Whoa.
With J.J. Abrams' magic touch, just like that: Star Trek has actually become COOL.
For decades, Star Trek has been associated with nerds and geeks, while Star Wars has been associated with cool people. Never mind the fact that fanatics of both Star Wars and Star Trek all look like freaks during conventions. Star Trek has been perceived as the more cerebral of the two, while Star Wars lore is more accessible to the masses. Plus, nothing can be cooler than those light sabers. Hence, Star Trek has attracted more of the geeky audience. Trekkies should take no offense. That's just the way it is.
With the recent installments in the Star Wars series (episodes 1-3), George Lucas and co. decided to retain the visual style of the first three films. Sure, these prequels had more advanced special effects, but the general campy feel of the series was retained. The visual style used made these new installments seem dated. Add the fact that the basic plot in these sequels seemed forced and hollow as compared to plot in the original trilogy... it's no wonder that a lot of Star Wars fans weren't impressed.
And now we have the reboot of Star Trek. I've occasionally seen reruns of the original show when I was a kid. Sometimes I'd try to watch for a few minutes, and then switch channels. Man, was that show boring. When a new TV series was launched I had no interest. When new movies were shown, i didn't care. Trailers showed more of the same. Boring. Something only nerds would appreciate.
And then I saw trailers for the new film. Leave it to J.J. Abrams to ignite a series that was already struggling for relevance. A fresh new cast. Huge explosions. Mind numbing special effect. Clearly, this wouldn't be the Star Trek I once knew, and as i was watching the film at the movie theater earlier this evening, I was overwhelmed by what i was seeing. The opening sequence was intense--- and the film was only a few minutes in! I couldn't believe that i was actually liking a Star Trek film. Sure, it's "dumbed down" for the masses, but that's a necessary step to make the series accessible to a broader audience. Even with the mostly young cast, the acting ranged from good to exceptionally well (although I always expected Sylar to steal someone else's powers in every scene he's in. i guess Zachary Quinto doesn't have that much acting range... yet.) It has everything that people want with their summer movies--- it has drama, action, comedy, tragedy, victory... and of course it has the requisite explosions. Now, Star Trek is reaching out to the Star Wars audience--- a statement that would sound so preposterous if mentioned years ago.
It's not a perfect film, but J.J. Abrams and co. are on the right track! This is the right way to reboot a franchise! Other film makers should take notice. I can't wait for the next installment! :)
er... I hope that doesn't make me a trekkie. :O
For decades, Star Trek has been associated with nerds and geeks, while Star Wars has been associated with cool people. Never mind the fact that fanatics of both Star Wars and Star Trek all look like freaks during conventions. Star Trek has been perceived as the more cerebral of the two, while Star Wars lore is more accessible to the masses. Plus, nothing can be cooler than those light sabers. Hence, Star Trek has attracted more of the geeky audience. Trekkies should take no offense. That's just the way it is.
With the recent installments in the Star Wars series (episodes 1-3), George Lucas and co. decided to retain the visual style of the first three films. Sure, these prequels had more advanced special effects, but the general campy feel of the series was retained. The visual style used made these new installments seem dated. Add the fact that the basic plot in these sequels seemed forced and hollow as compared to plot in the original trilogy... it's no wonder that a lot of Star Wars fans weren't impressed.
And now we have the reboot of Star Trek. I've occasionally seen reruns of the original show when I was a kid. Sometimes I'd try to watch for a few minutes, and then switch channels. Man, was that show boring. When a new TV series was launched I had no interest. When new movies were shown, i didn't care. Trailers showed more of the same. Boring. Something only nerds would appreciate.
And then I saw trailers for the new film. Leave it to J.J. Abrams to ignite a series that was already struggling for relevance. A fresh new cast. Huge explosions. Mind numbing special effect. Clearly, this wouldn't be the Star Trek I once knew, and as i was watching the film at the movie theater earlier this evening, I was overwhelmed by what i was seeing. The opening sequence was intense--- and the film was only a few minutes in! I couldn't believe that i was actually liking a Star Trek film. Sure, it's "dumbed down" for the masses, but that's a necessary step to make the series accessible to a broader audience. Even with the mostly young cast, the acting ranged from good to exceptionally well (although I always expected Sylar to steal someone else's powers in every scene he's in. i guess Zachary Quinto doesn't have that much acting range... yet.) It has everything that people want with their summer movies--- it has drama, action, comedy, tragedy, victory... and of course it has the requisite explosions. Now, Star Trek is reaching out to the Star Wars audience--- a statement that would sound so preposterous if mentioned years ago.
It's not a perfect film, but J.J. Abrams and co. are on the right track! This is the right way to reboot a franchise! Other film makers should take notice. I can't wait for the next installment! :)
er... I hope that doesn't make me a trekkie. :O
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