Paramount has already leaked some promotional photos for JJ Abrams Star Trek movie. I figured (and kinda hoped) this wouldn’t happen until a little closer to the release– we’re still more than seven months away and we already have a good idea what the bridge looks like! This is about the time I thought we’d get promotional pictures when the movie was still supposed to happen in December, but just as I thought Chris Nolan allowed spoiler Joker pictures too early for Dark Knight, I think these are a little early too. I don’t want to make any judgement calls before I see the movie, so I’d rather be completely in the dark than get pictures out of context.

 That being said, they look really fantastic, for the most part. I can see now why Quinto was chosen to play Spock… he looks a little scary. And I hope we’re just seeing that picture out of context, because Spock’s looking a little too much like Syler.

The cast looks really great. But where’s Kirk’s uniform?

I’m glad they’re still being hush-hush about exactly what the ship’s going to look like, but I wsh we hadn’t seen the bridge at all yet. It looks neat, but I’m not sure it looks very Star Trek. This is like TOS if Enterprise had actually happened– if Starfleet really did have technology 100 more advanced than what we saw in that show. I do like that it’s bright and eye-catching, but there’s something about it that seems too Power Rangers command center for me. I hope this ends up being like the Tumbler in Batman Begins– I hated it when I saw it out of context, but once I watched the film, it was amazing.

Nero looks like your average wicked-evil Romulan, only a little more liberal. What’s with the tattoos? It might be cool if he really is a rebel Romulan who runs off on his own agenda rather than just working for the Romulan government– that’s certainly what he looks like. Hope he’s got a better motive than Shinzon in Nemesis.

Also, a little side-note: I know this is going to be kind of a reboot, but Chekov really shouldn’t even be in this movie, if it’s pre-TOS. He doesn’t even appear in the series until season 2.

But I am breathing a little sigh of relief. Despite my tiny qualms, this does really look like Star Trek. I hope it is.

LLAP

 -Cap’n Logan

For those of you who were already trying to figure out how you’d excuse yourselves from Christmas dinner at the folks’ house this year to go see Star Trek on opening night, now you won’t have to worry about it. Abrams’ new movie just got pushed back to May 8. According to Variety, Paramount thinks the movie has too much potential not to open it as a summer release.
Before we all get too bummed that we’re going to have to wait another half a year longer to see just where Abrams is taking the franchise, let’s stop and think for a second: this isn’t entirely bad news. It’s getting pushed back because Paramount is expecting numbers. Unlike Nemesis (which was a winter release back in 2002) this one not only stands a chance at being successful, it could very well be one of the biggest movies of the year. I’m a little sad about this too, but if they’re right, May 8 will bring in more viewers and ultimately, assuming Trek fans’ faith in JJ’s vision is well-placed, it could save the Star Trek franchise. I think a Trek movie that broke records could easily lead to a new series.

And that release date also leaves just one more season of Lost left after the movie opens. Which means JJ would have time to spearhead a series very soon after the movie, if the studio offered it to him. But I shouldn’t get ahead of myself… that’s all assuming the hype pays off and people are still interested after a year and a half of hearing about it. That’s also assuming the movie doesn’t suck.

Unless something changes, Star Trek is now opening a week after the Wolverine movie and a week before the DaVinci Code prequel. Which means it isn’t opening against anything huge at the moment.

I’ve read a few people commenting on other articles who are outraged and blaming this on the writer’s strike. I really don’t think that has anything to do with it. The movie was already written, already in production during the strike, and now the strike’s over so they still probably had time to make their December 25^th date. This is all about marketing technique and like it or not, it’s good business.

Count your blessings, folks. The strike is over. There’s bound to be some new stuff worth watching between now and then.

LLAP

-Cap’n Logan