Go Back To Go Forwards
Star Trek is in a tough place at the moment. 2009’s reboot seemingly divided audiences. Non-hardcore Trek folk thought it was a great action adventure movie set in a familiar universe. Hardcore Trek folk hated that it was a great action adventure movie set in their universe.
Everyone, hardcore or not, knows that Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan is one of the greatest space movies ever made. So when Star Trek: Into Darkness pulled a lazy remake, reimagining and emotionally cynical switcheroo, both sides of this divide were united.
Star Trek: Beyond then suffered, despite it being an original story featuring some great set pieces. This led to Star Trek: Reboot IV being placed on hold as Paramount tried to bring down costs through requesting stars take a pay cut, which many refused. After Star Trek: The Motion Picture had a difficult reception, Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan was a similarly budget conscious production that arguably laid the foundation for the continuation of Trek for a long time. Maybe the cast should think about that?
Movies are clearly becoming homogenous franchise driven event series now, with little opportunity and even less money outside of these franchises. So once you get on board one of these franchises actors should know they don’t get off voluntarily before they have made all the money (known as “doing a Downey”).
Even Tom Cruise can’t open a movie without Mission Impossible in the title anymore and has to go back to Top Gun.
However the issue probably comes from Saldana having Guardians Of The Galaxy and Avatar, Pegg has the aforementioned Mission Impossible, and Pine is getting to be Wonder Woman’s stunt cock. Their dance cards are doing OK. Quinto won’t stop calling them.
So that leaves us with TV, where Trek has been even more poorly served lately. Star Trek Discovery tried something new, in that it decided it didn’t need a single likable character in the line-up and couldn’t, or wouldn’t, be coherently placed in any timeline or universe.
When in trouble, return to the familiar, seems to be a Hollywood mantra. So they pull out one of Trek’s most loved characters from the past, Jean-Luc Picard.
The new teaser has landed, and I am interested.
Questions. So Many Questions
So as we know from the 2009 prequel comics, Picard made Admiral and was responsible for relations with the Romulans after the events of Nemesis.
“15 years ago today, you led us out of the darkness. You commanded the greatest rescue armada in history.
But then, the unimaginable. What did that cost you? Your faith? Your faith in us? Your faith in yourself?
Tell us. Why did you leave Starfleet, Admiral?”
Is the rescue of Romulus the armada they are talking about? What happened? Are the events that drove the villain in 2009 also behind his decision to quit Starfleet? Where is the Enterprise? Will we see any of the old crew? Is there finally going to be something good in the Trek universe again?
Tell us what you think?
