Star Trek

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » June 5th, 2009, 1:13 am

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/rumormill.html#060409

Galaxy Quest and Star Trek: TOS Season 2 on Blu ray 9/22.

Star Trek: The Next Generation movie collection and Star Trek (2009) have not been officially scheduled but are looking like late November or December this year, too.

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » July 17th, 2009, 7:42 am

Release date for Star Trek (2009) officially announced...

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/#mytwocents Friday, 17 July 2009

"the big news this morning, is that Paramount's just officially announced J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek feature film for release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 11/17. Available will be a single-disc DVD, a 2-disc DVD special edition and a 3-disc Blu-ray (SRPs for each are still TBA). Extras on the multi-disc versions will include audio commentary with Abrams and his team, scores of deleted scenes and featurettes, a Starfleet Vessel Simulator, BD-Live NASA updates and more. Both the 2-disc DVD and 3-disc Blu-ray will also include a digital copy version of the movie. And the packaging will apparently feature a hologram of some kind that, if you hold it in front of your computer's webcam, will unlock a special website featuring an interactive 3-D holographic tour of the U.S.S. Enterprise. the big news this morning, is that Paramount's just officially announced J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek feature film for release on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on 11/17. Available will be a single-disc DVD, a 2-disc DVD special edition and a 3-disc Blu-ray (SRPs for each are still TBA). Extras on the multi-disc versions will include audio commentary with Abrams and his team, scores of deleted scenes and featurettes, a Starfleet Vessel Simulator, BD-Live NASA updates and more. Both the 2-disc DVD and 3-disc Blu-ray will also include a digital copy version of the movie. And the packaging will apparently feature a hologram of some kind that, if you hold it in front of your computer's webcam, will unlock a special website featuring an interactive 3-D holographic tour of the U.S.S. Enterprise. "

Post by **Ben** » July 20th, 2009, 7:42 am

George loved that news so much he printed it twice!

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » July 21st, 2009, 8:59 am

I take no offense at that!

I've got to admit that I chuckled when I read that...

My kingdom for a paste function that pastes.....

.... Once!

(My Shatner impression for the day.)

Post by **Ben** » July 22nd, 2009, 10:42 am

So what's with "The Original Motion Pictures Collection" that they also just announced? Is that not what's already out?

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » July 22nd, 2009, 11:31 am

The Original Cast pictures are already out on Blu ray as well as the Trilogy (Star Trek II-IV).

What's being released later in the year (9/22) is the DVD edition of the six-film set already out on Blu ray.

All I've read is that half of the pictures that you can only get in the boxset (Blu ray) are being resolicited as individual releases later in the year. No confirmation on individual releases for Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Star Trek III, or Star Trek V. You have to get the Blu ray or DVD boxes for those. I guess Paramount doesn't think those film sell well enough alone for individual releases yet.

Paramount has also confirmed The Next Generation movies are being released in a Blu ray box, too, around the same time as Star Trek Season Two on Blu ray.

Star Trek Season 3 hasn't been officially scheduled for Blu ray but word is later this year/early next year.

Post by **ShyViolet** » July 23rd, 2009, 11:02 pm

I respect the efforts of the filmmakers involved in this film, but the truth is that not only could I not get into it but I found myself disliking many parts and waiting for the film to end. It's not from being a Trek fan (I was never that rabid despite loving TOS) but a film fan as well.

Spock was well-done (maybe they tried a bit too hard to emphasize the human/Vulcan thing--they just wound up overdoing it instead of integrating it a bit more naturally into the story) but other than him none of the characters were compelling at all....Scotty and Chekov were way too flat and cartoony and it felt like they were just awkwardly shoehorned in so people can say: "Hey, it's Scotty and Chekov!" Bones was also exaggeratedly grizzled/weary--like with Spock, they just overdid it. It never felt like the actual characters, just an "impression" of them; not always a bad one but it was never genuine to me. Most importantly, I might have overlooked these things if the characters had been more likable, and, with respect to the actors' efforts, none of them really were.

My biggest problem, however, was Kirk, and not really due to Chris Pine's performance. He looks the part and obviously does have some presence. But it wasn't Kirk up there. Yes, he's an arrogant womanizer, but he's so unlikable and selfish in this film that I was put off from the very beginning. I totally sympathized with Spock when he said: "Get him off this ship."

LOL.

Also, the Federation/Academy seems less like a noble endeavor of a reformed humanity to explore strange new worlds than like a Top Gun army base type place where young people just want to party. It would have been fine if they had this as well, but what about the pursuit of knowledge/peace/equality that the Federation stands for? It wasn't the Federation, it was the Air Force from Starship Troopers. Which I could have tolerated, but the film was just so bland, not badly made really...it just had nothing much to say. The story took forever to develop and

I very much wanted to enjoy the film; I understand that they can't please Trekkers before film fans, but as a film fan, I was just bored. Even if I'd never watched Trek before, I would have looked at this film as a more-or-less diverting action movie, and probably rate it around a C-. As a Trekker: D. So...yeah, I was disappointed.

What I did like: the score was really great in some parts, especially the main theme. Spock's actor was good, and Vulcan looked cool. The opening was very exciting, probably the best part of the movie. I can see potential in the franchise, and it doesn't have to be The Undiscovered Country....it just has to be a good movie with compelling characters. For me, it just fell short.

I totally understand people's positive reactions though...it is a "fun blockbuster" type action film, I guess I just wish it had been more. Maybe if there hadn't been so much hype around it, I could have adjusted my expectations. I might enjoy it more on a second viewing.

Post by **Dacey** » July 24th, 2009, 11:46 am

Out of curiosity, what was it about the ending that you found strange, Vi?

Post by **Vernadyn** » July 24th, 2009, 2:57 pm

Wow, those are some tough ratings. Films like Alien Resurrection and Batman & Robin must not even be worthy of a quadruple F minus on that scale.

Post by **ShyViolet** » July 24th, 2009, 11:44 pm

Yeah, I guess so.

About the ending WJ:

GeorgeC · Post by **GeorgeC** » July 25th, 2009, 4:13 pm

It's a Star Trek film, Vi.

Logic does not apply to the script.

I've seen all these films.

I know of which I speak!

The best way to enjoy a Star Trek film that doesn't make you groan or squirm in your seat like the last four did to me is to turn off your brain and enjoy the character interaction.

Character interaction was always the saving grace of the original television series and original cast films to me. The Star Trek films have never had great scripts as far as I'm concerned. The script for the first Trek film wasn't even finished before they started shooting -- and it shows!

Unfortunately, a lot of scenes which could have explained some things in the 2009 film better had to be cut out because the film was already running at just around 2 hours. Most of the good deleted scenes will be on the home video release.

Frankly, the only things that would have made the 2009 film better for me would have been a better-designed Enterprise (at least the exteriors!), a cameo by the original Kirk, and a better villain.

Montalban has still not been topped for the movies...

Post by **ShyViolet** » August 2nd, 2009, 2:28 am

I totally get what you're saying George, and I realize there were a ton of things that made no sense in the older films, much as I love them.

Still, to me character and plot are related in many ways. Spock and Kirk should still be Spock and Kirk, and what they do affects our perception of them. I recently saw Wrath of Kahn again and was stunned by how well it holds up today. The writing and directing are both phenomenal, and Nimoy and yes, William Shatner, are both convincing and sympathetic. But that's not DESPITE the plot, but because of it, even with the goofiness of Transporters and Genesis and killer parasites.

I do feel the new Trek has potential however, so hopefully part 2 will be what Wrath of Kahn was to TMP.

Post by **Randall** » August 2nd, 2009, 9:30 am

ShyViolet wrote: About the ending...

And, though I know this is a weakness of the film, it likely makes more sense sooner if one reads the comic prequel. Still, the clues are there in the film early on.

Post by **ShyViolet** » August 2nd, 2009, 2:46 pm

Post by **Ben** » August 3rd, 2009, 11:17 am

I didn't know <I>what</I> to expect but didn't have any problem following the logic, which I actually thought was cleevrly thought out and worked pretty well, considering that all those types of things don't usually make sense!