Editorial: Star Trek Movie Thoughts - Canon Anyone?
So I have been geeking out the past 3 or 4 days on the new Star Trek trailer, of which I have to say it is a good trailer to get people excited.
That being said in my last editorial I talked a lot about the argument against the re-imagining, paraphrasing Adam and others, who are not excited by the film.
Let me start by saying that I am excited about Trek. I think it is great to see it back on the big-screen as well as a fresh new take on the best aspect of the franchise, The Original Series and characters. I like the added detail in the ships as well as the special effects.
That being said my biggest and only concern for the film is that this “re-imagining” will in turn become a reboot and almost 40 years of canon will be wiped out in order to bring Trek to a new generation. I am certainly against this and can’t support the film if in fact this is true but that is something that remains to be seen.
Here is an example that I have already noticed about the canon possibly being screwed-up or jacked-up with already.
The image released by Paramount of the new Enterprise shows us JJ’s new and improved ship that brings more detail and functionality to the ship. However, I began to feel torn, as I love the design it looked strangely like the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 A, which we first saw in Star Trek: The Voyage Home.
2009 Star Trek Movie - Enterprise NCC 1701
1986 Star Trek: The Voyage Home - First Appearance of the Enterprise NCC-1701 A
USS Enterprise NCC-1701 from TOS - first seen in the episode "the Cage"
The argument I make is that if canon was to be adhered to in this “reimaging” then why does the “new look” of The Enterprise look more like the A version that wasn’t issued until 2286, years before the first version (same as the “new look” from JJ) was serviced by the Federation, circa 2245, especially when the events of this movie are supposed to take place with the crew being younger? If somebody would like to answer this question I’d appreciate it, otherwise, this to me is a prime example of JJ and crew ignoring canon or just taking liberties with it, which is just as bad.
On that topic too, in The Making of Star Trek by Gene Roddenberry and Stephen E. Whitfield, the components of the Enterprise were built at the San Francisco Navy Yards (seemed like Iowa, in the trailer) and the vessel itself was constructed in space (didn’t see that in the trailer).
The film’s co-writer, Roberto Orci, acknowledged depicting the Enterprise being built on Earth (which we see). He believed that this would cause debates among fans regarding canon [uhh..yeah!].
Explaining that the concept came from their own creative licence and the precedent set in Star Trek novels, he said that the idea that some things have to be constructed in space is normally associated with “flimsy” objects which have to be delicately assembled and would not normally be required to enter a gravity well. He said that this did not apply to the Enterprise because of the artificial gravity employed on the ship and its requirement for sustaining warp speed, and therefore the calibration of the ship’s machinery would be best done in the exact gravity well which is to be simulated. [Source: TrekMovie.com]
Some other questions I have regarding canon have to do with the personal history of Kirk. Judging by the trailer (these thoughts are obviously assumptions and presumptions - hopefully they are wrong) Kirk seems to join Starfleet due to the persuasion of Captain Pike, who we guess already has command of the Enterprise, meaning the ship has already been serviced by the Federation so this film must take place in between the years 2245-2285.
So what am I getting at? Well after Kirk passed the infamous Kobiyashi Maru, he received a field commission as an ensign and was posted to the USS Republic, then he was promoted to lieutenant junior grade and returned to Starfleet Academy as a student instructor. Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood), then one of Kirk’s students, remarks in the TOS episode Where No Man Has Gone Before that one could either “think or sink” in Kirk’s course. Upon graduation in the top five percent of his class, Kirk was promoted to lieutenant and served aboard the USS Farragut. Having risen rapidly through the ranks after leaving the Academy, Kirk received his first command while still quite young [Source] .
So my question is - are we going to see any of this personal history take place in the newest re-imagining of Trek or at least mentioned?
Judging by the casting of Chris Pine, who is 28 years of age, one would assume Kirk would be the same or close to that age in this new story. Kirk didn’t assume command of the Enterprise until he was 31 years of age, that is at least a 3 year gap, therefore I am hoping this film will certainly reveal some of this canon and hopefully they will show these stages properly in the film, showing him rising through the ranks and maybe this will be true and Kirk’s plot shows him leaving command of the USS Farragut. However, in the trailer Kirk is seen staring up at an Enterprise being built in his hometown of Iowa (not San Francisco?), it seems, probably before he enters Starfleet, however how much time in this film will pass before he gets on the ship? There needs to be at least 15 or so? Because based on proper canon, Robert April and Christopher Pike are Captains of the ship before Kirk, Pike of which is the Captain for almost a decade according to the canon laid out in Trek lore, but I just do not see that based on what is shown in trailer. Kirk should be in his teens when he was staring at the Enterprise being built.
So to conclude, Kirk in this film should be 28 and leaving command of the USS Farragut, he will at some point join Pike and his crew to thwart some major happenings, probably time traveling Romulans hell bent on killing Spock and his family as well as Kirk. Obviously, Kirk’s accomplishments in the film will lead him into taking command of the Enterprise. This is all of course, assuming that writers Orci and Kurtzman got the canon right. Otherwise, it seems that Kirk joins Starfleet and then gets thrown into a situation where he is either in control of the ship or does something to receive command of the ship for its 5 year mission (we do see him in the yellow command shirt in the trailer).
So there you have it…my little ramblings and musings regarding the new Trek re-imagining by JJ Abrams and team.
[Sources: Wikipedia Entries - Enterprise, Kirk,
Star Trek.com and Star Trek wiki]
