Paramount Casts New James T. Kirk

Tycoon Guy writes "TrekToday reports that Paramount is in talks with 27-year old actor Chris Pine to play the role of Captain Kirk in the new 'Star Trek' film. Pine is almost completely unknown, but he's also being courted to star opposite George Clooney in 'White Jazz,' so he's being called "the hottest new actor in town." In addition, 'Hulk' actor Eric Bana was cast today as Nero, the main villain of Trek XI."

Comments

Shatner is out?

[Zymergy]

Chris Pine: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1517976/

Eric Bana: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0051509/
There is one true James TIBERIUS Kirk! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk
Is Paramount trying to do with Kirk what has been done with the various flavors of "007" or "Batman"?

Re:Shatner is out?

[Dhraakellian]

There is one true James TIBERIUS Kirk! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_T._Kirk
Is Paramount trying to do with Kirk what has been done with the various flavors of "007" or "Batman"?
Well, we already know that James Bond is a Time Lord. Are you saying that the same is true of Kirk?

Re:Shatner is out?

[damn_registrars]

Ummm, didn't they say they wanted a 27 year old Kirk? Come on, I think Shatner is closer to 127... His youth has already boldly gone!

Re:Shatner is out?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Uh, that's the entire point of Trek XI- like http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/'s fan fiction, this movie fits into the continuity between the original series and the movie- therefore they need YOUNGER actors!

I just hope that they learn something else from New Voyages and we get Newtonian-physics-accurate battle scenes in normal space.

Re:Shatner is out?

[halcyon1234]

I think we can all agree on a response:

Piiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine!

Re:Shatner is out?

[flyingsquid]

All I can say is, after his performance in 'Hulk', hearing about Eric Bana being cast in anything makes me cringe. Unless he's being cast in to a pit of boiling lava.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Seumas]

Really, who even cares? The only dead horse that has been beat more than Star Wars is Star Trek. Let it die already. Good grief.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Rallion]

I really don't think that's fair. Might want to check him out when he's playing a part that wasn't written by a very very stupid monkey. Munich's pretty good. After all, I can't really think of any actors or actresses that haven't been bad in something. (Look to the Star Wars prequels for examples.)

Re:Shatner is out?

[Elemenope]

He was decent as Hector. Also, there was that one where he was a Mossad agent...that one was good too.

Point being, even Al Pacino had his Gigli. One poor performance does not an actor break.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unless he's being cast in to a pit of boiling lava

Funny you should say that, it turns out he is. Then, after he becomes hideously deformed and ugly (played by William Shatner) he'll drop a bombshell in "Khan Strikes Back":

...it'll be revealed that Kirk is Spock's father.

Re:Shatner is out?

[ultranova]

The only dead horse that has been beat more than Star Wars is Star Trek. Let it die already. Good grief.

The horse that is Star Trek is long dead. But haven't you ever heard of... zombies ?-)

Re:Shatner is out?

[rubycodez]

not to mention expensive wide-angle optics needed to get all his potbelly in the frame

Re:Shatner is out?

[hawaiian717]

From everything I'm hearing, the consensus seems to be that the movie will actually be before the original series, not after it. You're correct about New Voyages though, it's essentially "Season 4".

Re:Shatner is out?

[dougmc]

and we get Newtonian-physics-accurate battle scenes in normal space. Considering that their impulse drives can get them to significant percentages of c, and warp drive is much faster -- and people don't get splattered across the bridge every time they make a course change, I'd say probably not.

Babylon 5 is over there ...

Re:Shatner is out?

[somersault]

Try watching Chopper instead then, I think that's the film that got him noticed. He's a pretty good actor.

Re:Shatner is out?

[HaloZero]

I always treated the character 007 more as a title than an actual person. The line of work is hazardous, and surely there was more than one, because the last guy took a bullet or forgot that the pen was poison and not antidote.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Farmer Tim]

His youth has already baldly gone!

Fixed that for you...

Re:Shatner is out?

[edmicman]

Here's hoping for an eventual crossover movie. Star Wars vs. Star Trek....yeah! Or Star Wars vs. Star Trek vs. ALIEN vs. Predator!

Re:Shatner is out?

[MobileTatsu-NJG]

"Really, who even cares?"

You cared enough to go into this thread and spend at least 20 seconds posting this.

Re:Shatner is out?

[rlbond86]

More like fatner

Re:Shatner is out?

[rlbond86]

If I had mod points, I'd mod you down for even MENTIONING fan-fiction.

Re:Shatner is out?

[putch]

i'd pay to see that. but can we work in terminator and robocop too?

Re:Shatner is out?

[rlbond86]

I recant my previous statement. Upon further inspection, it seems a lot of actors from TOS are in this thing. I apologize.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Marxist Hacker 42]

If by a lot, you mean three- but then again, with two out of the original 7 dead, three would be a lot wouldn't it?

Eugene Roddenberry II is also involved with that one.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Rogerborg]

Yes, but not actors that look like young retards, surely? That Pine guy looks like he's got an extra chromosome tucked away in there somewhere.

Re:Shatner is out?

[hurfy]

And here i thought it was that the new cost of oil would bankrupt em for that much polyester...

Anyone else subject to daily (hourly) commercials for a law firm that hired Shatner to do some spots besides us poor outcasts in spokane? Not that he did a bad job (its not actually) but after the 1st 1000 airings of it.....

Re:Shatner is out?

[jollyreaper]

and we get Newtonian-physics-accurate battle scenes in normal space.
Considering that their impulse drives can get them to significant percentages of c, and warp drive is much faster -- and people don't get splattered across the bridge every time they make a course change, I'd say probably not.

Babylon 5 is over there ... I think Trek's bigger issue is a lack of original thinking and shitty writing. If I never see another fucking particle of the week it'll be too soon.

The reason why B5 was such a breath of fresh air is because the plots revolved around people, the characters evolved, and the events of each episode carried weight and consequence. Even if the sets were sometimes a bit dodgy and the early computer graphics didn't hold up to the practical models used on other contemporary shows, B5 set out to do something nobody else had done. For the most part, it was a success.

Now this isn't a flame or a troll, I was a huge Trek fan as a kid. It took me a long time to get burned out on what Trek became. At this point, the only series concept that even slightly interests me would have been Sulu commanding what was it, the Excelsior? A series with Sulu as the captain. That would have rocked. Barring that, they should just do a Godzilla and let the franchise lie fallow for a decade. By the time they bring it back, fans will maybe have forgotten the bad and will be nostalgic for the good. And at that point in time, they need to hire a grand poobah story editor who will make sure there's vision, a story that needs telling and let him go to town. If the motivation is "Gee, we haven't made a Trek in a while, we could use more money," then they have already lost.

Re:Shatner is out?

[timbck2]

Is it just me, or does Chris Pine look more like Captain Christopher Pike than James Kirk? Maybe it's just the eyes...

http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/Christopher_Pike

Re:Shatner is out?

[Nimey]

So instead of "Khaaaaannnn" we'll get "braiiiiiinnnns"?

Re:Shatner is out?

[Joe Tie.]

That's about the only thing that'd get me to watch trek in a theater again. I wish they would decide to just go out on a bang and make it as stupidly fun as possible. Zombies, crossovers with the leprechaun and Jason. Now that I think of it though, the borg movie was about the last trek I really enjoyed, and it was pretty close to being a zombie movie in space.

Re:Shatner is out?

[mdozturk]

... and also transformers and robotech.

Re:Shatner is out?

[dougmc]

The reason why B5 was such a breath of fresh air ...

The reason I mentioned B5 is that the ships seemed to have to obey the laws of physics. Especially the Star Furys seemed real-world. Granted, hyperspace and such doesn't fit so well, but the rest seemed far more realistic.

But yeah, I loved B5. (And Star Trek, for that matter, but B5 was better.)

Re:Shatner is out?

[jamstar7]

Meh. It's not so bad.

Hell, New Voyages even managed to find an actor with all the style & ego of Shatner to play Kirk.

The one fan show I'd love to see continue, Starship Exeter, is rumored to be closing down after its second episode is on the servers.

I also have extreme fondness for Hidden Frontier, shut down after its seventh season and which generated not one, but TWO spinoff series. Although most of HF's camera work could be considered cheesy as hell, you gotta remember that they had a budget of about 500 bucks an episode. I woulda loved to see this if they'd gotten any real money to play with; no more acting in front of a green screen...

And I've seen Episode 1 of Odessey (one of HF's spinoffs), it was great.

Re:Shatner is out?

[lgw]

The original series had great writing and respect for cannon. B&B sipmply don't care about either, and everything they've touch has been mediocre at best. Any new trek without these two losers at the helm would be welcome!

Re:Shatner is out?

[G-funk]

Everything about that movie was awful. I don't know if it's available in the US, but if not bittorrent is your friend, and watch Chopper. You'd barely know it was Bana. Besides, the guy *is* Mad Max. He's well known for driving his badass XB Falcon around the post-apocalyptic wasteland that is Tasmania :D

Re:Shatner is out?

[mrmeval]

Couldn't they have picked someone that looks like a man and not a metrothexuaal?

Re:Shatner is out?

[aichpvee]

That's not fair. Episode II was pretty good on IMAX. It's a pretty good action movie after they dropped 15 or 20 minutes. Can't even complain too much about Hayden Christensen too much, but then again they did cut most of his lines.

Re:Shatner is out?

[hal2814]

So the leader of the retard squad from Smokin Aces is capt Kirk now? I generally dislike Matt Damon but even I have to admit that's a BIG step down. Next thing you know they'll be telling us that Matthew Watterhouse has agreed to take the role.

Re:Shatner is out?

[FishWithAHammer]

Needs more Gundam and Go-Bots (to be promptly eaten alive by the transformers in the first thirty seconds).

Re:Shatner is out?

[jollyreaper]

The reason I mentioned B5 is that the ships seemed to have to obey the laws of physics. Especially the Star Furys seemed real-world. Granted, hyperspace and such doesn't fit so well, but the rest seemed far more realistic.

But yeah, I loved B5. (And Star Trek, for that matter, but B5 was better.) Yeah, I loved that bit with the furies turning and shooting the bandits following behind them. After seeing that, I would laugh at the Death Star trench run every subsequent time I saw it. "Look, if you've got TIE's behind you, just cut the engines, rotate and blast away! If starfuries can do it, you can do it!"

My favorite space idiocy of all time had to be the Wing Commander movie, a shot-up fighter is coming in at full throttle and had to maintain airspeed to land or else it would stall and fall. Huh? In space? Yes, in space. I can prove it. After the pilot was extracted from the damaged fighter, a utility tractor pushed the wreck over the edge of the flight deck and it fell! BWAHAHA!! The other best part of the movie, the Kilrathi destroyers passing by "overhead" as they're trying to hide like a submarine. You hear the prop wash of the starship's screws! And the idiot captain says in this cheese french accent "Lisstoooon!" God, that's a movie you cannot watch on a full bladder.

Re:Shatner is out?

[Macfox]

Awww Come on... Don't Knock "Peter" the Bogan. They guy is a great actor. Many outside the US probably aren't aware of his legendary Aussie acting career prior to his popularity. He started off doing comedy show skits. Hulk was a sh1t movie all over. No actor could have made it better.

Here's a real old clip from a comedy show, taking the piss out what we call bogans (aka Trailer park trash) is Aus.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpS31FJO8_o

Re:Shatner is out?

[Keebler71]

I'm sorry - but by definition wouldn't everything in the original series be "canon"?

Re:Shatner is out?

[jdickey]

At least his youth and any talent he may once have had at acting have been reunited... to baldly go where no ham has gone before

Re:Shatner is out?

[elrous0]

Shatner was more like 37 than 27 when he originally played the part. -Eric

Re:Shatner is out?

[lgw]

Only because they were careful not to contradict themselves on a weekly basis. There was a writer's bible that set strict limits on what the tech could and couldn't do. Diverge too far from that, add in a little time travel, and you have a show in which the writers have no limits (the way B&B like it), which creates the problem that *everything* potentially canon.

Also, all episodes in TOS "really happened", there were no dream episodes, or holodeck episodes, and the time travel and alternate universe episodes were handled extremely well indeed, so there were no "non-canonical storylines" in the series proper.

Re:Shatner is out?

[ShadowsHawk]

I've seen it around Chicago and Detroit.

Re:Shatner is out?

[john83]

All I can say is, after his performance in 'Hulk', hearing about Eric Bana being cast in anything makes me cringe. Unless he's being cast in to a pit of boiling lava. Carbonite. I'd like to see him cast in carbonite.

No, wait, wrong franchise...

Re:Shatner is out?

[flappinbooger]

Anyone else think it seemed like he was always sucking in his gut in TOS? Or maybe it was a girdle. Something never looked quite natural, what with the tight uniforms and all. Just me? Ok, never mind.

Good Job, but

[ackthpt]

Now. He has to learn. To talk. Like this.

Chris Pine? That's one letter away from Chris Pike! Coincidence? I don't think so!

Re:Good Job, but

[servo335]

Why not use the cast from Star Trek New Voyages. They are already doing Trek and do it well i might add...

Re:Good Job, but

[AdmiralWeirdbeard]

I still think that Ryan Reynolds would be perfect for a young kirk. Same handsome yet roundish face, aptitude for. silly. line. delivery.

Re:Good Job, but

[polyomninym]

Somewhere between Pike and Pine lies the Seattle Convention Center.

Re:Good Job, but

[neo-mkrey]

He actually looks more like Pike than Kirk.

Re:Good Job, but

[shotgunsaint]

You know, Weirdbeard, you may be on to something there. I've mainly seen him in comedic roles (a la Van Wilder), but he seems to be a pretty decent actor, too. Looks a bit like young Shatner.

Re:Good Job, but

[Junior J. Junior III]

Now. He has to learn. To talk. Like this.

Not to worry, it's not like talking that way requires a great deal of talent.

Actually, the actor is named Chris Pike

[Anonymous Coward]

The guy is so good at acting, he only needs a blinking light to convey his emotions.

Re:Actually, the actor is named Chris Pike

[moderatorrater]

I'm just mad at the shitty PHB manager that kept the programmers from finishing the job.

PHB: "Hey, is that wheelchair program done yet? I've got another project for you."

Code Monkey: "Almost, I've got it where we can recognize whether it's a yes or no, now I just have to plug it into the Hawking program and he can start to talk again."

PHB: "Just make some lights blink or something, we've got too much work to do for you to spend that much time on a project with no recurring fees."

Interesting name

[thewiz]

IIRC, the first captain of the Enterprise was a Christopher Pike.
Chris Pine, Chris Pike, hmmmmmmm.

Re:Interesting name

[servo335]

The first captain of the Enterprise was Captain April (sorry just had to show my geek trekie side..)

Re:Interesting name

[Anonymous Coward]

The first captain of the Enterprise was Capt. Paul.

Re:Interesting name

[Anonymous Coward]

Go get a life!

Re:Interesting name

[Anonymous Coward]

The first captain of the Enterprise was Capt. Paul.

Actually it's much more entertaining to say that the first commander of the USS Enterprise (!HMS!) was Benedict Arnold.

Yes, that Benedict Arnold-- before he became a redcoat, I mean, turncoat...

Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously. Let Trek die. It's been my favorite scifi show since I was a kid, but please, for the love of all that is green-blooded and logical, let it die. It's been a good run, but adding on more BS things like this just makes the series more deplorable than it's been lately with the "Enterprise" series and the latest movies.

Please...Paramount.......just let it die.

Re:Let it die

[The Good Reverend]

Just don't go. Problem solved. Let the rest of us enjoy it. The end, everyone wins.

I've never understood why some people think their memories of some sort of media will be ruined if a new product, one they don't have to go see or experience, is released.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

I've never understood why some people think their memories of some sort of media will be ruined if a new product, one they don't have to go see or experience, is released.

What about cases such as the Star Wars Special Editions where it isn't only about memories and the original product is discontinued and replaced with something different?

They're meddling with Trek episodes from the original series by changing the special effects, and given the trend (e.g. Hayden retconned into Return of the Jedi) maybe there is good reason for concern?

What if in 2050 every Star Trek movie ever made with Kirk now stars Chris Pine, through the magic of editing?

Re:Let it die

[MightyMartian]

Actually I think this has a reasonably good chance of working, and is precisely what they should have been doing all along. Rather than the Next-Next-Generation or the Previous-Previous-Generation, they should have gone back to ToS to begin with. The actors would be different, but the characters familiar. The writers, like the rest of us, would have known them for forty years.

If anything has a chance of reinvigorating Trek, it's this.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

precisely what they should have been doing all along. Rather than the Next-Next-Generation or the Previous-Previous-Generation, they should have gone back to ToS to begin with. The actors would be different, but the characters familiar.

The original Star Trek is hopelessly dated, and not just in terms of technological advances. The show was structured around one-off science fiction premises which are now considered stale or anachronistic, and social premises which are no longer relevant.

The writers, like the rest of us, would have known them for forty years.

In terms of ratings and mainstream popularity, The Next Generation dwarfed the original series. In every respect, that milieu is better as a basis for a restart.

Re:Let it die

[The Good Reverend]

What if in 2050 every Star Trek movie ever made with Kirk now stars Chris Pine, through the magic of editing?

Well, that's really Paramount's decision - they own Star Trek, not us. Second, fan outrage brought the original versions back for Star Wars (mostly because Lucus saw more money there, I'm sure). Every episode of Star Trek currently exists on DVD as it originally aired. Through the magic of the internet, now they'll never go away, regardless of what products new are released. And you'll still be able to avoid/ignore any new franchise efforts, just as you can today.

Re:Let it die

[rubycodez]

but it does make a problem when talking to younger generations. Like if I try to talk about the Grinch cartoon to my daughter, she'll be thinking of a manic-depressive on LSD in a costume with cgi effects. This hurts.

Re:Let it die

[Rob T Firefly]

Rather than the Next-Next-Generation or the Previous-Previous-Generation, they should have gone back to ToS to begin with. The actors would be different, but the characters familiar. The writers, like the rest of us, would have known them for forty years. *cough*

Re:Let it die

[Jarjarthejedi]

*whisper* Hey, yeah you, you over there. The one with the comment. I'll let you in a little secret of mine, don't spread it around to much. You ready? It's called 'You don't have to buy the new stuff'. It'll solve all your problems right there, don't want to see Pine as Kirk in Generations? Just hang on to your old copy of Generations which I'm sure you have since you care about who the actor is. Wrath of Khan too. Same goes for Star Wars. You can thank me later for this tip, preferably with cash. *whisper*

I've never really understood the controversy around the Special Edition. If you actually care enough about it to not like the new stuff then you definitely have an old copy, watch that. No one can take away something you like if you've already bought it (Until DRM because even worse than it is now) so just keep living in a world where the only Kirk is The Shatner and don't watch the new movies or buy old ones with a photoshopped in Pine.

Re:Let it die

[CyberLord Seven]

Just in case you haven't seen it, do a Google for J. Michael Straczynski & Bryce Zabel, Star Trek: Re-Boot the Universe.

It's a proposal, in .PDF form, to create a new Star Trek series based, loosely, on the Original Series, but with a new mystery added to it.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

If you actually care enough about it to not like the new stuff then you definitely have an old copy, watch that. No one can take away something you like if you've already bought it (Until DRM because even worse than it is now)

I had the original Star Wars movies on VHS, but the tape became worn over the years. I didn't want to break the law and pirate it, and was essentially left devoid of options until the official release of the unaltered versions (which, despite fan protest, didn't have to happen).

And what about the "next generation"? I have my memories, sure, but is it right that others could conceivably never be able to legally see the unaltered original versions of certain properties?

Remakes and reimaginings are symptoms of a lack of creativity and I'm not sure why anyone would even bother to defend those practices, the Ministry of Truth issue aside.

Re:Let it die

[Shakrai]

I've never understood why some people think their memories of some sort of media will be ruined if a new product, one they don't have to go see or experience, is released.

Well, for starters, this guy had a very good point.

Beyond that though, I'm just disgusted at low Star Trek has gone. Seriously. We've gone from the golden age of TV Sci-Fi, with shows like TNG, DS9, Babylon 5 and SeaQuest all airing new episodes, to Paramount milking the cash cow that is Star Trek, putting out one crap release after another, banking on the "Star Trek" name to sell it.

You realize that Stephen Hawking of all people took TNG seriously enough that he made a tour of the set, asked to sit in Picard's chair and even did a cameo? You find me something on TV today that even comes close to what TNG was it's hayday. Or Babylon 5 for that matter. Yes, both had their downpoints (TNG Seasons 1-2 and 7, Babylon 5's last season and parts of the first), but I don't think you can find something on TV today that's anywhere near as good as either of them on a bad day.

And don't come back with Firefly, the standard /. answer. It's not in production anymore, who knows how good or bad it would have been if it had remained, and I don't consider it Sci-Fi like Bab 5 or TNG. It's more like a western in space. And before the Firefly fans all rush to click "reply" and flame me, I liked Serenity and the back story to Firefly. I just don't think you can point at a show that didn't even make one season as justification for why modern Sci-Fi doesn't suck.

And Battlestar Galactica, while an awesome show, is no where near as mainstream as TNG or even Bab 5. And while that's not entirely a bad thing, it doesn't exactly help make the case for Sci-Fi on TV either.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

Just in case you haven't seen it, do a Google for J. Michael Straczynski & Bryce Zabel, Star Trek: Re-Boot the Universe.

It's a proposal, in .PDF form, to create a new Star Trek series based, loosely, on the Original Series, but with a new mystery added to it.

I'm sure if it's any good Paramount will just steal it. No worries.

Re:Let it die

[The Good Reverend]

None of this makes any difference if you don't watch the new stuff, and just keep your memories of the old stuff you like.

Speaking of memories, my friends who watched Star Trek the first time around (or early in reruns in the 70s) generally prefer it to any of the new shows. I grew up on TNG, DS9 and VOY. My friend's son likes Star Wars Episode 1 better than the first 3, because he saw it first. We all view the world with rose tinted glasses, and think the things we like are necessarily the best. That's fine - but let people enjoy the new stuff if they want - if we let the fans of old stuff decide, we wouldn't have ever had a TNG at all, and it's generally considered the best of the 5 series.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

If anyone lets J. Michael Straczynski within ten miles of anything "Star Trek," I will personally pluck out every hair on their bodies with rusty pliers.

Re:Let it die

[dctoastman]

The reason there isn't any good current SciFi today is because we don't need it anymore.

Good SciFi tackled issues that people didn't want to address at the time, but did it in a semi-fantastical way that removed us and our prejudice from the equation. Now, people are more open-minded to such issues so we don't need the trappings anymore. We explore this ethical space through shows in the present day.

SciFi was never about the science, it was about the humanity. That's also why a lot of SciFi today sucks. It's all about flux capacitors and laser beams.

Re:Let it die

[MontyApollo]

Yeah, but Hawking decided to *host* that "Masters of Science Fiction" series recently, and I thought it kind of sucked.

Not too long ago, you had Stargate SG1, Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica all on (the same night even). That was mini-golden age then I guess, particularly if you include Lost. I think in the same time frame you had Eureka, which is a decent little show, and Dr. Who, which has a following I think.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by mainstream, but my wife who is not really a sci-fi person, likes Stargate SG-1 the best.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

Downloading a copy of something you already own a license to own (like the one you bought when the store gave you those VHS tapes) is not copyright infringement.

Re:Let it die

[Shakrai]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean by mainstream, but my wife who is not really a sci-fi person

By mainstream I mean it's something that almost anybody would recognize. I suspect that if you stopped 100 random people on the street and showed them a picture of the Enterprise-D they'd think of TNG. Or if you asked them what role comes to mind when they think of Patrick Stewart, most would probably say Jean-Luc Picard. By contrast, I doubt nearly as many would peg to stuff from any of the series that you mentioned. Of course, to be fair, even though Bab 5 is one of my favorites, most people on the street probably wouldn't know what a Starfury is either.

TNG was the closest thing to a water cooler show that Sci-Fi has ever had. Even people who didn't particularly like Star Trek were at least somewhat familiar with it. I'm glad it ended when it did, because Season 7 was starting to show some of the stuff that made Voyager unwatchable (tech babble to the extreme and bad science), but even at that, TNG had a MUCH better send-off with "All Good Things" then any other Trek series.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

The reason there isn't any good current SciFi today is because we don't need it anymore.
Good SciFi tackled issues that people didn't want to address at the time...

A good way of looking at science fiction.

But I'll challenge the "don't need it anymore" part as it makes it sound like there aren't any issues that this generation needs to address.

Re:Let it die

[cnettel]

Yeah, all (reasonably) current scifi is a real piece of gosa.

Re:Let it die

[Anonymous Coward]

You got your law degree from Slashdot University, huh?

Re:Let it die

[Nossie]

depends on the country you live in you insensitive American clod! ... now how did I guess you were American?

Re:Let it die

[mahlerfan999]

fan outrage brought the original versions back for Star Wars Except it's not anamorphic so it doesn't count. The release of the original versions was done so poorly that it was more like a deliberate slap in the face instead of it giving the fans what they want.

Just don't go. Problem solved. Let the rest of us enjoy it. The end, everyone wins. Criticizing a movie is not the same as preventing people from watching it. What, do you think your fellow /. posters are going to egg you as you go in the theater? Valid criticism does sting, but it shouldn't bother you since are not involved in the production of the movie.

Re:Let it die

[dctoastman]

Not saying there aren't issues that need addressing, but we can address them more directly than before. We don't need to hide it behind confrontations between alien species.

Re:Let it die

[end15]

Although it's from the late 90's, and certainly doesn't fit the popularity contest, Cowboy Bebop was a great sci-fi show. Check it out if you haven't already seen it. Also I would recommend watching at least the first 6 episodes before making any judgments. Cheers, endxv

pine vs. elm

[Anonymous Coward]

TrekToday reports that Paramount is in talks with 27-year old actor Chris Pine to play the role of Captain Kirk

With Johnny Outlook playing the new Sulu.

Make up your mind

[Snowgen]

The headline said the role was cast, and the summary said "in talks". Make up your mind, and don't get back to me until you have an answer.

Re:Make up your mind

[fm6]

It's not a question of making up your mind, it's a question of reading the article all the way through before submitting it to Slashdot. Which is really too much to ask of today's busy geek!

Chris Pine... is there nothing he can't do?

[farker haiku]

I mean, Captain Kirk, ruby programmer, author.

What a stud.

Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[xPsi]

Condolances went out today to Chis Pine, his family, and his career after he formally accepted the offer by Paramount to play James T. Kirk in the upcoming Star Trek movies.

Re:Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[Captain Splendid]

I realize you're going for the funny, but Shatner's had a long and varied career, and even now, in his late seventies, is still getting regular work. Hardly a career-ender.

Re:Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[xPsi]

I agree. I wasn't making fun of Shatner. I admire him quite a bit. For the record, I also happen to like the Kirk character too. Nevertheless, I think it is a terrible carreer move for a young actor today to play a very, very established, iconic character (embedded in our culture) like Kirk. Don't get me wrong, I wish the guy all the best. But first, like Shatner, he'll have to do a LOT of work after this (if he's given the chance) to hypercompensate for the typecast. Remember, although he is "in" these days, Shatner himself has spent most of his career after Star Trek trying to be taken seriously as an actor overcoming that Kirk stigma. Second, the Kirk character is so fixed in people's minds, nothing the guy can do will satisfy anyone (fans or casual viewers). He will be very creatively restricted as an actor. One false move and he'll be roasted from every side.

Re:Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[wrast]

He could always try hosting a game show.

Re:Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[rs79]

"Shatner himself has spent most of his career after Star Trek trying to be taken seriously as an actor overcoming that Kirk stigma."

Only if you watch TV. He does to stage work.

I ran into him once buying clothes. Or rather I sorta did. I went with a friend to buy a pair of pants in Hazelton Lanes. I looked around, bought something and hwile waiting for the sales droid to do whatever he had to buggered off to another store to look for something else while my friend stayed there. I came back ans she said "you just missed William Shatner. He bought $15,000 worth of suits for a play he's doing - the prisoner of Zenda". Buggers.

I waited a bit, the sales droid wasn't done, so I went off again to look in another store. Came back 10 minutes later and she said "you missed him again. We had a nice chat.".

Arrg.

Re:Today's rumor is tomorrow's career obituary

[JJRRutgers]

At the very least, he's set for life commanding tons of money at Star Trek conventions.

Pike & Pine...

[gbulmash]

Two streets that run parallel to each other in downtown Seattle. Coincidence???

Re:Pike & Pine...

[gstoddart]

Two streets that run parallel to each other in downtown Seattle. Coincidence???

Probably, yeah. :-P

Re:Pike & Pine...

[Orange Crush]

They also both intersect 5th avenue--the very same road as the Scifi Museum!!

Re:Pike & Pine...

[Anonymous Coward]

They also both intersect 5th avenue--the very same road as the Scifi Museum!!

Which, coincidentally, sucks about as much ass as most of the Star Trek movies!

Re:Pike & Pine...

[Anonymous Coward]

The Soviets have captured the King Dome! Fall back to 5th Avenue and regroup!

Re:Pike & Pine...

[gbulmash]

They also both intersect 5th avenue--the very same road as the Scifi Museum!!

And the Paramount Theater is on Pine street... while the Star Trek movies are made by Paramount Studios.

This is getting spooky.

- Greg

Re:Pike & Pine...

[StevisF]

Streets run parallel to each other in downtown Seattle?! Can lines be parallel when then change direction and inexplicably stop for periods?

Re:Pike & Pine...

[An ominous Cow art]

They also both intersect 5th avenue--the very same road as the Scifi Museum!! And 5 is the number of years in TOS's mission.

The Law of Fives is everywhere...

Re:Pike & Pine...

[Orange Crush]

Hide a few warp field coils in the streetlights and they can!

Re:Pike & Pine...

[bvimo]

Re-invigorate the emitter thingy with a quintessential beam.

Re:Pike & Pine...

[Mr. Slippery]

And 5 is the number of years in TOS's mission. The Law of Fives is everywhere...

Remember, the harder you look, the more you will see the Law of Fives manifest...

Hawt

[Anonymous Coward]

So they're casting a porn star as the ne--oooooooooh, White J*A*zz. Sorry.

Hay Bill

[drewzhrodague]

Hay Bill Shatner. Hope you're, reading *this* thread. Lots of us, miss you, except on reruns.

I sure hope the new actor does a service to Star Trek, and to the history. Lots of us rabid ST fans will be waiting and watching. You have to remember that Star Trek has been around for *40 years*, and has been watched by generations of people. I also expect Star Trek to be around for another 40 years, with all of the styrofoam rocks, clitorus-foreheaded space-aliens, and freeze-frame phaser attacks. Oh, and hot model science-officers, gotta have those.

Of course I'll watch any variety of Star Trek (or any Sci-Fi for that matter) even if it is totally terrible. Just keep it coming.

Re:Hay Bill

[foobat]

"....Oh, and hot model science-officers....."

Spock?

Let you die.

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously. Let Trek die. It's been my favorite scifi show since I was a kid, but please, for the love of all that is green-blooded and logical, let it die. It's been a good run, but adding on more BS things like this just makes the series more deplorable than it's been lately with the "Enterprise" series and the latest movies.

Please...Paramount.......just let it die.

Enterprise was underrated and the latest movies weren't any worse than the earlier ones.

There's no logical reason to let a popular franchise like Star Trek "die". If you want it dead based on general quality of episodes, you were probably calling for its death in the first season of TOS, or the first season of TNG.

Any real "fan" would be calling for the series to be made better, not for it to die.

Archer was the first recorded to captain

[DigitalReverend]

If you go by Star Trek Canon,

Archer was the first recorded Federation captain of a ship named Enterprise (NX-01)

Capt April was the first captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) followed by Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk and then Willard Decker. Spock was captain occasionally.

Then on the Enterprise B (NCC 1701-B) John Harriman, and later Demora Sulu who was the daughter of Sulu from the original series.

Enterprise C was captained by Rachel Garrett.

And the Enterprise D was captained by Picard, although Riker, and Edward Jellico captained the ship at least once during it's commission.

There was one other Enterprise, the USS Enterprise (XCV 330) but little is known about it and there is no record of who it's captain was.

Hows that for a geek trekker side.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[laffer1]

You forgot the Enterprise E.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[hawaiian717]

Demora Sulu as captain of the Enterprise-B isn't canon.

NX-01 was a pre-Federation Starfleet vessel. In "These Are the Voyages..." the ship was heading to Earth for both the retirement of the vessel as well as the founding of the Federation. As such, XCV 330 would also be pre-Federation.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[Anonymous Coward]

Not very good! You forgot the 'J' as well as the 'E' not to mention the various alt universe Enterprises.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[DigitalReverend]

You are correct, I mis-stated. The NX-01 was a Starfleet vessel, not a Federation vessel.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[Shakrai]

If you go by Star Trek Canon,

And if you go by all things holy then Enterprise, like Voyager and Star Trek V, never really happened.... at best it was a Holodeck malfunction.

In fact, come to recall, the lame ass series finale of Enterprise was literally a holodeck program on the Enterprise-D! I find it very easy to think that Voyager, Enterprise, and every TNG movie were just horrible holonovels written by somebody with a sick and twisted mind. It's the only thing keeping me from losing ALL faith in Star Trek....

Hey, Wars fans, is this how you felt when the prequels came out? I'm sorry for mocking you.... I just didn't understand at the time :(

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[jollyreaper]

If you go by Star Trek Canon,

Archer was the first recorded Federation captain of a ship named Enterprise (NX-01)

Capt April was the first captain of the USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) followed by Christopher Pike, James T. Kirk and then Willard Decker. Spock was captain occasionally.

Then on the Enterprise B (NCC 1701-B) John Harriman, and later Demora Sulu who was the daughter of Sulu from the original series.

Enterprise C was captained by Rachel Garrett.

And the Enterprise D was captained by Picard, although Riker, and Edward Jellico captained the ship at least once during it's commission.

There was one other Enterprise, the USS Enterprise (XCV 330) but little is known about it and there is no record of who it's captain was.

Hows that for a geek trekker side. That would depend on how much of the above you typed directly from memory.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[jamstar7]

And if you go by all things holy then Enterprise, like Voyager and Star Trek V, never really happened.... at best it was a Holodeck malfunction.

Oh, come on. We're not THAT lucky!!!!!!!!!!

I'm proud to have been a Trekkie since '67.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[fizzup]

Well, Jonathan Archer has artwork hanging in his cabin on board NX-01 that depicts an Enterprise that looks a lot like OV-101. If it is OV-101, that Enterprise was commanded by two people: Fred Haise and Joseph Henry Engle.

It may not have been OV-101, though, because OV-101 was named after NCC-1701, which was built later than NX-01. If it was OV-101, then Archer would have had some foreknowledge of NCC-1701. At the very least he would have known the name of the ship. Or maybe, in the Star Trek universe, Star Trek is so popular that humanity models its entire space program after it, rather than just using it to name spacecraft.

Re:Archer was the first recorded to captain

[Anonymous Coward]

> Archer was the first recorded Federation captain of a ship named Enterprise (NX-01)

Well, as long as we're trying to out-geek each other... perhaps I should point out that the NX-01 Enterprise was a Starfleet ship, rather than a Federation ship. At that time, Starfleet was an Earth-based organization. The Federation didn't formally exist until a few years after the NX-01's launch. Supposedly, after the formation of the Federation was Starfleet incorporated into it.

Sorry, was that too Comic Book Guy-ish?

Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[fotbr]

I forget, is it the odd-numbered trek movies that are good, or are they the ones that suck? /hangs trekkie hat up in shame, although in all fairness, the shows were almost always better than the movies.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[k_187]

Even good, odd suck. But its all been downhill since 6. Although 8 wasn't completely horrible.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[mrxak]

The Even Rule generally regards even-numbered movies as being good. Odds aren't necessarily bad, and Star Trek X pretty much destroyed the Even Rule anyway... Anyway, I tend to like most of them. The only ones that I can say I really disliked were The Final Frontier and Nemesis. So I have invented a new rule, the Multiples of Five Rule. If the movie is a multiple of five, it's non-canon horrible crap.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[discord5]

is it the odd-numbered trek movies that are good, or are they the ones that suck?

From what I gathered it's odd-numbered trek movies that suck.

• 1. A probe returns to earth, lots of "visual effects", some fusion between man and machine and the universe is happy. After watching this movie, you'll find yourself wondering "What did I just watch?" and "Did I pay money for that DVD?"
• 3. Spock respawns, thus making nearly as good as Jesus but with the mental capacity of a peanut. Near the end of the movie he tries to turn water into wine with Saavik (who decided to change her appearance completely, because the previous actress was insulted when trekkies referred to her as "Vulcagirl"). Kirk gets upset when the Klingons kill his son (the one he'd never seen until in the previous movie) and decides that blowing up the Enterprise is the solution to all of his problems and provides a neat fireworks display down on the planet. He then steals a Klingon bird of prey, sails off to Vulcan and they live happily ever after (until the next movie)
• 5. God is pretty mad with the Enterprise crew for Spock respawning out of nowhere. He kindly asks that Kirk hands over his brand new Enterprise, but Kirk refuses. Why does God need a starship? (Especially one whose captain won't hesitate to blow it up).
• 7. Kirk somehow gets stuck in an eternal happiness vortex of fun. When Picard show up, Kirk bakes some eggs, decides it's time to leave his newly found utopia, and kicks some Malcolm McDowel ass. Famous last words: Captain on the bridge... I mean, bridge on the captain. (I'm assuming the metal thing that fell on his head was some sort of bridge like construction, please excuse the pun if it was a staircase)
• 9. Data does something really odd, which induces long talks about the prime directive by various crewmembers of the enterprise. By the time Picard decides to kick ass, half the movietheatre is asleep, while the other half finds themselves complaining what a waste of money that ticket was in the pub.

The worst part was that movie #10 didn't bring balance to the trek universe. Data dies, nobody cares.

This is once again an odd-numbered trek movie, and from the looks of it, it won't break the rule. Prequels suck, george lucas proved it (although that has more to do with George Lucas than with the concept of a prequel), Enterprise proved it (although that has a lot more to do with certain writers, whom I won't name to avoid starting a flamewar).

I think Trek needs a long holliday. 10 years sounds about right. Make some room for other scifi, then give those shows a run for their money. That way, people will want to see it again, now everyone is just waiting for the release so they can say "That was horrible".

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[Otter Popinski]

Let's hope we never have the chance to put your theory to the test. Star Trek XV: Captain Wesley Crusher, now in command of the USS Voyager, spends a week-long holiday on Risa. Nothing much happens, but there are lots of nude scenes.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[mrxak]

They should have stopped making movies at #9. I happened to like Insurrection (it wrapped things up fairly neatly for most characters), but that's besides the point. Nemesis was atrocious, never should have been made, and Enterprise was poorly managed so while I liked a fair portion of it, it should have not existed.

If they want to take another 10 year break and then do something in the 25th century, I will gladly watch. But right now I'd rather watch more original sci-fi than the same stuff rehashed in prequel after prequel.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[masdog]

Odd number trek movies range from downright bad to halfway decent. The Even numbered trek movies tend to be the better ones, but as another poster said, X (Nemesis) really killed that theory. After First Contact, all the Trek movies tend to follow the writing trends of the TV shows and go into a downward spiral fairly quickly.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[MightyMartian]

1. A probe returns to earth, lots of "visual effects", some fusion between man and machine and the universe is happy. After watching this movie, you'll find yourself wondering "What did I just watch?" and "Did I pay money for that DVD?"

I used to think that way about the Motion Picture as well, but I've actually found myself enjoying it (the longer cut that is) the last few times I watched it. In some ways it has more in common with 2001 than with Star Trek, but Spock's still funky, Bones is still cranky and Kirk is still an arrogant bastard.

Re:Odd numbered trek movies, good or bad?

[solios]

For me, it was "evens rule, odds suck" until First Contact. I thought it was absolute fanservice completely-missed-the-demographic ass... and it's Citizen Kane compared to Nemesis (10). Though 8 is still Beyond Awful for the horrible effect it's had on the Trek canon. :(

Other cast options....

[russ1337]

They were going to cast Keano Reeves as Spock, but found during auditions that he doesn't have the range of emotions required for the role.

Re:Other cast options....

[Anonymous Coward]

KeanuSpock: Whoa, fascinating.

Re:Other cast options....

[laffer1]

How would the lines for that go?

Kirk: Spock what do you think?
Spock: I know kung fu!

Re:Other cast options....

[damn_registrars]

Perhaps if they do another generations movie, he can play data instead?

Re:Other cast options....

[Mr. Sketch]

You might be on to something there, he could really make the Spock character more hip to appeal to a modern audience. Consider the following changes:

Spock: Facinating.
Keanu: Whoa!

Spock: That would be illogical.
Keanu: That would be most unexcellent!

Spock: Their shields are no match for us.
Keanu: I know kung-fu!

I'm sure there are other obvious changes, feel free to contribute your own.

Re:Other cast options....

[jollyreaper]

They were going to cast Keano Reeves as Spock, but found during auditions that he doesn't have the range of emotions required for the role. Snarkiest movie review I ever read -- there was some movie where he was cast as a nuclear physicist. "Keanu Reeves, tragically miscast as an intelligent person..." OUCH!

Re:Other cast options....

[Sosarian]

Wasn't that movie review about Denise Richards? :)

Merry Christmas.

Re:Other cast options....

[jollyreaper]

Wasn't that movie review about Denise Richards? :) Yeah, but that's Denise Richards. It's not like I was looking at what she was saying.

Re:Other cast options....

[SilentOneNCW]

+5, made me lmao.

That's Christopher PIKE

[Jeremiah Cornelius]

...you insensitive clod!

No fancy celebrities allowed!

[They_Call_Me_Spanky]

"Pine is almost completely unknown"

Good
I think a well known celebrity would have detracted from the movie and characters because their personalities are so well known.
If they're gonna reboot Star Trek, bring on fresh faces.
I'm all for it!

So. . . Many. . . Pictures.

[Fantastic Lad]

The IMDB has a tidy little slide show of Hollywood's new It Boy.

I'm glad they didn't go for a look-a-like. There's a couple of shots which suggest this actor might have enough screen presence and charisma to pull off the arrogant super-leader several-times savior of the galaxy.

Good luck to you, Mr. Pine! Them's big shoes. --It's a case of creating a character who is, (on and off the screen) ultra arrogant, skilled enough to deserve acting that way, and charming enough not to piss everybody off while doing it. If you follow Shatner's lead, then you will also be a really kind, light-hearted and giving soul, but that usually comes with age. If you don't get blasted by photon disrupters first. Is this Pine kid also a Canadian like old Bill? I'm not sure it's possible to achieve all of those goals otherwise. We'll have to see. Like I said, good luck to you, man!

And I have gotta say, this is the first time in forever, (with the exception of the recent and sadly disappointing Superman film), that I've been excited about an upcoming movie. With a good writer and good direction, this could be a really awesome film.

When, oh, when will I accumulate enough jaded cynicism to not let my hopes get the better of me?

I am SUCH a sci-fi geek!

-FL

Re:So. . . Many. . . Pictures.

[SpectreBlofeld]

I don't think they *could* go for a look-a-like. While Shatner doesn't look unusual or strange by any standard, he certainly looks unique. As does Nimoy. I've seen a lot of human beings and just nobody looks like these guys. Seeing as how they both have Ukranian Jewish heritage, maybe you'd have to look toward Mother Russia to find some doubles...

Remake of Nemesis?

[wiredlogic]

With such an original classical villian name like "Nero" we can only hope that whis will be a remake of the remake that was Nemesis. Bonus points if they have scenes on Ceti Alpha IV.

Re:Remake of Nemesis?

[TheWanderingHermit]

"Nero's hit. I'm going in after him!"

(The immortal words of Flash Gordon!)

The Bigger Story

[Traiano]

Is that there is a web page (TrekToday) that is dedicated to daily updates on this franchise. As Shatner said on SNL many years ago: "Get a life!"

The real question is...

[Tetsujin]

Now. He has to learn. To talk. Like this.

Well... Sure! HE - can - ACT...

BUT!

The REAL question IS...

can he SING?

Picture yourself. In a boat. On a river.
With Tan-gerine dreams, and MARMALADE skies!
Somebody -- calls you... you anssswerrr quuuiiitee sllllowwwwllllyyyy,
A GIRL! with kalEIIIIDOscope eyes...

Re:The real question is...

[Adambomb]

How can you do a spoken word version of a rap song?

He found a way.

However, did he attend enough conventions to know how to spell Melllvar?

Re:The real question is...

[Anonymous Coward]

Well... Sure! HE - can - ACT...

BUT!

The REAL question IS...

can he SING?

Pine has some MIGHTY big shoes to fill:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVbv6r_tKnE

I'm not the MAN they think I am at home. Oh no.

I'm a ROCK-IT-MAN...

But...

[Anonymous Coward]

can he sing Rocket Man?

Re:But...

[Farmer Tim]

can he sing Rocket Man?

Does it matter? Shatner couldn't, and he released a record to prove it!

No way.

[mr100percent]

SHATNER IS KIRK

IDF

[Radon360]

FWIW, Google: Inertial Dampening Field

This sci-fi device is supposed to counteract such fatal changes in motion. Gene Roddenberry and his gang tried to come up with scientific explanations for a lot of things portrayed in Star Trek.

Re:IDF

[Shakrai]

FWIW, Google: Inertial Dampening Field

Wanna tell me exactly how that fits into the OP saying we need "Newtonian-physics-accurate battle scenes"?

Re:IDF

[Marxist Hacker 42]

I was referring to the motion of the ships in battle scenes- something done on New Voyages with CGI. Even Babylon 5 had inertial dampeners of various effectiveness. In Star Trek Enterprise and TOS story lines, the inertial dampeners are so bad that they're fooled by quick changes in direction- which gave us all the funny scenes of people being thrown out of their chairs (why they never thought about seat belts is beyond me), but they do exist.

Now having said that- my OP comment was in relation to how the ships moved, not how the people within the ships moved. In New Voyages, we've actually got a navigator who is good enough to fly the ship like a fighter jet (and in the first episode, actually threaded the ship through a huge version of the Guardian at the Edge of Forever- after diving through several miles of atmosphere).

Re:IDF

[Shakrai]

Even Babylon 5 had inertial dampeners of various effectiveness

Umm, MAYBE the Minbari had them, since we saw characters in their fighters without seat belts functioning quite effectively, but none of the younger races had anything remotely like them. Earthforce pilots were strapped in and the capital ships moved slowly enough that G-forces weren't an issue.

In fact, I seem to recall Sheridan telling his people that Centauri pilots (a race MORE advanced then Earth) were still subject to blacking out during extreme maneuvers.

Re:IDF

[Marxist Hacker 42]

Umm, MAYBE the Minbari had them, since we saw characters in their fighters without seat belts functioning quite effectively, but none of the younger races had anything remotely like them. Earthforce pilots were strapped in and the capital ships moved slowly enough that G-forces weren't an issue.

Until, of course, they hit a Jump Gate- or had jump engines accelerate them- at which point without some form of IDF, they would have all ended up jelly anyway. But like I said, varying effectiveness- only the Minbari seemed to have a very effective and quick IDF, and even the Vorlons substituted encasing within another living being, kind of an organic form of IDF.

In fact, I seem to recall Sheridan telling his people that Centauri pilots (a race MORE advanced then Earth) were still subject to blacking out during extreme maneuvers.

Which wouldn't necessarily mean *NO* IDF, just IDF that doesn't react very quickly to extreme maneuvers or changes in direction.

Human beings already have a primative form of IDF- anti-blackout pants, that our current jet fighter pilots use to pump blood back out of the legs and towards the brain during high-G maneuvers. But it's already possible to fly faster than those can react.

Re:IDF

[Anonymous Coward]

For that matter, why is the engagement distance typically less than a mile or two, when one ship is capable of approaching the other at near-light speed?

Re:IDF

[jandrese]

I thought the point of jumpgates was that the universe they jumped into was much more compressed than the regular universe, so they moved at the same (slow) speed through that universe, but went through a lot more regular space in the process. Of course any form of FTL travel is going to involve a fair bit of hand wringing, but it's really unavoidable if you want to maintain a cast of characters and not involve timelines that stretch across eons (which sounds cool in theory, but in practice is almost impossible to write).

Re:IDF

[dwye]

n New Voyages, we've actually got a navigator who is good enough to fly the ship like a fighter jet

Fly a battlecruiser the size of an aircraft carrier (the Forrestal, actually, which was the last class of nonnuclear powered carriers in the US Navy) like a fighter jet? Obviously, New Voyages CGI animators don't believe in accurate Newtonian physics, just in cranking up the stress level to 11 and damn the torpedoes.

And, btw, most battles in TOS took place at moderate warp speeds (IIRC, usually WF4), except during long distance chases, when it was "Scotty, give me all you can."

Re:IDF

[Xentor]

(Disclaimer: Yes, I realize this is all fiction. Just making that clear)

Pretty much in agreement with you on most points (Well, don't know much about the anti-blackout pants), but I don't think you can apply the need for IDFs to jump gates.

Keep in mind that jump gates weren't actually accelerating you to a new realm of fastness (Yes, I'm making up words) or anything... They were knocking you into hyperspace, which was presumably a different dimension of sorts. So when they hit the jump drive and zip into a gate, they're not really zooming into the distance, but just turning in a new direction. You make a right turn at the traffic light, they make an turn into a jump gate... The stretchy stuff and zooming effect would be a visual distortion, since they never really speed up. Since there's not really a sudden change in velocity (Just a normal turn), IDFs aren't needed.

Of course, this is just my take on it, from watching the entire series several times (Yay for DVD box sets)... If you want a definitive answer, gotta ask JMS.

Oh, and even the Minbari IDFs weren't perfect. There were a few bridge scenes on the White Stars where they had to grab a hold of something for sharp turns, or did the old Kirk-style shaking dance when something hit them.

Re:IDF

[rumblin'rabbit]

Gene Roddenberry and his gang tried to come up with scientific explanations for a lot of things portrayed in Star Trek.

Did he ever explain why a starship would be equiped with 1970's-era computers that clattered and lit up every time they spoke?

Re:IDF

[WinterSolstice]

Why a culture that can invent warp travel, transporters, and IDF generators is incapable of keeping highly trained personnel from being blown up by their consoles is beyond me.

I mean, hello - does your desktop explode whenever it encounters an error?

Re:IDF

[dissy]

Gene Roddenberry and his gang tried to come up with scientific explanations for a lot of things portrayed in Star Trek. Did he ever explain why a starship would be equiped with 1970's-era computers that clattered and lit up every time they spoke? Yea, the budget. :P

Re:IDF

[lgw]

You know, while the original series didn't get everything right (what SF does?) they did a remarkable job. The communicators seem quite reasonable today. Keeping track of paperwork onboard ship with memory cards that would be plugged into a tablet so that forms could be physically signed seems quite insightful.

And of course the most brilliant step: a mixed race/sex/nationality crew where no one cared about such things. I'm still impressed that they showed the first black/white interracial kiss on TV without realizing they were doing anything special.

The transporters were the most far-fetched, but that was strictly budget driven.

All in all you could tell that some of the best SF writers of the day contributed stories, and the the producers cared about maintaining a reasonable cannon. Avoiding the exact reason why all of the B&B Treks were uninspired and bland.

Re:IDF

[Marxist Hacker 42]

I had one do that once. Of course, I has spilled milk in the power supply......BOOM.

Re:IDF

[Anonymous Coward]

If it did, it would give a whole new purpose to breaking into others' computers.

Re:IDF

[rumblin'rabbit]

Good point. Only so much you can do with styrofoam and a can of spray paint.

Re:IDF

[Shakrai]

and IDF generators is incapable of keeping highly trained personnel from being blown up by their consoles is beyond me

Actually, as much as I love Star Trek, and have never really been as big a fan of Star Wars, one of the old ST vs. SW sites, by a pro Star Wars person put it best: Apparently in the 24th century they lack the necessary technology to make fancy devices like circuit breakers......

Re:IDF

[Shakrai]

Until, of course, they hit a Jump Gate- or had jump engines accelerate them- at which point without some form of IDF, they would have all ended up jelly anyway.

At the risk of getting into a pointless debate about fictional technology, I would have to disagree with you. In the Bab 5 universe NOTHING exceeded the speed of light. The only point to hyperspace was that distances in real space were mapped into a smaller space in hyperspace. So you could travel at sub C speeds and cover interstellar distances. The mere act of going into a jump gate does not imply acceleration in the Bab 5 universe. Nor does leaving hyperspace imply deceleration.

Which wouldn't necessarily mean *NO* IDF, just IDF that doesn't react very quickly to extreme maneuvers or changes in direction.

Now you are really reaching. Find me one example of a character in Bab 5 stating they aren't subject to the laws of physics the same as you or I are. Like I said, with the possible exception of the Minbari, none of the younger races had anything approaching IDF type technology in their fighters or capital ships. And even the Minbari are suspect, since we don't know how fast their fighters really accelerate, because JMS was purposefully vague when it came to details like that.

Human beings already have a primative form of IDF- anti-blackout pants, that our current jet fighter pilots use to pump blood back out of the legs and towards the brain during high-G maneuvers. But it's already possible to fly faster than those can react.

I wouldn't call g-suits IDF technology. But regardless, I don't see how that helps prove your case that humans (never mind the other races) in Bab 5 had IDF style technology. You could say that the pressure suits worn by Starfury pilots worked like g-suits. For all we know they did. But that's not Star Trek style IDF technology.

Re:IDF

[Anonymous Coward]

If we want to bury hyperspace in suitably vague philosophical science-like babble we can say that jump gates served to free or aggregate objects from the surface of the brane we perceive; assuming that higher dimensions are not compact.

Or I suppose we can acknowledge that the reason it's science fantasy and not science is because it isn't true, and not worry so much about it. You do, but I know I sometimes have difficulties 'shutting off my brain' when watching television (much to the chagrin of those forced to listen to me.)

B5 really dealt with topics such as imperialism, the hubris that follows asymmetric cultural development, the difficulties of powerless deliberative bodies, the utility of federalism, the futility of revenge between cultures, the dangers of dogma over pragmatism, the dangers of xenophobia, the dangers of clandestine police forces, and so forth. Like Star Trek it dealt with social subjects important to the day, but unlike Star Trek it spent more than fifteen minutes on them.

Re:IDF

[cnettel]

Oh, no, they realized. It was meant to be two different versions, but Shatner fooled on purpose in the "non-finished kiss" one, so only the one with the kiss remained. (And, BTW, it was a forced kiss.)

Re:IDF

[rs79]

"I mean, hello - does your desktop explode whenever it encounters an error? "

Not since I switched to Opera.

Re:IDF

[gaspyy]

Well, they could come up with scientific explanations for the reasons "red shirts" were so dependable for all I care.

Inertial Dampening Field, Heisenberg Compensator... I think the term "technobabble" was invented to describe Star Trek.

Re:IDF

[Walt Dismal]

It does when I wear a red shirt.

Re:IDF

[Anonymous Coward]

You know, on that note, I've always wondered how it was so easy for one ship to 'chase down' another ship that was trying to flee and didn't want to engage in battle. The ships could, nearly instantly, drop from faster than light to a dead stop, and then nearly instantly go from dead stop to faster than light. If I don't want someone fighting me, I wait till they almost catch up with me (at faster than light), do an evasive maneuver sideways or up/down, then drop from light speed. The enemy is almost instantly millions or billions of miles, or light years away (we never really do get any consistent indication of how fast warp factor 1, 2, . . ., 9 are, but we know that they can travel from one star system to another [a distance of light *years* of space] in hours, days, or weeks [depending on when the plot dictates they get to their destination]). Because of reaction times of the pilots (we almost never do see the computers piloting the ships, though I suppose in a chase scenario, it might be standard practice to have the computer track the target, severly shortening delay times). I'd wager that even if the computer halted the ship, because of the massive speeds in use, the reaction time would be enough to put the enemy out of weapons range.

  I then pick a new direction and jump to warp again. Lather, rinse, repeat, and I can keep an enemy out of weapons range forever. The correlary of being in a high-speed chase with a cop, then jerking on to the shoulder and braking hard while they cruise past you at 80mph, then doing a u-turn and going the wrong way on the highway back to an entrance ramp (to use as an exit ramp), or something like that. You might not be able to get rid of the pursuer that way, because they can constantly correct and chase you again, but you can keep them out of weapons range forever that way.

    And I've always wondered one other thing about the IDF - why do people get knocked over and fall down when the ship gets hit by a weapon? Shouldn't the same IDF that allows them to accellerate to full impulse (presumably, very fast but slower-than-light?) nearly instantly without falling down, prevent them from falling down when the ship is accelerated by impact from a weapon? I *suppose* you could explain that by the fact that when the ship is accellerating under it's own control, the IDF can perfectly compensate for the accelleration, because it is known ahead of time, whereas a weapon impact is 'random' accelleration, so there might be a slight 'reaction-time' issue (that assumes the IDF works by applying a force in a vector that is in opposition to the vector of the accelleration force).

Anyhow, the point of all this is, that you just really can't make sense of Sci-Fi technology, or plot-devices. You'll just get a headache trying.

Re:IDF

[hey!]

If they didn't clatter, how would you know who was talking?

We take a lot of things for granted, but nobody knows they will work until it has been tried. It used to be they'd put a placard up in movies when they did a scene cut. This was to avoid confusing the audiences -- "hey, a second ago the villain was tying Sweet Nell to the tracks, and now we have Lt Lockjaw is talking to his commander. Where'd they go?" You djust idn't write plays that way; in fact unity of place was the second of three "Classical Unities" playwrights were supposed to follow. It turned out that you don't have to write movies that way, and once audiences got used to the idea it turned out they had no difficulty following a change of scene.

We're accustomed now idea of a computer whom a character can converse with more or less naturally, although such a thing does not yet exist in real life. So mechanical sounds that are supposed to tell you this is a machine talking are as quaint as a placard announcing "Meanwhile, back at Fort Beaver Pelt..".

Re:IDF

[Anonymous Coward]

well, budget is of course the standard answer to all questions. although Trek was actually freakishly expensive for its time (the big shows of the era all looked like they were shot in somebody's kitchen or backyard.'I love Lucy'..).

but to be fair, 70s-era computers were still a decade in the future when the ST sets were designed. hell, the first Moon landing was still half a decade away. Sputnik was as recent to them as 9.11 is to us now. everything ST did was "futuristic" - they just weren't very consistent about how *far* into the future they projected. some stuff was really far out, some wasn't long in coming.. really the amazing thing is not that some aspects of a 42-year-old TV series are redicu-out-of-date now, its that so many aspects still hold up.. astounding really.

the other standard answer thats actually more relevant than budget is what would work visually on those muddy little 12" screens people mostly watched TV on in 1965. more than half of 'em were probly still black & white..

Bugger Kirk, I want Pirk!

[Nim82]

They should replace Kirk with Pirk and get Samuli Torssonen and his crew on-board.

Star Wreck was better in every way that matters: Better Battles, Better Humour, Better Plot and most importantly prettier girls. The acting was about equal as well.

Imagine what they could do with a budget?

McCoy?

[FranTaylor]

Is there any truth to the rumor that Gary Sinise is going to play Dr. McCoy? I mean, how could they possibly give it to anyone else?

Re:McCoy?

[east coast]

I never thought of it but Sinise would make a great McCoy. Is this really the rumor?

Re:McCoy?

[garett_spencley]

I agree that Sinise would make an excellent McCoy ... but they're casting for the roles the crew in their mid 20's. Sinise is 52.

Re:McCoy?

[mattack2]

Well, based upon the info at Wikipedia, McCoy is approximately 52 in TOS.
(He's 137 in Encounter at Farpoint, about 80 years beyond TOS. Stretching that to mean 80 years beyond the 5 year mission, 137 - 80 - 5 = 52.)

Re:McCoy?

[va3atc]

Wow, I just googled the guy and he really does look like Dr. McCoy although after a few seconds of wow I came to a problem - what if the voice is WAY off?

Hottest New Actor

[Nom du Keyboard]

He may be the Hottest New Actor in town -- until he's typecast as James R^HT Kirk for the rest of his career.

Almost Obligatory...

[Applekid]

Shater disagrees.

Re:Almost Obligatory...

[Anonymous Coward]

http://img221.imageshack.us/my.php?image=robolw3.jpg

auditions

[garlicbready]

I can imagine the auditions

(dramatic pause) KKKKKHAN.... (thrusts fist towards sky in one last desperate motion)

... Next

Re:auditions

[Anonymous Coward]

Why would they stutter like that?

Big whoop

[VonSkippy]

They should have made a big change, like Battlestar Galactica did, and made Kirk a women.

A hot cylon/bionic women.

Re:Big whoop

[east coast]

They should have made a big change, like Battlestar Galactica did, and made Kirk a women.

Shatner's not a woman? Damn, he had me fooled. I always thought he was just a very ugly woman.

Re:Big whoop

[cnettel]

Yeah, rewrite the ending of the season 3 final (it is the final, isn't it?) so the mind-body switch failed, and Kirk retained his command in the new body. Fantastic!

CleverNickname

[AnalogDiehard]

So who will be cast in the role of CleverNickname?

Re:CleverNickname

[EvenClevererNickName]

Me!

This is gonna sound silly, but...

[Perseid]

...after looking at the slideshow on IMDB that guy's eyes just creep me out. It's like he's got zombie contact lenses on, but he apparently does not.

Re:This is gonna sound silly, but...

[Caduceus1]

His eyes remind me a lot of the late Jeffrey Hunter, who played Christopher Pike. However, they are talking about him for Kirk.

And he has NOT been cast. The reports are only that he is in talks.

Re:Bugger Kirk, I want Pirk!

[ThosLives]

I've got to agree with you there - Star Wreck was a great find.

Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

[fizzup]

Chris Pine has a Bacon number of 3:

Chris Pine was in Smokin Aces (2006) with Ray Liotta
Ray Liotta was in Comeback Season (2006) with Rachel Blanchard
Rachel Blanchard was in Where the Truth Lies (2005) with Kevin Bacon

Re:Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon

[fishwallop]

According to the Oracle of Bacon, it's actually 2:

Chris Pine was in Blind Dating (2006) with Stephen Tobolowsky
Stephen Tobolowsky was in Murder in the First (1995) with Kevin Bacon

Re:Pike & Pine...Enterprise

[goombah99]

There's an ENTERPRISE rent-a-car on Pike Street.

To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts

[Scrameustache]

What if in 2050 every Star Trek movie ever made with Kirk now stars Chris Pine, through the magic of editing?

Well, that's really Paramount's decision - they own Star Trek, not us. Fuck no, 83 years after the fact, we should own it.

Like Father, Like Son

[brianerst]

In sort of the same way that seemingly every British actor alive has at some point played a role in Doctor Who, Chris Pine's dad, the actor Robert Pine of "CHiPs" fame, has been on various incarnations of Star Trek. He was in the Star Trek:Voyager story "The Chute", and the Star Trek:Enterprise story "Fusion".

At least Chris won't have to sit in the head-bump and pointy ear attachment chair.

Carefully polishes Geek Badge...

"clitorus" ?

[Namlak]

...clitorus-foreheaded space-aliens...

Geez, some guys can't even find it in the dictionary!

(But I'll give you credit, that's a funny term!)

Re:"clitorus" ?

[geekoid]

Your reply is priceless.

Eric Bana?

[rk]

I thought the Hulk's alter ego was Bruce Bana.

Your Dead Jim

[angus_rg]

I'm a doctor, not a casting director, however, he doesn't look like someone capable of banging any life form in the galaxy.

Isn't it time for something new?

[blitz487]

C'mon, Star Trek was new and fresh 40 years ago. It isn't anymore. It's tired and played out. But the sci fi section in the bookstore is full of great material if you're looking to film a new series. How about "The Mote in God's Eye" by Niven and Pournelle? Why watch S.T. recycle old plots yet again? I won't be bothered to watch any new S.T., I'm bored to death of it.

Re:Isn't it time for something new?

[MightyMartian]

Well, I'll give them a chance and see if they can resurrect Trek.

By the same token, I do agree that there's seventy or eighty years of SciFi out there, and a helluva lot of it would make good movies and TV series. The problem with that is that because of the budgets involved, they inevitably get turned into star vehicles, and you get abominations like I, Robot.

It would be awesome to have Niven's Known Space series on film, or Clarke's Rendevous With Rama. Heck, I gather they even tried to make Zelazny's Lord of Light once, and that has to be one of my favorite SF books. Technology has reached the point where you could make that book into a movie.

With a bit of rejigging, one could turn Asimov's Foundation series into a movie series that would truly kick ass. Imagine a movie with the Mule in it!

Re:Isn't it time for something new?

[geekoid]

The books you listed could not be put into a good movie without major changes.

Not all books are good for movies.

Now, "the stainless steal rat" could easily be done. ;)

Re:Isn't it time for something new?

[MightyMartian]

Foundation is pretty straightforward narrative, I don't see the problem. Niven's Known Space is much the same. I admit Zelazny's is a stretch, but playing around with narrative order is now old hat thanks to guys like Tarantino.

If they can a truly huge novel like Lord of the Rings into movies, why the heck couldn't they turn the first three Foundation books into movies?

Re:Isn't it time for something new?

[CodeManBob]

Because Peter Jackson is not a fan?

Keano as Spock.

[Anonymous Coward]

Director: "CUT!.... for Christ's sake Keano, your line is "Fascinating Captain".... Not... "Woah!"

Re:To promote the Progress of Science and useful A

[jamstar7]

Well, that's really Paramount's decision - they own Star Trek, not us.

Fuck no, 83 years after the fact, we should own it.

Tell that to Disney.

James Cawley

[rpillala]

If they had any guts at all they'd cast James Cawley as Kirk. His performance on Star Trek: New Voyages evokes Shatner's hamminess occasionally, but more often you forget it's someone else playing Kirk and you're just watching Star Trek again. If you've soured on the franchise like some posters have I encourage you to watch some episodes:

http://www.startreknewvoyages.com/

editors please EDIT

[Anonymous Coward]

"Paramount casts" does not mean the same as "some blog says someone is in talks with". This is no better than the slashdot apple rumor of the day.

Re:To promote the Progress of Science and useful A

[Scrameustache]

Well, that's really Paramount's decision - they own Star Trek, not us.

Fuck no, 83 years after the fact, we should own it.

Tell that to Disney.

Sure, just point me to his freezer.

MOD PARENT UP

[largesnike]

dude, that was excellent

Plurals? Yes please!

[denzacar]

They should have made a big change, like Battlestar Galactica did, and made Kirk a women. Women as in multiple copies/clones like BSG or women as in twins?

James Bond beyond

[Scrameustache]

I always treated the character 007 more as a title than an actual person. The line of work is hazardous, and surely there was more than one, because the last guy took a bullet or forgot that the pen was poison and not antidote. Hurrah, I'm not the only one! : )
It also explains why he never went up in rank no matter how many times he saved the queen/world. The inherited (on merit) identity of James Bond includes the number 007.

Re:James Bond beyond

[cybereal]

I always treated the character 007 more as a title than an actual person. The line of work is hazardous, and surely there was more than one, because the last guy took a bullet or forgot that the pen was poison and not antidote.

Hurrah, I'm not the only one! : ) It also explains why he never went up in rank no matter how many times he saved the queen/world. The inherited (on merit) identity of James Bond includes the number 007.

I had that thought... until I read the books.

As far as going up in rank, you do realize he's a Commander before he's a spy right? There is backstory, even in the movies it's presented, albeit in small bits strewn about randomly.

And besides, Bond is portrayed as essentially the coolest man alive. How could you rank higher than that?

Re:James Bond beyond

[Scrameustache]

Bond is portrayed as essentially the coolest man alive. How could you rank higher than that? 006

Did anyone else misread this as...

[SonicSpike]

"Christopher Reeves"? ;-)

Re:Did anyone else misread this as...

[Draek]

I did, my first thought then was "wouldn't he be better off as Christopher Pike instead of Kirk?", and yes, I'm ashamed of it.

What happened to Matt Damon?

[slugo]

What happened to Matt Damon?

Just out of curiosity...

[camperdave]

Just out of curiosity, how close are we to being able to superimpose a digital representation of Kirk from the original series onto an actor? I know this is already done in some movies for stunt-filled action sequences, but is the technique is still too "sloppy" for close-ups? Also, what's the state of the art in digital voice mimicry? Can we simulate an actor's voice digitally?

Re:Just out of curiosity...

[NoMaster]

Just out of curiosity, how close are we to being able to superimpose a digital representation of Kirk from the original series onto an actor?

What, you can't wait 20 years for the Re-Imagined Special Edition Director's Cut?

(I hear, as an added bonus, Checkov will be replaced by the original CGI models of Jar Jar, with the voice provided by a computerised vocal tract model of Hattie McDaniel...)

Re:Just out of curiosity...

[1u3hr]

Also, what's the state of the art in digital voice mimicry? Can we simulate an actor's voice digitally?

Shatner could still do his own voice. Anyway, human mimics are much better and cheaper. They might apply a few effects, but a completely artificial voice that sounds natural is nowhere near.

Did Anyone Else Read It As "Chris Pike"?

[pandrijeczko]

i.e. The severely injured original captain of the Enterprise from "The Menagerie" who was left totally wheelchair bound and beeping once for "Yes" and two for "No"?

Too much of a frat-boy

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't have a problem with casting younger people, but this guy looks too much like a generic frat-boy. This is Star Trek after all. If I recall correctly, Shatner is Jewish and Canadian. Kirk needs somebody a little less mainstream than a frat boy type.

Post traumatic stress disorder

[rs79]

" Picture yourself. In a boat. On a river.
With Tan-gerine dreams, and MARMALADE skies!
Somebody -- calls you... you anssswerrr quuuiiitee sllllowwwwllllyyyy,
A GIRL! with kalEIIIIDOscope eyes..

Ugh. I'm gonna have to slaughter a pig to get that out of my head now.

Whosever brings up Spocks "record" dies.

Lead programmer, Civilization III

[zxSpectrum]

I'm somewhat surprised that this crowd hasn't picked up that there is also a Chris Pine who was lead programmer for Civilization III, author of Learn to Program, and a current Opera employee.

Two points.......

[Anonymous Coward]

1) AFAIR, all space battle tactics have been copied from the Battle of Britain. Always have been, always will be. Certainlw Lucas is on record as stating that Star Wars was copied from there. So your typical space fighter needs to behave like a Hurricane or Meschersmitt.

2) I think it was James Blish who pointed out that deep space battles between opposing fleets were impossible anyway. Just look at the energy requirements for interception. Any space war would comprise opposing forces each destroying the other's home planet.

Note that we do not envisage similar battles with aircraft today, due to the same energy restrictions. The strategic manoeveuring we see for the big battles are copied from the Naval battles of WWI and WW2 - such as Jutland.

Re:Two points.......

[Shakrai]

Any space war would comprise opposing forces each destroying the other's home planet.

Umm, and who is to say that you wouldn't have a DEFENSIVE fleet around your home planet and thus have a battle between opposing fleets? Granted, it's not a deep space battle, that part I'd tend to agree with you about. Bab 5 always had it's battles around areas of importance (planets or the station), not deep space.

Note that we do not envisage similar battles with aircraft today, due to the same energy restrictions.

Uhh, again, says who? Dogfighting isn't as common as it once was, but it still happens. Most of the air-to-air engagements in the Falklands were within visual range. And I would make the argument that the only reason you haven't had dogfighting happen in modern combat is we haven't fought anybody with our level of technology. We've had the luxury of picking them off from outside their own weapons range. I'm sure a large enough aerial engagement involving two first world powers would stand a decent chance of closing to visual range once the long range weapons had been expended.

Even the F-22 still retains the ability to use short range IR missiles (Sidewinders) and still has a gun.

The strategic manoeveuring we see for the big battles are copied from the Naval battles of WWI and WW2 - such as Jutland.

WW1 is a better point. By the time WW2 rolled around you didn't have sea battles anymore, you had air-sea battles involving aircraft and ships. But even at that, you still had ship to ship engagements. Look at the Bismarck. Look at the night fighting around Guadalcanal. Look at some of the engagements in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

A better question to ask about space combat is do fighters really serve a purpose at all or are they just eye candy for the big screen and something to make it one-on-one for the main characters? One argument says that there's no line of sight issues in space and fighters would be pointless. Another argument says that fighters can probably accelerate faster, get close to the big ships and strip them of weapons and sensors (even if they lack the firepower to destroy them outright).

Never mind any of this...

[meringuoid]

...We're geeks, right? Tech geeks. We don't care who's in the centre chair, the big question is who's down in Engineering making the miracles happen?

Now we know the answer.

Simon Pegg.

Yes. Him off Shaun of the Dead, sometime Doctor Who villain, and fondly remembered for his portrayal of a gloriously geeky comic store employee in Spaced.

Now THAT rocks.

27?

[AP31R0N]

Can someone from the navy tell us about any instances of 27 year old ship captains? i'm seriously skeptical.

Re:27?

[txtracer]

James Kirk had "history" before becoming captain of the Enterprise.

Also Kirk was a prodigy among prodigies. No one in the history of Starfleet Academy up to that point thought of rigging the Kobayashi Maru simulator until he did it. And people accepted to the Academy were not dimwits.

Re:27?

[AP31R0N]

Excellent use of trivia, sir.

In my Air Force experience, a 27 yr old would be a freshly appointed Captain (O3). They might have command over a "flight", being an sergeant and an airman or two. In the Navy an O3 might command a patrol boat.

#4 about whales best; #10 worst

[peter303]

By movie #4 the cast was in the groove; director Nimoy was in the groove. This movie was both good scifi and funny.

Number ten was about a Picard-clone trying to take over the Romulan empire. It was humorless. They put too much action into it. A car-chase scene in Star Trek - my God. They had all these 50-something actors fist-fighting and running all time, which was another joke. I only saw it once and never saw it on cable tv which are haunted by the first seven trek movies.

Thank you "Comic Book Guy"

[StressGuy]

geeze....

Re:Bugger Kirk, I want Pirk!

[Alsee]

Imagine what they could do with a budget?

Umm....
Buy more beer?

-