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Posted: **2008-11-11 05:48pm**

'Star Trek': An exclusive first look at the EnterpriseNov 11, 2008, 03:23 PM | by Jeff Jensen

JJ Abrams wasn't a huge fan of the original Star Trek TV series as a kid, but he does have one unabashed gee-whiz Star Trek memory: watching the first feature film (1979's Star Trek: The Motion Picture) and marveling over the big reveal of the Enterprise during a long sequence in which James T. Kirk takes a slow-boat tour around the iconic starship. "The coolest thing about it—maybe the coolest thing in the movie—was when you flew around the ship, you could see all the different panels that made up the ship," says the director of the forthcoming Trek reboot, slated for a May 8, 2009 release. "It was the first time I had ever seen that level of attention, that love of detail, given to the tangible, practical reality of the ship."

Here, in this exclusive first look at Abrams' take on the Enterprise, you not only see his vision of the ship, but his attempt to evoke that sequence from the first film that so captured his imagination. If you're thinking, "Wow! It looks the way the Enterprise has always looked"—well look at the big Spock brain on you! Abrams wanted to take the original TV series Enterprise and the movie franchise Enterprise and fuse them together into a new yet familiar Enterprise. His ambition was a ship that felt very realistic, that could "stand up" to today's f/x standards—and beyond. "If you're going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you're going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?"

Fans and other interested parties will get more looks at the new Enterprise when the first trailer arrives this Friday, attached to Quantum of Solace. And if you missed the additional 11 Star Trek photos we debuted last month, click here and check 'em out.

Posted: **2008-11-11 05:51pm**

fuck that's ugly.

Posted: **2008-11-11 05:53pm**

That engineering section is fucking ugly. I like what they did with the saucer and I dig the nacelles, but the everything inbetween looks like it's been in a bad crash.

It's like the ass fell off the TMP Enterprise and someone tried to tape it back on backwards.

Posted: **2008-11-11 05:55pm**

To clarify: Each individual piece isn't too bad. (I'm not thrilled about the nacelles) but the configuration looks like shit. Those components laid out like the E-refit would be awesome.

Posted: **2008-11-11 05:59pm**

Those components laid out like the E-refit would be awesome.

Yeah, the detail work is nice, but there's no line to the thing. The neck slopes down into... nothing... and the (pretty!) deflector dish looks like a Habsburg lip.

Not to mention that the nacelles and the saucer make the secondary hull look a bit withered.

Posted: **2008-11-11 06:00pm**

SIGH.

Why fuck with what's been established? We've seen beautiful CGI's of the original Enterprise on DS9 for fuck's sake. Just pretty it up some more and be done with it.

Posted: **2008-11-11 06:14pm**

I have to admit, I kind of like it. Ok, the nacelles look like they fell of a 1960ies US car, and the forward engineering section does look like shit with that sticking out part.

But I do agree that it's a stupid idea to fuse the series with the movie Enterprise. With the refit there is an in-universe reason why the movie Enterprise looked different from TOS. This just shows that Abrams doesn't give a flying fuck about Star Trek and just wants to do his thing - which may make for a good movie nonetheless, but I'm less and less convinced that it will really feel like Star Trek.

Posted: **2008-11-11 06:15pm**

If this were a new science fiction series and this was the ship I'd say it looks good.

And Odin bless JJ and all but...

If you're thinking, "Wow! It looks the way the Enterprise has always looked"—well look at the big Spock brain on you!

This is not how the Enterprise has always looked. Comparing this incarnation with any previous model design is like saying the 2009 Camaro looks the way the Camaro has always looked. Yes, certain design cues are there - and have been on almost every Starfleet ship. Big saucer, flying nacelles - etc.

"If you're going to do Star Trek there are many things you cannot change. The Enterprise is a visual touchstone for so many people. So if you're going to do the Enterprise, it better look like the Enterprise, because otherwise, what are you doing?"

Well, you've cocked this one up so the story better be there. (Or what, I ask myself. Barring exceptionally bad reviews, as bad or worse than Nemesis, I'm going to see this either because I want to or because my friends will drag me to it.)

Posted: **2008-11-11 06:22pm**

Hey! It's Hot Rod Enterprise (TM), keepin' the vibe of the movie trailer real! :vomit:

Sorry, I just pure-d don't like it. The 1979 Enterprise was the pinnacle: now that was one good-lookin' ride! And if I look at the nacelle placement correctly, it appears to violate ST canon such as it is on nacelle placement.

Posted: **2008-11-11 06:52pm**

They ruined her lines.

Posted: **2008-11-11 07:14pm**

Protruding edge on the dish: good
Crease around the engineering hull: good
Saucer: sure, fine
Neck: ok
Nacelles: jury out
Pylons: like 'em
Undercut of rear of engineering hull: jury out, not feeling good

At the moment, I think it's pretty good. It's not exactly how I'd do it, but nothing makes me want to scream.

I hope I don't get kicked out of the clique.

Posted: **2008-11-11 07:21pm**

It's not entirely what I expected, but I don't think it's terrible, or ugly. Need to see it in action.

Posted: **2008-11-11 07:33pm**

I get the feeling John Eaves was behind this design, and he tried to kludge the E-Nil and E-E designs together. The problem I can see is that the engineering hull is misproportioned; blow it up to twice the size and move the connecting struts upwards a bit, I reckon you'd have a pretty decent update of the TMP Enterprise.

Posted: **2008-11-11 07:36pm**

Stravo wrote:SIGH.

Why fuck with what's been established? We've seen beautiful CGI's of the original Enterprise on DS9 for fuck's sake. Just pretty it up some more and be done with it.

They also pulled off a pretty damn good Connie in "In a Mirror Darkly". I don't see why they decided to break with what works here.

Zor

Posted: **2008-11-11 07:59pm**

DaveJB wrote:I get the feeling John Eaves was behind this design, and he tried to kludge the E-Nil and E-E designs together. The problem I can see is that the engineering hull is misproportioned; blow it up to twice the size and move the connecting struts upwards a bit, I reckon you'd have a pretty decent update of the TMP Enterprise.

I can't tell if you're being sarcastic.

I will grant you that the perspective isn't identical, but does one hull look twice as big as the other to you?

There are fair complaints to be made, I suppose, but the size of the engineering hull probably isn't one of them.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:08pm**

This is, possibly excluding the E-J from ENT, the ugliest Enterprise design ever.
I know we're looking at a possible franchise reboot so her NOT looking like the E-nil doesn't necessarily matter but could they perhaps have chosen a design that WASN'T Valendamned buttfucking UGLY?

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:11pm**

Stravo wrote:SIGH.

Why fuck with what's been established? We've seen beautiful CGI's of the original Enterprise on DS9 for fuck's sake. Just pretty it up some more and be done with it.

Seriously, this is a case of "damned if you do and damned if you don't" If the "new" enterprise came on the screen looking like a fancy digitized version of 1967, the detractors would be just as vocal.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:12pm**

Not the worst, but my dislike is the size resembles a cross between the old Enterprise and the cramped feel of the Excelsior. The engineering section is particular ugly because it looks like it protruding out to go "MECHANICAL STUFF!". The nacelles, the class tube engineering and the saucer look fine.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:24pm**

I've been relatively excited about this film, but I will say that I'm not a big fan of this Enterprise. What's with the extra shit built onto the nacelles? I don't think the teaser version had that, and it looked damn fine.

That said, it may well grow on me. I thought the E-E looked fugly in the first few pics but it was pretty sweet in motion.

I think we will have to get used to the idea that this film may tweak canon a bit. That's nothing new...Roddenberry had kind of a love-hate relationship with the old show during the NextGen years. They may well handwave the different looks with one or both of the following:

1. Spock going back in time changes everything (and allows for more "reboot" movies and/or a show).
2. NCC-1701 receives another refit between this film and "The Cage." IIRC the ship was over forty years old at the time of its destruction (Dialogue in Star Trek III got it wrong, failing to account for info introduced in "The Mengearie") and there are enough unaccounted for years to squeeze in another refit.

But yeah, the film already "refits" all the actors so I was expecting a new version of the Constitution-class. Just...will take some getting used to.

(Here's a silly thought...from what I hear the writing/creative staff on the film are half canon nuts and half "I liked Wrath of Khan" kind of guys. What if they are taking the position that the Star Trek movies happened but the show itself may not have precisely as presented? I doubt Abrams is a big fan of "The Way to Eden" or "Spock's Brain," and hey, having Chekov as part of the core group so early would explain how he knows Khan in STII.)

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:26pm**

The engineering section is particular ugly because it looks like it protruding out to go "MECHANICAL STUFF!"

Um...I suspect you may be looking at the shuttlecraft in the foreground. The secondary hull actually looks very smooth and unadorned.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:37pm**

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:46pm**

Anguirus wrote:
The engineering section is particular ugly because it looks like it protruding out to go "MECHANICAL STUFF!"
Um...I suspect you may be looking at the shuttlecraft in the foreground. The secondary hull actually looks very smooth and unadorned.

Looking closer, you are right. Really it's a tad scrunchy, but for me that's the only detraction. The design is a bit modern and makes me wish more of a reboot completely but it is nice ship. Certainly appeals to me more then Akiraprise and the Ent-D.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:47pm**

Thanks for the comparison image...it really drives home just how strong the influence of the movie-Enterprise is. The bottom of the saucer is almost identical. Of course, the movie-prise is one of my favorite designs in all filmed sci-fi, so that's not really a complaint.

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:49pm**

Here's a quick photoshop someone did to remove the shuttles and add in what was cut off in the article image;

Posted: **2008-11-11 08:56pm**

I don't mind it, but why doesn't it say Enterprise or NCC-1701 anywhere on it?

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