Jack_Bauer

Only two days left.

I should point out that you can vote once a day. So please vote.

Greetings my fellow members,

I'm not sure if this is the right forum, but I have an entry with a friend of mine in The Escapist's 3rd Annual Film Festival. It's called Kounter. It's a video game debate show.

So please, vote for Kounter (you have to register to vote).

I bought the 2-Disc special edition first thing yesterday morning. It's great. I bought it at Future Shop, so I got it in a steelbook case, which is really nice.

The greatest children's television show of all time. I honestly don't know if I would be who I am today without Sesame Street.

I did sort of like the geeky guy and the young Lt., but was disappointed in not very much from the Lou Diamond Phillips character.

He's recurring so I don't think he'll be seen too often. Phillips was actually otherwise engaged during most of the filming of the series that has gone on so far. I imagine he'll end up heading up a Pathfinder-type project designed to bring the people aboard Destiny home.

I watched it online a couple of days ago. I didn't think it was too bad. It's definitely trying to ape Galactica but is nowhere near as good as Galactica. I'll probably check out the last part of the pilot when it goes online.

I usually watch a fair amount. CBC (who did the coverage up until Beijing and lost the rights to any beyond that) did an excellent job. I enjoy winter more than summer by far. I'm really looking forward to next year's in Vancouver (Own the Podium 2010!).

Apparently not, according to the wikipedia page it died in development hell as Eric McCormack didn't have the free time to star in the movie due to his commitment to Will and Grace back when the film was in pre-production.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Free_Enterprise_(film)

It's American, so it already has been.

It hasn't been on TV here. I would know since I spend most of my free time either on the computer or parked in front of the TV.

It's on Showtime.

I've only seen the first season on DVD but it is really good.

For the record, this is not me, it's the other jackbauer.

So Happy Birthday to jackbauer from Jack_Bauer.

I have an extensive Lego Star Wars collection, mostly original trilogy.

A couple of those sets have caught my eye. Echo Base and Home One mostly. A Tauntaun, Admiral Ackbar, and Lando would be pretty sweet additions to my collection (I've wanted a Lando for a while).

Hopefully, they won't be too expensive.

More Scotty is a given since he is actually a member of the crew at this point. I'm really psyched about that because I absolutely love Simon Pegg.

As for Keenser, I really don't see him becoming a Jar Jar Binks type character. He barely speaks and is actually competent (he is a Starfleet officer after all).

If he's comparable to anything from Star Wars, it might be an Ewok and as Simon Pegg's character Tim Bisley in Spaced once said: "Yeah, but Jar Jar Binks makes the Ewoks look like f***ing Shaft!"

Well, we do know that it won't be called Star Trek 2. It will have a subtitle. Right now it's unofficially "Star Trek: Something Something".

T2 SUCKED! Imo.

 

Having said that, I admit I am not at all familiar with the original source material and T2 might have been absolutely true to it but, as a movie, T2 SUCKED! imo. Hearing noise and seeing blur is all I remember of it.

 

I wish I could pin all the blame on M. Bay but the writers bear responsibility too. I hope & pray Orci/Kurtzman do a better job on Star Trek 2 or else the franchise could be in trouble again.

 

Thoughts?

Orci and Kurtzman have said that there are no similarities in writing for the two franchises (or the two directors).

http://trekmovie.com/2009/06/29/orci-kurtz...-universe-more/

Really, most of TF2's problems stem from the fact that it was rushed through the Writer's Strike and Michael Bay had a lot of influence on what went on (note that noise and blur are two of his trademarks and cannot be blamed on the writers, that's all direction).

In terms of source material, there was some really solid TF stuff in there. The Matrix of Leadership, Sun Harvesters (a similar device in at least one original episode), Pretenders, many of the characters (fortunately, the Twins are not based on existing characters, aside from their names and were apparently were Bay's creation which I believe because there is no way Orci and Kurtzman would creation a new Jar Jar) among other things. Alot of it has been repurposed, but most of it has analogues in prior TF fiction. That stuff was well done by the writers. They also introduced some decent new ideas. Personally, I thought NEST was a great idea.

Also, somewhat unfortunately, TF 2 is the top grossing movie worldwide ($811 million) of the year. If "Star Trek: Something Something" can do half that well, it will top this movie and be an international blockbuster. Hopefully, it will be lightyears better, though.

Chapel came along later,

Chapel was aboard the Enterprise during this movie. McCoy calls for her after Kirk's hands swell up (you have be listening for it to hear it). Since Sickbay was hit pretty bad during Nero's first attack, Nurse Chapel may be dead. Not definite, but possible. She could still come along and do exactly what you said, though.

 

Sorry, I meant about her short arc involving an attraction to Spock.

True. I was kind of pointing out that they may not necessarily be the case in this timeline since we don't know if she's alive.

Chapel came along later,

Chapel was aboard the Enterprise during this movie. McCoy calls for her after Kirk's hands swell up (you have be listening for it to hear it). Since Sickbay was hit pretty bad during Nero's first attack, Nurse Chapel may be dead. Not definite, but possible. She could still come along and do exactly what you said, though.

Wasn't there a fan theory that the Mirror Universe was the result of the TNG crew/Borg not travelling back through time (Star Trek: First Contact, ENT: "In a Mirror Darkly")?

The theory does exist and has been discussed, but is unlikely. There are indications that the Terran Empire extends back beyond the time of First Contact.

It is a possible point of divergence (if such a point exists) but it being the point of divergence is not definitive.

GOOD NEWS, EVERYONE!

The news has just broken that the cast of Futurama has reached a new deal with Fox.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/674841

I must what surprises me most is that the Toronto Star broke this story, apparently. I like the Star, but it doesn't seem like it's the likely source from which this news breaks.

It does make sense, absolutely! But does it have to be Khan?

 

Another negative point about using Khan, assuming the timeline skips over the "Space Seed" story and goes straight to "Wrath" is so much potential for stories set early gets overlooked. Is it a good idea to set the first 2 films 18 years apart?

No, it doesn't have to be Khan. Like I said it could be Klingons. But as Star Trek's greatest villain, Khan deserves some consideration.

I don't think they'd skip over Space Seed, that's be more likely to be the story they would adapt/re-imagine. I agree, no way they'd skip ahead 18 years. Maybe 1-3.

"Intriguing", how? Do you mean in terms of casting the role? If so, for me, that's not good enough reason to revisit the story. If not, I'd be interested in hearing what you think could make a Khan rehash work. Convince me.

The casting does intrigue me, though I haven't seen Bardem in anything he is a good physical match and can play a good villain by all accounts. I get the impression giving him Khan would be almost like giving Heath Ledger the Joker.

I've read on other sites about the idea that this Kirk may become arrogant because of his rapid success and therefore needs someone to humble him (not my idea, but it does make sense). Khan seems like an ideal choice in that regard (a Klingon would work almost as well, perhaps one of Kang, Kor, or Koloth). There's also the simple fact that Khan is still out there and encountering him under different circumstances (and with a bigger budget) could be really interesting (it could also be not as good, I fully acknowledge that). To see how certain events we've already seen change going forward following Nero's incursion is just a really interesting idea and the encounter with Khan seems like a great place to start. The idea of revisiting Khan has enough merit that is deserves the attention it's getting.

AE, he didn't say it, but it was implied that he wanted to be able to yell it. Hence the whole point of him laughing in the interview and why they brought it up....

That is not the only instance of Khan being mentioned. The writers have discussed the possibility more than once:

Orci & Kurtzman: Chances Of Khan In Star Trek Sequel 50/50

Orci & Kurtzman Talk Star Trek Sequel (and the one after that too)

More Star Trek Sequel Talk From Orci & Kurtzman – Is There A Leading Candidate For New Khan?

So this has far more momentum than just Chris Pine making a joke reference.

As long as they don't go the route of The Matrix or Pirates of the Caribbean, it should be okay. I would prefer how Star Trek 2-4 and the Star Wars movies did it. Connect the stories, but don't do cliffhangers.

As for Khan, it is an intriguing possibility to say the least. He is still out there and the Enterprise could still theoretically encounter him. Having someone like Javier Bardem play him could be amazing. I'm open to it at this point, but something new would be just as good.

Star Trek (2009). Really this could have been my second overall vote. Very close with TWOK.

And I'm inclined to agree with trekz. No way TMP should be that high. Especially considering that First Contact, The Undiscovered Country, and Star Trek (2009) are not one or two.

I also don't think we're going about this properly. Shouldn't each poll close at a certain point before the next one opens? And shouldn't the winning poll option be dropped from the next poll?

If I remember correctly (and I may not) they can see the probabilities of those timelines taking place. In other words, the actions of Archer and the Enterprise crew had the ability to prevent those timelines from coming into existence. If 'a' happens then the 'b' timeline will take hold but if 'c' happens then 'f' timeline will take hold and so on.

I think its later than Azati Prime in the series (but they do reference their ability to see alternate timelines in Azati Prime) but they do say that a growing number of timelines favour Enterprise's success in stopping them. So they can see multiple timelines.

Fact? Parallel universes and different timelines is a theory, not a fact. I accept this theory in Sci Fi, I reject it in reality.

I meant fact in the Star Trek universe. It was just a theory in the Star Trek universe until Worf's incident in Parallels. Whether or not the theory is true in our reality is still unproven (and will probably remain that way for some time).

As for the mirror universe 'branching off', where in canon is there evidence that it did? The only evidence that I've seen is that it existed at the time of the trireme (4th or 5th century I believe), it existed at the time of the pirates (15th to 18th century), it existed in the early 20th century (WWI and WWII), it existed at the latter half of the 20th century (Moon landings and nuclear subs), it existed at the time of first contact, it existed in the time of Archer, it existed in the time of Kirk and it existed in the time of Sisko.

 

I may be forgetting some event in Star Trek history that would indicate that it did branch off but as right now I can't for the life of me think of what that event might be and would be very interested in knowing it. I haven't watched Mirror, Mirror for a while so maybe I'll watch it tonight.

There is no definitive evidence that the Mirror Universe did branch off. It is likely however.

The Defiant, according to Enterprise went from one universe to another. That's not time travel as such. That's moving from one universe to another, it just so happens that the time in the new universe is different than the time in the old universe.

 

When I flew to Las Vegas last summer I went from the Eastern time zone to the pacific time zone. Did I time travel or simply go to a different place that calculated time differently from the place that I left from?

It is time travel because the Defiant didn't jump to the same point in time in the Mirror Universe. It jumped back over one hundred years. It traveled through time.

Something to consider when thinking about Star Trek (2009) and it's success. I haven't seen any other polls around the internet and I haven't seen any other discussions at other sites, so I can only judge the reaction based on what we have here right now.

 

I don't know the exact number of Star Trek fans but let's say it's around 20,000,000. If our rating poll for the movie is representative of the fanbase as a whole then on the surface it looks pretty good...

 

81.38% of the voters (myself included I feel I must add) either loved it or at least liked it a lot.

 

4.9% are indifferent.... think it was 'average'

 

13.72% either disliked it a lot or outright hated it.

 

Looks good, but if this is the way the rest of future Trek will be and you have almost 14% of that 20,000,000 disliking/hating the direction of the franchise that's a huge loss if they stop paying for tickets and DVD's.

 

You have to suppose that you'll pick up new fans, but I would doubt that you'd pick up almost 14% of that initial 20,000,000. So if the purpose was to gain fans and our poll is indicative of the fanbase as a whole, they've actually lost fans. That 20,000,000 number would be something like 17,256,000 to 18,256,000.

 

I have no idea if those numbers have any basis in fact or not, I'm just thinking out loud. But the possibility of losing 14% of your avid fanbase is something that really could kill the franchise... at least as far as future projects are concerned.

Firstly, I highly doubt this movie lost 14% of the fan base. A far larger poll at Trekbbs (roughly 10 times the size of this poll) gives the "below-average" and "poor" a combined number of only 9%. And there is no guarantee all of them will walk away (not everyone who disliked TFF or NEM, or any other Trek incarnation walked away). However, this movie has undoubtedly increased the number of people who will be willing to watch future Trek projects. They may not be hard-core Trekkies, but they're still going to spend money on Star Trek. DVDs sales will likely be strong and word of mouth will be good. Star Trek is also one of maybe three summer releases, thus far, that have managed to combine critical praise with box office success (Up and Harry Potter 6 being the other two). There is even talk that with the increase to ten Best Picture nominees that Star Trek could actually be a Best Picture nominee (it won't win, even if it does get the nod). All of this points to the next movie being even more successful.

Now, in keeping with your theme of "if you don't like it then don't watch it..." I'll say the same thing, these are my opinions. I believe you'll agree that I'm entitled to them and I believe that you'll agree that I've earned if not paid for the right to express them. If you don't like them, you don't have to read them. Remember, I'm not trying to force my opinion on you. I didn't pose the question. I just gave my honest and open opinion... as I always have for the past 6+ years and will continue to do for as long as I keep the site online.

Fair enough.

Excuse me but this isn't my poll question, I'm not 'bent out of shape'. The question was asked, I am calmly voicing my thoughts on the subject, and yes it is my choice. I also believe I've earned that right with the amount of money I've pumped into this site for the past 6+ years not to mention the amount of time as a fan of the franchise that I've spent over the past almost 40 years.

 

We've been given a perfectly acceptable explanation as to how the prime timeline is preserved. To worry over possible erasure is needless worrying. But if you want to that is your right because no one is forcing you to accept it.

 

"Perfectly good" for some is garbage to others. I'm not saying that it's either but I do think it's a bit of a cop-out by lazy writers that didn't want to honor Star Trek canon.

 

As for "worrying over possible erasure", I'm not worrying about anything. Alterego asked the question, it's a good question and can stir good debate. I welcome it and I welcome everyones opinions on the matter but don't expect me to just sit on my thumbs and not express my thoughts when asked to, and this question being posted is asking everyone to express their opinion.

 

 

But this is where the franchise is now and where it will be staying for the time being. Don't like it? Don't watch it again. Don't buy it. Just watch the old episodes and movies.

 

Shall I link to the multiple instances where I said that I really liked the movie in and of itself? I've watched the movie multiple times, I went out and paid a lot of money to get 4 full sets of the glasses from Burger King to save. When the DVD comes out I'll get a copy of it for my collection. Just because I'm disappointed in the direction that they decided to go in doesn't mean that I all of the sudden turn my back on the franchise. I believe that some choices that they made were a mistake, I believe Star Trek V was a mistake... I still have a copy of it though. I believe Star Trek Nemesis was a mistake... I still have a copy of it.

Alright, I apologize. I was wrong. I unfairly took out some my anger and frustration at the other 'haters' (for the record, I don't think you're a 'hater'. Your complaints are based in fact and are rational). I'm just really tired of having the same argument over and over again. So I think now we should just agree to disagree at this point. I'm not going to change your mind and you're not going to change mine. Let's just end it. (Plus, constantly quoting each other is really tiresome and confusing).

I know I switched things around there. I felt this was the better place to finish.

Azati Prime establishes that the Sphere Builders are capable of seeing multiple timelines, thus indicating the existence of multiple timelines.

Alternate quantum realities (i.e. parallel and alternate timelines) do in fact branch off of one another. The idea is that every option that can happen, does happen. So for every choice, every alternative happens in an alternate timeline. As for the mirror universe, there is some debate as to whether or not it did branch off at some point.

And there can be different rules for different methods of time travel. The Defiant's move between universes and time frames is an example of that.

But if you want to get all bent out of shape about things getting erased? Go ahead. That's your choice. We've been given a perfectly acceptable explanation as to how the prime timeline is preserved. To worry over possible erasure is needless worrying. But if you want to that is your right because no one is forcing you to accept it.

But this is where the franchise is now and where it will be staying for the time being. Don't like it? Don't watch it again. Don't buy it. Just watch the old episodes and movies.