I think the success of Nu!Trek the first went right to JJ's head, and then got compounded when he was handed the reigns to Star Wars as well. I mean, those are the two of the biggest Sci Fi film franchises ever. Everyone knows Star Trek and Star Wars, even non-fans. I am getting ever more irritated at his flippant attitude towards it because he's basically shitting on everything that Gene Rodenberry tried to do, and in doing so is shitting on everything that Star Trek represents. That was the one amazing thing that all 'Treks since TOS remembered: this is Gene's baby. This is his vision. He wanted a future where no one suffered and no one starved and everyone was equal. It wasn't a world completely without prejudice but it was a world that strove so hard to be GOOD.
And now I worry that's going away, all because JJ has an ego.
I was first tipped off by a gif'd interview with John Cho going around Tumblr. He mentioned that Khan was a POC, which, to me, was stating the obvious -- until I thought about it, and why he might be mentioning it. And then the rage set in. Khan doesn't need to be retread, not at this point. Khan's whole point in TOS was to teach Kirk about hubris. I don't know that Nu!Kirk is at a point where that's a good lesson for him to learn. This feels like too much too soon. So unless there's stuff we're missing (and why not tell us THAT story, huh?) I worry this is going to be overkill at a time when there's nothing to really even kill.
I am also sad because the trailers make it look and sound interesting. Like. I thought that Hamilton or whatever code they're using was...disillusioned by Starfleet, like its systems had failed him and left him with the belief that it wasn't the safety net that it promised to be. Cumberbatch's voiceover lines in the trailers made it seem like he wanted to focus on tearing Starfleet down from the inside to prove to everyone - all those poor people who still believe Starfleet cannot and will not ever fail them - that they are dead wrong. It sounds like terrorism in an age and a world where that kind of terrorism isn't supposed to exist.
To me, that's an interesting enemy. And it's NOT something Khan could or would do. (And, fuck, if they don't go with that in this film I WILL WRITE THAT BLOODY STORY because I LIKE THIS PLOTLINE A LOT.)
And I worry still because Nu!Kirk has never before encountered Khan. That was the beauty of Wrath of Khan. Khan's first encounter with Kirk and the Enterprise ended relatively well, with Khan and his followers going to colonize a planet. What happened later was not Kirk's fault, but it still felt genuine when Khan came back and sought revenge. Nu!Kirk - unless they do a bug-ton of backstory and juggling - hasn't encountered Khan in the new timeline, so how are they going to handle that? Why does Cumberbatch's character want so badly to single Kirk out when Kirk hasn't had the chance to do a whole hell of a lot?
I am still hopeful it won't be Khan. For both yours and your friend's sake. Because, wow. Your friend (to say nothing of you!) deserve to have a good movie, one that's worthy of entering the 'Trek canon, not one that is trying to eclipse 'Trek canon.
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zvi
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Date: 2013-05-09 06:26 pm (UTC)And now I worry that's going away, all because JJ has an ego.
I was first tipped off by a gif'd interview with John Cho going around Tumblr. He mentioned that Khan was a POC, which, to me, was stating the obvious -- until I thought about it, and why he might be mentioning it. And then the rage set in. Khan doesn't need to be retread, not at this point. Khan's whole point in TOS was to teach Kirk about hubris. I don't know that Nu!Kirk is at a point where that's a good lesson for him to learn. This feels like too much too soon. So unless there's stuff we're missing (and why not tell us THAT story, huh?) I worry this is going to be overkill at a time when there's nothing to really even kill.
I am also sad because the trailers make it look and sound interesting. Like. I thought that Hamilton or whatever code they're using was...disillusioned by Starfleet, like its systems had failed him and left him with the belief that it wasn't the safety net that it promised to be. Cumberbatch's voiceover lines in the trailers made it seem like he wanted to focus on tearing Starfleet down from the inside to prove to everyone - all those poor people who still believe Starfleet cannot and will not ever fail them - that they are dead wrong. It sounds like terrorism in an age and a world where that kind of terrorism isn't supposed to exist.
To me, that's an interesting enemy. And it's NOT something Khan could or would do. (And, fuck, if they don't go with that in this film I WILL WRITE THAT BLOODY STORY because I LIKE THIS PLOTLINE A LOT.)
And I worry still because Nu!Kirk has never before encountered Khan. That was the beauty of Wrath of Khan. Khan's first encounter with Kirk and the Enterprise ended relatively well, with Khan and his followers going to colonize a planet. What happened later was not Kirk's fault, but it still felt genuine when Khan came back and sought revenge. Nu!Kirk - unless they do a bug-ton of backstory and juggling - hasn't encountered Khan in the new timeline, so how are they going to handle that? Why does Cumberbatch's character want so badly to single Kirk out when Kirk hasn't had the chance to do a whole hell of a lot?
I am still hopeful it won't be Khan. For both yours and your friend's sake. Because, wow. Your friend (to say nothing of you!) deserve to have a good movie, one that's worthy of entering the 'Trek canon, not one that is trying to eclipse 'Trek canon.