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In defence of the Star Trek Beyond trailer

The trailer for the latest instalment in Paramount's bazillion dollar Star Trek franchise hit the Internet today to much fanfare, both positive and negative.

The positive camp found it a fun look at what could be a decent summer blockbuster. The negative said it doesn't seem anything like the vision Gene Roddenberry brought to life with the 1960s TV series and subsequent feature films.

It can safely be said that J.J. Abrams flew a starship sized rift through Trekkies when he helped reboot the franchise back in 2009. Haters didn't like the more action-orientated direction his films took. Those who enjoyed them -- myself included -- did so for pretty much the same reason.

With its use of Beastie Boys' Sabotage, and the focus on sci-fi mayhem, the Star Trek Beyond trailer has done nothing to change people's opinions. If you haven't already seen it, give it a watch before I continue.



I'm a casual Star Trek fan. I grew up with the original series. I enjoy the movies more than the TV show, but love the characters of Kirk, Spock, McCoy and company. The Next Generation and programs that came after? Not so much.

As much as I love The Motion Picture, Wrath of Khan, etcetera, the one complaint I have is they feel like extended episodes of a TV show. I get it. The filmmakers adhered to what fans loved in the first place. Nothing wrong with that.

What Abrams and company did, in my opinion, is make Star Trek into an event picture. A big, rollicking adventure made specifically for the big screen. Yeah, they sexed it up, which is what Hollywood does with event pictures these days, but I'm fine with that. Enough of what I love about Star Trek -- the humour, characters, pathos and witty banter -- is still there.

If you're going to make a movie and tease me into a theatre where the wife and I will drop an easy $80 on tickets, snacks and a sitter, I want a fucking movie, not an extended episode of a TV show.  The new Star Treks deliver on that level, and I am sure Star Trek Beyond will too.

I get if you disagree with me and won't try to argue you into my way of thinking. I don't roll that way and we're all allowed to love or hate something. But this is my opinion, and I'm sticking with it. Bring on July 22, 2016.

Comments

  1. Needs more toasting of why you'll take this over lesser Trek installments ;)

    ReplyDelete

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