[starwarsrcks]

well I care and love Star Trek 09 I hope the sequel will have dramatic, funny, excellent scenes in it like the last film

[omegaman]

Originally Posted by starwarsrcks

well I care and love Star Trek 09 I hope the sequel will have dramatic, funny, excellent scenes in it like the last film

That's a given…

[kevin]

Originally Posted by Saquist

I almost don't care at all.
The last was clearly a let down to me not just technically but creatively too. My expectations are so low it's hard to see them going lower...

The one thing I have learned is that having been around Trek for a good 25+ years now, we've likely all been in that particular place before at one time or another.

Although which element is which may indeed change for us individually, ultimately it's all Swings and Roundabouts, Ups and Downs, Ebbs and Flows when it comes to Star Trek.

[Steve Gennarelli]

As an "old school" Trek fan, I'd like to see the new film series evolve similarly to how the TV series evolved.
By that I mean, the first season had more of the serious minded drama/adventure stories. Overall they were executed in a superb manner.
When the 2nd season came around, the stories weren't as tight at times, but the character development/relationships had improved to make it more interesting.
While the 3rd season wasn't up to the standards previously established, there were still some great character moments in episodes like "The Tholian Web" and "The Empath" to name two.
So in my perfect "Trek" world, this next movie would be part "This Side of Paradise" and part "Balance of Terror".
Personally, the Klingons played such a huge role in the first 7 movies, I'm personally burned out on Klingons.
Harry Mudd or Gary Mitchell would be a great addition.

[samwiseb]

I'm almost positive there will be Klingons, even though I'm frankly burned out on them too.

Fortunately Abram's spin on them is likely to be a departure from the tiresomely jerky 'ka-pa-cha!!' Klingons we've all gotten used to by now. Even if he doesn't stick with how they were portrayed in the STO9 outtakes, I expect he'll give us something original with them.

Speculation-wise, I think Psycho Wife-Murdering Car Crash Guy probably hit it on the nose in regards to what the current cycle of movies will bring. To appeal to the broadest audience possible, they will continue to push the most familiar, most emblematic elements of ST to the forefront.

Consider the Orion slave girls. If you just say the name, most non-fans won't have a clue what you're talking about. But the minute you say "Captain Kirk's bikini-clad green women," suddenly 'everyone' knows what that is. Hence, we got one in the last movie.

Just like the Tribbles. Or the primary colored pajamas and miniskirts. Or the classic TV series title font. Or the Alexander Courage theme music, that was only moderately used in STs I, III and IV.

Or Klingons.

Speculation about the Gorn doesn't surprise me, as the classic image of the unblinking two-legged costumed lizard advancing zombie-like on Kirk is silly enough that I can easily see pop culture choosing it as another of the more memorable moments from 'that' cheesy 60s si-fi show. Perhaps ditto the comic antics of Harry Mudd, although I'm less sure about that one? (God, I hope not. I could never stand him).

I don't recall who else they said was being considered: was Gary Mitchell on the list? He seems more like one for the fans.

ST critic Mark Altman compared ST09 to a greatest hits album (favorably I think, unless I misread the nuance of his review). As long as they bring these elements in with honesty and integrity, rather than going for cheap satire (as most TV-based movies do), it shouldn't be a problem. From the results so far, I think they can do it.

[horatio]

Indeed, ST09 is just a random sampling of Trek ingredients, be it typical aliens like Klingons, Romulans and Orions or the repetition of jokes (Chekov's v-w thing from TVH) and lines (Spock's Doyle line from TUC). That gives it a slight touch of Galaxy Quest and makes you wonder why the kind of folks that made the first Trek movies work after Roddenberry was wipped away don't run the franchise.
As you said, to attract the unwashed masses you gotta do this kind of homage-satire crapazoid, you gotta produce this public image of Trek (Kirk being a cowboy, etc.) instead of the real thing.

On the other hand there were some variations. Among the characters Kirk and Scotty have been changed for the better resp. for the worse and among the aliens the Klingons were indeed terrific whereas the Tattoomulans and the green frat girls were appalling.

I am gonna skip the next movies wait until we see something really new and thought-out in the next TV series.

[mmoore]

You're right about the "least common denominator" to draw in a new audience, but that's how you get them hooked. Give them something fun and (relatively) light and they'll come back next time for the deeper and more serious stuff.

If the next movies don't do well because the "fans" stay home there may not be another series. Ever. Just sayin'.

[kevin]

Originally Posted by samwiseb

I'm almost positive there will be Klingons, even though I'm frankly burned out on them too.

Fortunately Abram's spin on them is likely to be a departure from the tiresomely jerky 'ka-pa-cha!!' Klingons we've all gotten used to by now. Even if he doesn't stick with how they were portrayed in the STO9 outtakes, I expect he'll give us something original with them.

Speculation-wise, I think Psycho Wife-Murdering Car Crash Guy probably hit it on the nose in regards to what the current cycle of movies will bring. To appeal to the broadest audience possible, they will continue to push the most familiar, most emblematic elements of ST to the forefront.

Consider the Orion slave girls. If you just say the name, most non-fans won't have a clue what you're talking about. But the minute you say "Captain Kirk's bikini-clad green women," suddenly 'everyone' knows what that is. Hence, we got one in the last movie.

Just like the Tribbles. Or the primary colored pajamas and miniskirts. Or the classic TV series title font. Or the Alexander Courage theme music, that was only moderately used in STs I, III and IV.

Or Klingons.

Speculation about the Gorn doesn't surprise me, as the classic image of the unblinking two-legged costumed lizard advancing zombie-like on Kirk is silly enough that I can easily see pop culture choosing it as another of the more memorable moments from 'that' cheesy 60s si-fi show. Perhaps ditto the comic antics of Harry Mudd, although I'm less sure about that one? (God, I hope not. I could never stand him).

I don't recall who else they said was being considered: was Gary Mitchell on the list? He seems more like one for the fans.

ST critic Mark Altman compared ST09 to a greatest hits album (favorably I think, unless I misread the nuance of his review). As long as they bring these elements in with honesty and integrity, rather than going for cheap satire (as most TV-based movies do), it shouldn't be a problem. From the results so far, I think they can do it.

I looked up and read that review - I had never read it before, although I've still not read many of the 'professional' reviews of the film in depth, and I pretty much agree with his overall thoughts - and I'd agree that he's using the term 'Greatest Hits' in a positive light and there's no hidden snarkiness about his application of it.

'Greatest Hits' is a way of looking at it that I hadn't previously but it's kinda apt terminology all round. And isn't that what reboots/reluanches often are anyway? A distillation of the most recogniseable components to start with and a collapse (or condensing) of the previous mass of Trek material to get back to a point where you can begin fresh expansion? I would tend to think so, which is why they did the obvious thing of going right back to TOS and the troika in the first place.

That said, I'd probably rather have Gary Mitchell than Mudd!!

Originally Posted by mmoore

You're right about the "least common denominator" to draw in a new audience, but that's how you get them hooked. Give them something fun and (relatively) light and they'll come back next time for the deeper and more serious stuff.

Yep, that is one way to work it.............whether that pans out in the Trek sequel we've yet to discover for sure, though I genuinely don't think it was wise for Lindelof to spout 'The Dark Knight' comparisons even if I think I understand what he was meaning when he said it.

If the next movies don't do well because the "fans" stay home there may not be another series. Ever. Just sayin'.

Well, that's sorta the rub. To get a new TV series, we're going sorta back to the situation in the 80s a little. TNG didn't get talked about until well after the TOS film series had gotten underway and been successful enough to help stimulate interest in a new series again.

Right now, there isn't even a whisper of a TV show at all, and there possibly won't be without a percieved demand that can support one. That it will be a 'good' series is a presumption just now because it's all imaginary at this point.