Killing Star Trek like Star Wars?

[swords]

I might be late with this news but I just saw a preview for a new Star Trek movie:

www.startrekmovie.com
It's a prequel like the recent Star Wars where the people are kids... ugh!

The digital matte paintings (scenery/visual effects) are awesome as expected of today's sci-fi movies but I didn't think I was the only one that thought the Star Wars prequels basically ruined a good series (originals were my fave as a kid). Now the prequel virus is moving on to Star Trek, my old man's fave show. I'll probably still take him out to see it anyway just to say we saw it but what do you guys think of this prequel fever?

 

[Finch]

They did that by doing about a dozen different shows.

You cant kill what was already dead.

 

[seedjar]

I'm less concerned with this one - maybe I'm just jaded. At least it's already been done before, so the people behind this one have some reference as to things to do and not to do. I feel your pain, though; I felt the same way about Star Wars. I also discovered today that my favorite subtitling group is dropping my favorite anime, to make room for the official licenser's streaming video service (yeah, I really want to watch a subtitled show that airs in HD on a little 400x300 pixel window that doesn't even fill a fraction of my screen and cuts and skips whenever my ISP feels like I've had enough. I should just learn Japanese and be done with it.) All good things come to an end, I guess. (Grumble grumble grumble.)
~Joe

PS - Finch makes a good point. Voyager I could tolerate, as it had some novelty while sticking to a trusted formula. Enterprise really killed it dead, though.

 

[Finch]

*gruble* Bah, you know what kills everything good? The fans always laud it to death, and think so highly of things that NOTHING can meet their expectations. I am not talking about anything specific, but in general. The original is ALWAYS the best, and hardcore fans of many things could not recognize a quality continuation of a series, especially if it by *gasp* another producer or something. It deviates in such and such, this was never an issue, they left this out. I am not talking about star wars or star trek, I mean...

The original or old one is not always the best, and a remake does not always suck. But the more you like something, the more it prevents your ability to appreciate any deviation from it. EVEN good things that happen to be new are bashed by old hardcore fans for some reason. Regardless of its actual quality. And when you tell them that, they want your balls on a platter. I am talking about anyone here, but you know the kinds of people i am talking about.

 

[swords]

I guess I've only seen the Original Trek and a few of the Next Generation. I've worked nights most all my working life so I've only seen a couple episodes of Babylon 5s which seemed like a space romance / soap opera to me but I've never seen Voyager or Enterprise. On Babylon 5 I did like the little guy with big ears that seemed to be scheming some big plan anytime I did catch it.

I suppose my "thing" about prequels (not sequels) is it just seems silly to try and go backwards in time showing better tech and effects than the original series had. But then how much less high tech can you get than a cardboard box with flashing lights on it supposedly being an alien intelligence? Or a green hippy girl with glitter on her cheeks! lol!

 

[seedjar]

Definitely. I try not to be one of those people. Sometimes, though, I feel like it's the author/producer's fault and not the fans. There are certain popular items that are just so big that you can't possibly expect to please the masses with a sequel or the like. Star Trek is probably a good example of this - no matter how great you make the next one, it's still being compared (very rigorously) to the old one. It's not the similar content that's the problem - it's the name. I bet they could've re-flavored any of the sequel Star Trek series as some other show in outer space and they would've been better received, simply because the few people out there who are totally attached to the original wouldn't be saying, "This has the same name as my favorite thing, so it has to have the same amount of awesome as my favorite thing. And if it doesn't, it'll be my least favorite thing!"
I think that every writer needs to learn that we all tell the same stories. If you're good at your craft, you can do something similar to the things you love and find something unique and new in your work, even if it bears a resemblance to your inspiration. Sequels are often just a cheap excuse not to move out of one's comfort zone; even if the writing ends up bad, you can still sell a sequel on its predecessor's popularity.
~Joe

 

[jimscott]

And us Trekkies will eat it up! I can't wait. Beam me up!

 

[Chunkyhunks]

I've never seen any of the original ST, but this movie looks amazing! It's got a load of my favorite actors too. Really looking forward to this one.

 

[scottychaos]

The original Star Trek was on a lot when I was kid (70's) in syndication..
on a lot more than you see it today..
I watched quite a lot of them then..it was an ok series, but I was never a major fan..

plus I was eight years old when Star Wars came out in '77..
compared to Star Wars, Star trek on TV was very dull..
Star Wars totally owned the next decade..

I was however a big fan of "the next generation" when I was in college..
Thats my favorite of the many Star Trek variations..
yes, im one of the "Capitan Picard is WAY cooler than Capitan Kirk" people!
it was just a much better series all-around..

I liked Voyager a lot too..
but never watched one episode of Deep Space nine..

as for the Star Trek prequel..
IMO its only being made for one reason..$$$.

Its just like the lame Star Wars cartoon..
both franchises are very much loved and have huge fan bases..
but that doesn't mean they should keep making crap just to suck more money out of them..

they should just let it go..

Scot

 

[jimscott]

I also grew up with the original series in syndication. Next Gen was great and so was Voyager. DS 9 was different, political, an acquired taste. I also liked Enterprise and was disappointed that it didn't last 7 or 8 eight seasons. By the time one got to Next Gen, the original series was laughable... outdated. Oddly enough, it was considered as being too cerebral for the masses. Still think 'Tribbles' was the best.

 

[Nepenthusiast]

I thought DS9 and Next Gen were both great shows. I thought the early seasons of DS9 were a little bland, but after a while it got a lot better. I'm afraid the original series was a bit before my time, so I doubt I'll see the new movie anytime soon. As Scottychaos pointed out, its given knowledge that Picard is way cooler than Kirk, anyway. But I also think Sisko is equally awesome.
I never got around to watching Voyager, but I definetly will sometime.

 

[swords]

I'm progressively buying the original series on DVD for the old man and will move onto the Next Gen as well. Just don't know why the Star Trek box sets are so damn expensive compared to other full season box sets. No sense to it.

Definitely the first 3 Star Wars (Empire esp.) were my faves over Trek but I still have a place for them cos my dad and I watched it every night as a kid, it was his show, mine was the Incredible Hulk with Lou Ferrigno! I can't hardly stand to watch it now though! lol!