as a possibility if something went wrong.

Anyway, here’s the summary of the whole thing in bullet point form:

Q: Why do some things appear different in the new Star Trek movie?
A: There is an alternative timeline created by Nero traveling back in time.

Q: Is everything different in the alternative timeline?
A: No, some things remain the same.

Q: Does this alternative timeline wipe out the original timeline (from TOS – Nemesis)?
A: No, quantum theory says they both co-exist.

Q: Does the original timeline continue?
A: Yes, again as explained by quantum theory.

Q: Does this quantum theory approach conform to ‘Trek science?’
A: Depends on the episode, but it is explicitly cited by Data in the episode “Parallels.”

So there you have it. What do you think? Are you satisfied with this explanation of why and how they were able to update and change things in the movie?

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009

Source: TrekMovie via AICN

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Two New Star Trek Posters: Uhura And Nero

Vic Holtreman — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:41:43 +0000

Paramount has just sent us two new Star Trek character posters in the same vein as the black and white Kirk & Spock posters that came out recently. These two feature Eric Bana as the Romulan movie antagonist Nero and Zoe Saldana as Lt. Uhura.

Check them out below!

Eric Bana as Nero Star Trek poster

Zoe Saldana as Uhura Star Trek poster

I’m really liking the look of this poster series and I’m looking forward to the rest of the characters.

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

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Trek Geekery: Images Of New Star Trek Movie Details

Vic Holtreman — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 03:11:50 +0000

First off, we want to let you know that the official Star Trek movie site has been updated to one of those fancy Flash websites. You can view both the trailers, get images, wallpapers and just geek out over the new Trek look of the site. Head over to StarTrekMovie.com to check it all out.

But… that’s not what this post is all about. If nothing else, Star Trek fans are known for their rabid attention to detail when it comes all things tech and history of the Trek universe. I won’t be addressing history, but I’ve pulled out some hi-res screen grabs from the trailer that will be of interest to Trekkies of all ages.

I’ve collected below images of ships, interiors and visual effects (enhanced and sharpened for better detail) that are near and dear to the hearts of any true Trekkie (I’m reveling in this, being a huge Trek geek myself, so don’t go getting all offended). I’m sure there will be debate (argument) over what’s below.

Included are:

The venerable USS Enterprise NCC-1701 under construction (yes on Earth, not in orbit as we all know is where it was really constructed).
What looks to be either the new standard shuttlecraft for the Enterprise, or a larger transport version.
A brand new transporter effect for the first time in 20 years (all transporter effects in the movies and TV series starting with Star Trek: The Next Generation have been variations on the same basic look).
A brand new “Warp speed” (aka “jumping into subspace”) effect. Personally I never liked the little starburst effect that’s been used since ST:TNG.
A look at a couple of shuttlecraft that are similar in look to the familiar design from the original series.
A look at the shiny-bright new corriders of the Enterprise (this, I’m not too jazzed about – very “2001: A Space Odyssey“).
A shot of the forward bridge, from the point of view of the Captain’s chair (coming out of Warp).
A couple of detailed shots of the USS Kelvin, including a rear view that shows the shuttlebay door and clarifies that the seconday hull is above the saucer section and the propulsion unit is below (a hat tip to early starship concept designs from the original series).
Finally, a more iconic view of the new Enterprise.

Click on all of the images below to see hi-res versions of the images. Under each I give a description and an analysis by a Star Trek fan whose been a Trekkie since the early 1970s (that would be me) and whose favorite series of all is TOS (The Original Series).

Here’s a pretty cool shot of the Enterprise under construction. Doesn’t make sense that they would construct something so massive on the ground, but no dobut there is some sort of plot-related reason for it (beyond the dramatic pause of a young Kirk taking it in).

As a hardcore classic Star Trek fan, does this bother me? No.

From the registration number on the side of the shuttlecraft it’s clear it belongs to the Enterprise (NCC-1701), but is this the new “standard” shuttlecraft or does the Enterprise have a variety of models (a la ST:TNG)?

Does it bother me? A twinge perhaps, but not enough to freak me out.

Here’s the new transporter effect – kind of crazy looking and hard to really get a feel for in a static image, but I’m happy to see a new take on the effect.

Does it bother me? Nope.

This was long overdue – I never liked the “rubber band stretch to a pinpoint of light” version of going to Warp speed. This looks more like distortion of space.

Does it bother me? No, quite the opposite, I like it.

It looks like these are old-style shuttlecraft. I get the feeling that these belong to the USS Kelvin, and that ship is more akin to the original NCC-1701 and that the new Enterprise is more like the NCC-1701A.

Does it bother me? A bit – I’d like to see a bit more basic version of the original Enterprise, and despite the odd design the Kelvin reminds me a lot of the “flavor” of the original Enterprise.

Here’s the a look at the new corridors of the Enterprise. They’ve gone with a stark white look that truly reminds me of the ship from 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Does it bother me? Well, frankly, yes. Enough for me to feel “Trekkie outrage?” No, not that much. Look at what they did with the Batman reboot and that worked out pretty well.

Although we have the white “iBridge” look, overall the stations are similar (albeit a lot more spacious) to the layout we’ve known on all iterations of the Enterprise.

Does it bother me? Once I get past the “white bridge” look, no. Although I still don’t understand why they couldn’t at least have matched the color scheme of the original bridge or come close to it.

The USS Kelvin. I’m not familiar enough with the history of starship registries to know if this was from canon, but I have to say that I like the nod to the original designs here.

Does it bother me? Nope, as a matter of fact I really like it.

Another look at the USS Kelvin. Check out the shuttlebay entrance in the top portion of the ship and the impulse engines.

Does it bother me? No, again, this is one of my more favorite details and seems very much a tribute to the orginal.

Here we have a front-on view of the new Enterprise. Suddenly it looks a hell of a lot more like it belongs in the Star Trek universe than it did in the previous image.

Does it bother me? This remains to be seen. I’m still pulling at the reins when it comes to the new ship, but I’m thinking that it probably looks great on screen. This is where they’ve taken the greatest liberties, but in the end if it all gels it will have been worth it I think.

So what do you think? Anathema to established Trek lore or logical updates to bring the franchise into the 21st century?

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Here It Is: The Official Full Star Trek Trailer

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 18:15:47 +0000

I make it a policy to not show bootleg trailers so although we missed the boat on showing you the new Star Trek trailer over the weekend, here’s your first chance to see it online in high-res, non-shaky cam.

There’s a lot to take in with this trailer so it’s definitely a “multi-viewer” to process everything that’s going on. But enough talk, check it out below:

[See post to watch Flash video]

To see the HD version head over to either StarTrekMovie.com or Apple.com.

[UPDATE: I've grabbed over 30 screen caps from the trailer for you]

A few days ago I wrote about “Star Trek Trailer Mania” and how overall it seems that J.J. Abrams’ vision for Star Trek seems to be basically knocking people on their butts. The intent was to redefine what Trek is and it certainly looks like Paramount is getting what they paid for.

I’ll admit that along with some folks, the “Uhura bra scene” and the mild sex scene in the trailer threw me off a bit – but think about the original series: We look at the show now and it seems positively tame, but place classic Star Trek within the context of the mid-late 1960s and what you’d see on TV at that time. Kirk was a Lothario back then, famous for seducing every alien chick that came down the pike.

Keep in mind that the rules were so strict back then that the only indication that could be given that Kirk had had sex with the Scalosian hottie in the episode “Wink of an Eye” was to show him putting on his boot while sitting on the already made bed after the fact. Look back at the costumes William Ware Theiss designed and how sexy they were compared to everything else on television back then.

The point is that the show did have its share of “sexiness” back then, but looking at it through the lens of 40 years later makes it look milder than it was. So having a present-day version of that in the film is not a huge leap. While some episodes were more goofy than others, overall it wasn’t aimed at kids and was chock full of adult and serious themes.

The other complaint I’ve seen is how insanely brash Chris Pine is playing Kirk – Kirk has never been a “by the rules” guy and has also always been about action above pondering a situation in deep thought. I have a feeling that by the end of the movie we’ll see him mature considerably, and I think that may be one of the major themes of the film. The same goes for Zachary Quinto’s portrayal of an emotional and (apparently) out of control Spock. One of the themes of the show was his struggle with containing his human side – since this is early on in his life, it doesn’t surprise me that he does not have his emotions quite under control.

Finally there’s the construction of the USS Enterprise on Earth. Frankly to me it doesn’t make much sense that they would construct such a massive ship on the ground instead of in orbit. I’ll be curious to see what method they use to get the ship off the ground since AFAIK (and I’m a HUGE Trek-tech geek) the ship didn’t have any propulsion system meant for landfall.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on these issues and any other things that stand out to you based on the trailer.

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

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Star Trek Trailer Mania!

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 19:30:47 +0000

Holy cow… it’s looking like J.J. Abrams may actually accomplish what many thought was impossible: The revival of the Star Trek franchise.

Why do I say this? Because people are freaking out about the new Star Trek movie trailer. In a good way.

The trailer was released yesterday, attached to most copies of Quantum of Solace. People who’ve seen it at the theater have described it using phrases like “it gave me chills” and “it sent shivers down my spine.”

Now of course not everyone is sold on the movie based on the trailer – I’ve seen a very few comments saying that they either don’t like it outright or that they’re still uncertain or it was just “pretty good.” But by FAR the reaction has been combination of:

“Holy crap, that was AWESOME.”

and an incredulous:

“That’s Star Trek?”

You can watch the official trailer either here at Screen Rant or in HD at StarTrekMovie.com and Apple.com

A Little History

Sure, there was the requisite buzz when it was announced that Abrams would not only produce but would in fact be directing a new Star Trek movie. It was known for a short while as Star Trek 11, but Paramount never referred to the new film with that title since this was to be a clean “reboot” (or as they prefer, “re-imagining”) of the series. Abrams is “hot” right now and it was a smart choice for Paramount to not use the same folks to helm the film as the movies continued to deliver diminishing returns and increasing disdain from long time fans.

Then came the casting choices: Relative unknown Chris Pine for Kirk (good call on not going with a big name star for that role), also currently “hot” Zachary Quinto, who plays Sylar on NBC’s Heroes. While Quinto is now very well known, he looks like he was born to play the part of Mr. Spock. Then came the others – Karl Urban who looks like he’s channeling DeForest Kelly, Simon Pegg as Scotty (not my first choice, but I think he’ll work) and semi-exotic-looking Zoe Saldana as Uhura. To round things out John Cho (of Harold and Kumar) and Anton Yelchin were thrown in to attract the younger crowd who might stay away in droves from a Star Trek movie. Throw in a few bigger names like Wynona Ryder, Eric Bana and Bruce Greenwood and you’re talking a pretty damned well rounded cast.

Star Trek teaser poster

First came a few partial-face posters which were more of a tease than anything else, but then came the first images of Pine and Quinto as Kirk and Spock. Some of the words that came to mind to describe those pictures were “plastic” and “metrosexual.” Unfortunately for the much publicized magazine cover shots they chose a photographer known for doing uber-Photoshop work on her photos and portraying people as almost mannequin-like.

Kirk and Spock as Star Trek mannequins

Ah, but recently came a couple of posters to counteract that vision: Black and white versions of Kirk and Spock that looked much more “old school” and rugged.

“Old School” Kirk and Spock Star Trek posters

Of course in addition we had a series of images from the film which looked pretty darned good (unless you were a long-time “Trekkie” in which case you may have had some issues with what’s come to be called the “iBridge” and the somewhat odd, organic look of the new USS Enterprise).

A look at the new Star Trek ‘iBridge’

The cast of the new Star Trek movie

The recently released image of the redesigned NCC-1701 caused a furor online – old fans vs new fans vs non-fans, all arguing either in defense of or agahst at the new design. Over at TrekMovie.com the post that premiered the ship accumulated over two THOUSAND comments in a couple of days! Abrams has said that “this is not a movie for ‘Star Trek’ fans – it’s a movie for movie fans.”

The new USS Enterprise – NCC-1701

So, there was kind of a mild interest in the film outside of the Star Trek fan community – but that’s all about to change with this first full trailer for the film. All of a sudden people who weren’t even giving the movie a second thought are saying “hey, this looks pretty good – I might have to check it out.” I think that with this film Abrams is going to throw off the stigma (and yes, there is one) associated with “a Star Trek movie.”

This film looks like it is going to be epic, fast paced and action packed. Some classic Trek fans may be outraged, but I think it’s time for a change and this is the right way to do it. I’m actually quite excited by the prospect of this film because TOS (The Original Series) has always been my favorite. More “wild west” in style and less stuffy and politically correct than TNG (The Next Generation). Going back and exploring the very foundations of the original series, if done well, leaves me feeling as giddy as a kid in a candy store.

Fine, it’s not the original actors – but if Abrams and writers Robert Orci and Alex Kurtman remain faithful to the spirit of the series, I’m open to change. I don’t like the bright white interiors of the ship, and I’m not sold on the new exterior Enterprise design, but when I see the attention they’ve paid to the original uniforms that tells me that they are not “slapping fans in the face” as many have suggested.

So as a long time “Trekkie,” Star Trek is one of my most anticipated movies of next year – right up there with Watchmen, and something tells me it’s going to be one of the biggest films of 2009.

So have you seen the trailer? What do you think – are you more or less excited about the movie?

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009

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First Look At J.J. Abrams’ New USS Enterprise

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 00:04:14 +0000

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.

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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First Theatrical Star Trek Posters Go Retro

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 22:52:47 +0000

Paramount sent me a link to these but I’ve lost my username/password to the site… thankfully Latino Review posted these up at warp speed, so I have them to thank for ‘em.

We’ve seen posters for Star Trek before, but these are the first two that will actually be displayed at movie theaters. They’re character close-ups of Christopher Pine as Kirk and Zachary Quinto as Spock.

Check ‘em out below.

We’ve seen this pose by Chris Pine before, but the Zack Quinto image is new. I find it interesting that they decided to make these black and white, but I like them. They give me a much better feeling about the movie than the plastic Ken-doll looking magazine cover images we’ve seen of these two up until now.

Definitely more of retro-homage thing going on with these:

Star Trek poster featuring Chris Pine as Kirk

Star Trek poster featuring Zachary Quinto as Spock

I wonder if they’ll be rolling out more character posters of the rest of the actors: John Cho, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Anton Yelchin… Kirk and Spock are the biggies, but McCoy makes up the final part of the Trek Trinity.

Remember we’ll also be getting our first look at a full Star Trek trailer this Friday attached to Quantum of Solace. There have been descriptions of the trailer floating around and the one thing that stood out for me about them is that there was no mention of a “beauty shot” of the U.S.S. Enterprise – which I found very unusual. I thought I heard months ago that the unveiling of the ship would be a focal point of the new trailer.

I guess we’ll see soon enough.

What do you think of the “vibe” of these new posters?

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

Source: Latino Review

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More New Star Trek Images!

Rob Keyes — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:09:20 +0000

Empire magazine got a hold of even more Star Trek images to be featured in this week’s issue. These images include Kirk sporting an armored EVA suit, Spock standing in front of what looks like the main viewscreen on the bridge (or is it a window?) and finally, a picture focusing on Uhura (player by Zoe Saldana). We also have a cool comparison shot (above) of Kirk and Spock, thanks to Gizmodo.

Take a look at the images and see what you think:

Chris Pine as Kirk wearing an EVA suit

Spock standing on the bridge of the Enterprise

Zoe Saldana as Uhura

The pictures look good to me, I’m really eating up anything and everything we’re slowly getting for the new Star Trek adventure. I also dig the new futuristic displays we’re seeing on the bridge. An example of that here is in the top-right corner of the main viewing screen from the Spock picture.

Once Paramount released the hi-res versions of these we’ll post ‘em up.

I can’t wait to see the first full trailer to be feature alongside Quantum of Solace on November 14th.

What do you think of the images? Are you as excited as I am for the trailer?

Star Trek hits theaters May 8th, 2009.

Sources: Empire, Gizmodo

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J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek: A New Frontier

Kofi Outlaw — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 00:08:05 +0000

This week’s Entertainment Weekly has a feature article on J.J. Abrams’ upcoming Star Trek reboot. The article goes in-depth, FINALLY revealing some choice details about Star Trek’s plot, plot-twists, characters and even a cameo from an all-too-familiar face.

Better yet, the article delves into the question of how Abrams and Co. plan to reinvent Star Trek from the arcane nerd religion it is now, into a multi-million-earning, pop-culture smash–a question people like myself need answered before we hand over our hard-earned cash to see the Enterprise’s latest voyage.

Let me be up front by saying: I am not a Star Trek hater. I was born in 1981–too late to have been a fan of the original 60’s series; just in time for my father to force-feed me syndicated portions of Star Trek: The Next Generation along with dinner every night, back in the mid 90’s.

Admittedly, if not for my father’s fascist hold on the remote during dinner, I probably would’ve never watched a single Next Generation episode in entirety. Regardless, the series made enough of an impression for me to go back and watch all four films about the original Enterprise crew released up to that point (thank you Prism for replaying The Wrath of Khan ad nauseum); the two Kirk and Co. films they released thereafter; and all four of the Next Generation films released between 1994 and 2002. (That makes ten Stark Trek films in total, if you’re keeping count.) So while I might not qualify as an official “Trekkie,” I’m no stranger to the Trek universe.

However, my perspective is not the perspective of your average moviegoer. We live in a time when bringing up the original Transformers or G.I. Joe cartoons in a room full of teenagers will likely earn you blank stares and awkward silence. So trying to introduce the notion that there was ever a Star Trek before the bald guy in wheelchair from X-Men was in it… Well, you might as well explain it in Arabic. Add to that historical hurdle the mathematical reality that Abrams’ $150 million reboot is going to have perform on a global scale to turn a suitable profit… and, well, you begin to see how steep a hill to success Star Trek will have to climb.

So, is Captain Abrams steering his ship in the right direction? As always, the genre-defying director/producer is optimistic:

”I think a movie that shows people of various races working together and surviving hundreds of years from now is not a bad message to put out right now,” says Abrams…”In a world where a movie as incredibly produced as The Dark Knight is raking in gazillions of dollars, Star Trek stands in stark contrast…It was important to me that optimism be cool again.”

To further that end, Abrams’ Stark Trek is getting a sleek makeover to go along with its optimism resurgence. Just Picture the U.S.S. Enterprise re-imagined for the Ipod generation:

The Enterprise still has a saucer front section and pronged rear engines, but now comes tricked out with credibility-enhancing details. During turbulence, the crew can now grab handrails to keep from falling. And Abrams has given the blah cardboard bridge a makeover. It still has the oval shape, the captain’s chair, the giant view screen — but it’s now blazingly white and glistening with light and glass. Apple Store, anyone? ”People would joke, ‘Where’s the Genius Bar?”’ says Abrams, somewhat defensively. ”To me, the bridge is so cool, it makes the Apple Store look uncool.”

Another big change will be the phasers: where once they looked like electric razors with fancy light effects, the new phaser design is that of “silver gizmos with spring-triggered barrels that revolve and glow in the transition from ‘’stun” to ”kill.”

That’s all cool, if you’re a sci-fi enthusiast who likes to scrutinize every single working component of the far-fetched tech the genre is known for, but what about those who have no idea what a “phaser” is; who have no frame of context whatsoever for the phrase, “Beam me up?” For Abrams, the trick of getting Star Trek to appeal to a wider circle of moviegoers involved infusing the series with a bit of stylistic life’s blood from another hallowed sci-fi series:

‘All my smart friends liked Star Trek,” [Abrams] says. ”I preferred a more visceral experience…that grabbed me the way Star Wars did.” That meant a bigger budget and better special effects than any previous Trek film, plus freedom to reinvent the mythos as needed.

”The movie,” Lindelof says, ”is about the act of changing what you know.”

(Click to continue: “J.J. Abrams Star Trek: A New Frontier“)

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Another Batch Of Star Trek Images!

Rob Keyes — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 19:32:03 +0000

On Wednesday, Screen Rant posted several new images from the upcoming Star Trek film by J.J. Abrams. Today, we have some more thanks to Entertainment Weekly! 6 more to be exact.

Take a look and see what you think.

Chris Pine stares far far away as Captain Kirk

Karl Urban as Leonard “Bones” McCoy peeking out a window

Eric Bana as Nero with his staff

John Cho as an angry Sulu

USS Kelvin attacked by Romulans before Kirk was even born

Spock as the new plastic “Ken” doll

The more new images I see and the more I look at them, the further I feel at ease and am starting to dig the characters. I think Karl Urban is absolute perfection as Dr. McCoy and it’s uncanny how he is able to channel the postures and expressions of that character (and that’s just from the pictures!). I am also really loving Chris Pine as Kirk and I’m confident he’ll give that role justice as well.

Then there is Sylar… I mean Spock. Obviously Zachary Quinto was born for the role but I’m a little confused on the extreme makeover version of him. What’s with the crazy makeup and shine in some of the pics? Luckily, that only seems to be a prominent issue in the photo-shoot-esque images. The screen-grab picture of him in the film has him (and his skin) looking more real – as real as a Vulcan can look I guess.

I’d like to see more of Zoe Saldana as Uhura – the few images of her can go either way. I hope she’s a strong character in the film as she certainly looks the part. I have faith in Pegg as Scotty as well. For him I hope he’s got a deeper and more powerful voice than we’re used to hearing from him as everyone’s favorite witty and tempered engineer.

Now for my worries: I don’t really understand Eric Bana’s character, Nero. I hope he comes off well in the film but I’m not feeling his look from the images so far. Another worry for me is John Cho as Sulu. That being said, the image of him in this post has him nailing the expression of Sulu and I hope that comes off through the entirety of the film.

Star Trek is due out May 8th, 2009.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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7 Brand New Star Trek Images: Crew, New Bridge And More! [UPDATED]

Vic Holtreman — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 21:32:03 +0000

You’re looking at the first image of a scene from the upcoming J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie.

It looks like Zachary Quinto is going “Sylar” on a fellow crewmember as Spock.

The image above comes from the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly, which you can be sure I will be running out to purchase. Supposedly there are a lot more pictures from the movie, which will no doubt be hitting the web within the next week or so.

The image above looks pretty damned cool – note the subtle detail in the fabric of Spock’s tunic. It’s faithful to the original, yet updated. I like it.

On the other hand, the following picture (which I saw online before the one above) did NOT give me the warm fuzzies about the movie.

Is it me, or does that picture make Spock and Kirk look sort of… metrosexual? In particular, Chris Pine (at least in this picture) does not give off a Shatner-Kirk vibe to me. At all. And by that I mean a roguish, tough, devil-may-care kind of look.

Now I’m not going to make judgments based on photographer-posed image from the cover of EW. I’m betting that the images inside the issue that show scenes from the film, along with the upcoming first full Star Trek trailer attached to Quantum of Solace will give us a much better feel for the characters and the movie.

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

For a larger version of the Spock image head over to AICN.

UPDATE BONUS: Joblo has the first look at Eric Bana as bad guy Romulan, Nero. Click on this image to see a much bigger version plus an exclusive interview with one of the producers:

Eric Bana as Nero in a scene from the new Star Trek movie

MORE UPDATES: Wow, images are coming out fast and furious! Here are another couple, the first one from UGO.com, the second from TrekMovie and the third one from MTV, giving us our first look at the redesigned bridge of the Enterprise! Finally there’s an image from IGN showing Kirk escaping from a crashed escape pod of some sort.

Click on each of them to visit those sites for super hi-res versions:

The new cast/crew of Star Trek

The USS Kelvin from the new Star Trek movie

First look at the new bridge of the NCC-1701!

Kirk escaping a crashed escape pod

EW cover image source: JustJared

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Shatner: No Cameo Offer In New Star Trek Movie

Jamie Williams — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 23:45:02 +0000

Is it me or does it increasingly seem that William Shatner is to the forthcoming Star Trek “requel” (reboot and prequel) what Mark Millar is to the Superman reboot movie: Constantly talking smack just to get attention/press (i.e. publicity stunt)?

The latest chapter in “Shatner-Gate” comes from this video -- part of a new series of video blogs called The Shatner Project:

Everyone’s favorite ham (chatting along with his daughter Liz) rebukes claims made by director J.J. Abrams that they tried to work out a cameo for him, but he balked at the offer demanding more screen-time:

“JJ, nobody every came to me and said ‘we have a cameo.’ Maybe you wrote it, but it never presented itself to me. But the truth is I wouldn’t have wanted to do a cameo, because that you would have clipped that out. It doesn’t fit. You said in your statement you were having trouble fitting it in anyway. But nobody every asked me and I am just sorry that I am not in your wonderful movie and I would have loved to have been in it.”

So, the Shat just admitted that he wouldn’t have accepted just a cameo.

That’s interesting considering how co-writer and co-producer Roberto Orci confirmed (via the Comments section on Trek Movie) that the Shatner cameo was in fact written and that the sequence would be posted online after the film’s release.

To be fair though, Shatner might be telling the truth. We just don’t know. There’s obviously more to this than we’re hearing from either side.

That said, this probably won’t be the last we hear about the subject.

Star Trek beams across theaters on May 8, 2009.

Source: Trek Movie

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Kevin Smith Continues Praise Of Star Trek Movie And Cast

Jamie Williams — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:24:09 +0000

It was just two weeks ago writer/director Kevin Smith revealed he’d already seen J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot/prequel and loved it!

While promoting his forthcoming comedy Zack & Miri Make a Porno, Smith further elaborated to the MTV Movies Blog:

“It’s really strong. [J.J. Abrams] was rejiggering the opening few scenes. It’s one of those things where you first heard about it and were like no they’re not going to redo ‘Star Trek’! And then you see the movie and you think, wow he did pull it off! He turned it into a viable renewed franchise.”

Smith also continues his praise for Chris Pine’s portrayal of the new Captain Kirk:

“Chris Pine is fantastic. It is a star-making performance. From his first scene forward, this dude is not doing an impression of Shatner. He is doing young Kirk. He doesn’t have the slow delivery mannerisms of Shatner but it’s totally James T. Kirk, the bravado, the self-assuredness. It’s such a great performance. You can’t take your eyes off the guy. Anytime he’s not on the screen you’re waiting for him to get back.”

And it’s not just Pine who caught Smith’s attention:

“And the chick [Zoe Saldana] who plays Uhura is really great. They made Uhura really interesting.”

Interesting, I’m curious to hear his thoughts on the other cast-members – i.e. Zachary Quinto’s Spock, Karl Urban’s Bones, Simon Pegg’s Scotty and especially Eric Bana as the phantom villain Nero.

One wonders what’s the next blockbuster tentpole Smith will see way before everyone else?

Star Trek beams into theatres on May 8, 2009.

Source: MTV Movies Blog

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Shatner’s Star Trek Absence Explained!

Jamie Williams — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 23:32:03 +0000

I’ll admit it. I didn’t shed any tears when I heard William Shatner wouldn’t be involved with J.J. Abrams’ forthcoming Star Trek reboot/prequel.

But apparently some folks still can’t get over it – chief among them, Shatner himself. Speaking to AMC’s Sci-Fi Scanner, Abrams addressed the issue of not using everyone’s favorite ham:

“It was very tricky. We actually had written a scene with him in it that was a flashback kind of thing, but the truth is, it didn’t quite feel right. The bigger thing was that he was very vocal that he didn’t want to do a cameo. We tried desperately to put him in the movie, but he was making it very clear that he wanted the movie to focus on him significantly, which, frankly, he deserves. The truth is, the story that we were telling required a certain adherence to the Trek canon and consistency of storytelling. It’s funny — a lot of the people who were proclaiming that he must be in this movie were the same people saying it must adhere to canon. Well, his character died on screen. Maybe a smarter group of filmmakers could have figured out how to resolve that.”

Boys and girls, what you just read was Abrams’ diplomatic way of saying: “Bill Shatner is miffed we didn’t stroke his ego by making the whole film about him! So he ran off to film Priceline commericals and more episodes of Boston Legal that no one will watch.”

Uh, Bill. This is a reboot – i.e. a brand new interpretation of the characters, mythology, etc. using new actors. Granted Abrams’ film is supposedly a hyrid of prequel and reboot that sorta follows classic Trek lore. And it does bring back Leonard Nimoy as Spock.

But still, I digress. You’re dead, Jim! Get over it!

Besides, you’ll get your wish. This new Trek film is about Kirk – albeit not you, but new-comer Chris Pine.

Star Trek beams into theatres on May 8, 2009.

Source: Sci-Fi Scanner

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Kevin Smith Gives Thumbs Up to Star Trek

Jamie Williams — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:22:55 +0000

I’ve never been a believer in a studio keeping a film classified from the general public because “it’s just too good to spoil!”

Needless to say then, I was beyond annoyed when J.J. Abrams & Co. failed to show up and present any footage from next summer’s Star Trek reboot/prequel at the San Diego Comic Con last month.

Now comes word that Abrams has completed a rough cut of the film and been showing it off to a select few – which apparently includes Zack & Miri Make a Porno writer/director Kevin Smith, who apparently had nothing but praise for J.J.’s new take on Sci-fi’s most revered franchise.

Appearing on the Kevin and Bean radio show this past Friday morning, Smith had this to say:

Smith: I saw a movie last night that I cannot talk about.

Host: Was it good?

Smith: It was phenomenal.

Host: Any stars, any break out stars, and do they trek?

Smith: The stars absolutely trek in this film. It is fantastic. Anybody who was worried doesn’t need to be worried–about this film I cannot talk about…It was in very capable hands. The director did a phenomenal job–the director and his crew. Top notch cast and the guy that plays the lead is an instant star. That dude is going to be so famous. He is so wonderful. He picked up a role that I would say is pretty challenging for someone to step into the shoes of, because it is a role that has been played before many times by the same guy.

Host: How do you out Shatner, Shatner?

Smith: I don’t know what you are talking about.

It’s nice to hear that Chris Pine holds his own playing young Kirk – at least from Smith’s perspective. Then again, Smith did do a pretty good job reviewing films on Ebert & Roeper At the Movies last year, so I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt in this case.

However, that still doesn’t change the fact that Paramount is keeping this film so damn secretive! I mean seriously: can we get a full-fledged trailer already???!!!!

Star Trek will beam across the silver screen on May 8, 2009.

Source: Trek Movie

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Hi-Res Image Of Zachary Quinto As Spock

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:38:06 +0000

If nothing else works in J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek movie, at least one thing will: Zachary Quinto as Spock.

I’m by no means a Photoshop expert, but I took the half-face image of Zack Quinto from the recently seen Star Trek poster and tweaked it until I had a reasonable version of a full-front picture of him as Spock – and it came out pretty good if I do say so myself.

Looking at the image above comparing Quinto to Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock I have to say that Abrams and crew could not have come up with a better actor to play the role. Combine that with the way that Quinto comes across low key and even both on screen and in person and you’ve got a winner for our favorite Vulcan.

Here’s a larger version of the picture:

So what do you think? Is this guy Spock or what?

Star Trek opens on May 8, 2009.

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Behold…The New Star Trek Poster

Jamie Williams — Fri, 18 Jul 2008 14:40:52 +0000

From the sounds of it, don’t expect to see damn near anything regarding J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek reboot/prequel at this year’s San Diego Comic Con.

But this will certainly do…for now.

Entertainment Weekly has an exclusive first look at the posters that will handed out to attendees next week at the Con.

All I have to say is I’m really looking forward to seeing if Abrams & Co. can pull this off.

Star Trek will beam into theatres on May 8, 2009.

Source: Entertainment Weekly

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