EW.com reveals new Enterprise

[Tsyroc]

I must be broken, because I spent about ten minutes looking that image over in absolute awe and thinking "perfect". Well, not surprising, I liked Enterprise too, so obviously something in here isn't working right.

I liked the design of the ship for Enterprise but I'm still leaning towards the really not liking the design for the reboot NCC-1701. I too would like to say that I much preferred the fan version I've seen in which it took some elements of the design in Enterprise and extrapolated them out into the Constellation class Enterprise but the basic ship was still the TOS ship.

There are elements of this version that work but taken in bits it is pretty awful. There's even something slightly wrong with the saucer IMO. I can't pin it down specifically unless it just looks too thick and bland when partnered with the engineering hull and nacelles. Speaking of the engineering hull and the nacelles. I sort of like them except for a couple of huge flaws. The engineering hull having the whole back end chopped off and the nacelles just being weird with that super beefed up front end with the tapering off rear end. The whole thing might work better if they tried to make the saucer blend more with the rest instead of it looking like they took an old school saucer and plugged it into a new engineering section.

I will say that this version of the Connie Enterprise does visually fit better in a family tree that starts with the NX-01 and includes the Ambassador and Galaxy class ships. I generally like the Ambassador but it took a long time for the fuckin' ugly Galaxy class ships to grow on me and it's funny how after not watching TNG for awhile will allow the dislike to creep back in.

[McC]

My only real objection is that the pylons are straight (a la TOS) rather than swept back (a la TMP). Swept back would serve this design much better, I think. Going straight (I'm referring to front-to-back straight, not angle around the engineering hull) makes the secondary hull appear to end very abruptly, which is what I think a lot of people are reacting to. The neck is not an issue for me.

[Enigma]

If they are going for a reboot then I am fine with the reimagined version of the Enterprise. But if they are going for a movie following the current continuity then Abrams screwed the pooch with this design.

[andrewgpaul]

I quite like it. I was never a fan of the original 60s design, and the 80s movie version is still my favourite. I'm not a fan of all the fiddly styling on the nacelles - all those cut-outs and raised sections, and little lights, etc. Too busy.

I think I'll need to see some footage of the thing in motion; I'm not so keen on that angle.

[La Maupin]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

[DaveJB]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

Abrams & Co. have pretty much admitted that the most hardcore TOS fans will stay away from this one, and that they're pitching it at more casual fans, and the mass audience.

They're really going to have to bank on casual audiences liking the new Trek. Because if they don't, and we only get the very hardcore of Trek fans coming to see it (assuming even they aren't alienated), the $150m+ budget will mean that Trek XI will not just be a failure, it will be the biggest box office failure ever.

[Batman]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

The evidence for which would be? APART from nBSG?

[Stark]

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

Yeah what an amazing character of depth and complexity!

I don't really mind this design at all. I prefer the 80s movie design, but I'm old so that's expected. I can't see myself caring about this, and the outside defiantely meshes with what we've seen of the reimagined interiors.

[Patrick Degan]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

nBSG is not a valid comparison: the original BSG failed after only 17 episodes and spawned a "sequel" which most hardcore fans are happy remains buried but most of the rest of the world has never heard of. In fact, most of the rest of the world hadn't really heard of the original BSG either except for its core fandom. nBSG is practically a brand new phenomenon which is only nominally connected to its distant predecessor. Star Trek, on the other hand, has a considerable legacy and had carved out it's own niche in the American cultural zeitgeist. The disasterous failures of the most recent films in the franchise stem from how much they've increasingly diverged from anything recognisably Trek in addition to simply not being very good movies at all.

[Uraniun235]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

Which other reboots do you have in mind when you say this?

[phred]

Its ok. I think the neck to the saucer sits a bit too far back on the engineering section, and whats up with the air intakes on the nacelles? Other than that, I can't complain

[Collossus]

I think It is a little strange the way they are trying to implement new and old elements of the E-nil. have you seen the interior shots of the bridge? they have this slick new look to everything and the crew in the same old uniforms! I think they should just try and make a next, next Generation with a crew nobody has heard of before, maybe the same time span between the original and NG. but beyond picards era. as for the design I knew they would change it, there are little pop up "phaser bank turrets?" on the saucer section now as well. I just hope the movie has a good storyline and is leaps and bounds better than Nemesis.

Also this might be off subject but what do you guys think of a show about the crew of a regular SD. instead of Lucas doing these kiddie CGI clone wars show they could make a show about a single ship kinda imitated ST but not to the extreme that is the scientific bout, this would be more about warfare.

[Batman]

Any of this is relevant to a movie that DOES want to depict the TOS era (if not they way we're used or want them to) how, exactly?

[Galvatron]

So far the only things that appeal to me about this movie are the uniforms and Zachary Quinto as Spock.

[RedImperator]

Any of this is relevant to a movie that DOES want to depict the TOS era (if not they way we're used or want them to) how, exactly?

That would be the part in his post when he said he didn't like how they were trying to combine TOS and iPod aesthetics. You know, the first part, right there at the top. Lay off the newbie, unless you have something to say about, you know, the actual content of his post.

[Johonebesus]

Strangely Abrams himself summed up problem well: "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?" In and of itself the ship looks neat. It might make a good bridge between TMP and TNG designs. However, it just isn't the Enterprise.

There's nothing wrong with creating new ships and new technologies. In fact it would be sad if science fiction in general were limited to the established canon of a few franchises. This might be a great sci- movie, with a fun story and beautiful ships, but so far it doesn't look like Star Trek. If Abrams wanted to create a really novel aesthetic and original characters, then he should have made a completely original story with no connection to Star Trek. I would welcome a new sci- universe to learn about, but Star Trek holds a special place in my heart. Changing key elements just to be new feels like a betrayal and a sort of creative failure. This is exactly what I was afraid of when people first started talking about a re-boot with new actors and new stories set in TOS period. It's like tearing down the Statue of Liberty and rebuilding it in a post modern style, or redesigning Darth Vader's outfit with a touch screen LED panel and a visor instead of lenses and other changes to make it look more futuristic by our current aesthetics.

[Bounty]

A visual guide to classic design cues in the new Enterprise

TrekMovie's got reactions from both Rick Sternbach and Ryan Church, who drew the new ship. Looks like Church did do his research, and that the ship's got a few more surprises left:

I’m not going to get involved in the mud slinging, here, but needed to assure you guys and gals: we’ve built you a fine ship. To clarify: there’s a slight optical illusion occurring here, consequence of the “camera” angle. For Rick and others who worry the nacelles don’t have a clear line of sight over the disc — they, in fact, do. We were hardly working in a vacuum. I raided ILM reference photos like a madman. We were deferential to “inviolates” of Star Trek design vocabulary. Additionally, the profile here isn’t 100% representative, because, as you’ve noticed, the Bussards are dimmed. The true profile of the nacelles may or may not be revealed here, and that’s all I’ll say.

(Incidentally, this marks the second time a movie Enterprise is drawn by a Star Wars designer - the first was the Acclamatorprise. Church is apparently behind many of the new vehicle designs in Ep II and III; have any warsies got more info?)

[Old Plympto]

Church is apparently behind many of the new vehicle designs in Ep II and III; have any warsies got more info?

Here's a link to his artwork at his own site, if you want examples of things he's done before.

[Tsyroc]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

I also remember the complaints about the 1998 Godzilla movie. Those were fucking warranted!

The people behind it had to know they were facing a shitstorm though since they went to all sorts of trouble to keep people from revealing what "Godzilla" looked like before the movie opened. There were legal things out the ass with people producing the tie-in merchandise.

Still your point is pretty good. Fans will get all up in arms about all sorts of bullshit and they internet makes it pretty easy for them to make their voices heard. There was a lot of crying about Starbuck that was rather ridiculous considering the original show hadn't been on that long, nor was ever all that good either. Still, they could have spun off from Richard Hatch's books with an update of the original show and I'd have been fine with that too.

Anyway, I'd like to say that I'm not that hung up on the ship. I think it's kind of ugly and has too many unnecessary changes but at this point I still like it more than I liked the Ent-D the first season of TNG. In fact it's growing on me the more I see it already. So we'll see. So far I've liked the teaser trailer for the movie but so far nothing I've seen or heard about it so far has made this something I'm going to bother to see in the theater. Especially with another time travel plot.

[Jon]

Some more news from the scene screenings
Spoiler

Thoughts on the trailer and scenes.
First of all, it is a fantastic movie. Fast paced and funny, and Trek, too. It really speaks to everybody, not just the geeks… it works like Dark Knight and Bond. The Cologne event started at 9 AM with soft drinks and snacks, the lobby was filled with plasma displays showcasing artwork of the film, lots of stills and JJ and company in action shooting the movie, on the Kelvin and Enterprise bridge sets.

Notes on the displays

The concept drawing of Kirks bike sported a huge BMW logo (which I did not see in the footage)
The new Phaser pistol is silver and looks like a fusion of the TOS model and the ST V Assault Phaser
Lots of different shuttles were shown, the Enterprise has its own Medic Evac shuttle for example… In the hangar scene were everybody is rushed on board the shuttles to board the Enterprise because of the Vulcan crisis, one of them is called "Gilliam".
Artwork showed a guy in a space suit entering a chamber with something that looked like an enclosed, trapped black hole…
Lots of drawings from Vulcan with small ships fleeing from an ocean of lava, like Mustafar (from Star Wars Episode III)
The Kelvin Uniforms, while obviously older, appear to be all blue and the shirt has some strange thicker part from the back around the neck, looks a bit dated and fits nicely.
Much has already been covered yesterday from the UK event, here are some additional details

On the Bar scene

Jim Kirk lies on a table, says to entering Pike who saved him from the cadets fists "You have a great whistle"
Pike was on the Kelvin to finish his dissertation. Big fan of George Kirk. Saved 800 people, and your mother, and You. (So I guess Mrs. Kirk was pregnant while serving on the Kelvin…)
Pike has grey sideburns, and they are not pointed.
You love Pike from the moment he saves Kirk in the bar. He is the father figure in the movie and does a great job.
On the Kirk gets smuggled onto Enterprise by McCoy scene

JJ explains that when all hell breaks lose on Vulcan, and Starfleet puts together a hasty rescue mission UN style
Kirk, while in bad shape and half carried by Bones (due to ruse of getting him on as a patient), stumbles to a nurse and says "Hi Honey". Jim Kirk all the way.
The Turbo lifts sport two doors now, an inner transparent and an outer metal one.
Emergency mission appears to be maiden voyage, so Captain Pike is not sure about Chekov’s name…
Montage with Chekov explaining emergency to ship nicely done because we get a sense of the hugeness of the Enterprise, lots of different , busy departments are shown, always with Chekov talking on the various screens across the ship
Karl Urban is dead on McCoy
The Enterprise is very fast, Vulcan is reached very quickly and entering orbit shot has a strong reminder of the Millennium Falcon arriving at Alderaan.
Again, the space shots feel very real, great work from ILM.
On the scene with Kirk, Spock and Scotty on the ‘frozen planet’

This part must be later than the drill scene, because Spock as acting captain threw Kirk from the ship.
Old Spock knows that and awaits him down there (I guess)
Its an forgotten Star Fleet outpost anyway, and Scotty hangs out down there in a workshop with a small but funny alien.
It is a very warm and special moment between Old Spock and young Kirk, totally convincing. Pegg is just priceless.
Spock delivers the Star Fleet code to relieve his younger self to Kirk, reminded me of the Decker situation in "The Doomsday Machine"
Very nice Live Long and Prosper from Nimoy
On the scene with Kirk, and Sulu on the drill rig

Nero’s ship is really huge, and looks like a cross between an Christmas tree and a Shadow ship from Babylon 5
Nero asked for Pike to visit him, the transporters are down, so Pike takes a shuttle and uses this for the secret attack on the drill…
Enterprise Shuttlebay is huge, and full of shuttles.
Part of the Enterprise looks (guessing Engineer) where Pike, Kirk and Spock are walking looks like a factory (clearly shot on location)
Very funny moment when Pike makes Spock acting Captain, but Kirk first officer. They really don’t like each other.
Great visual sequence when the shuttle leaves the Enterprise, feels real as promised.
Olsen, the Chief Engineer in the red drop suit with the charges to blow up the drill platform, miscalculates the right time to open his chute, bounces off the platform and gets grilled in the drill beam.
Fighting Sulu is amazing, the sequence with his unfolding Katana is awesomely well choreographed.
When Sulu falls off and Kirk jumps after him, we hear the classical Communicator chime from Kirks wrist while he tries desperately to get beamed up.
Transporter effect great, gleaming and swirling.

[La Maupin]

Bernd Schneider hates it, and posted a whiny, crybaby webpage to that effect. Which just makes me like it more.

[Bounty]

I'm actually liking this the more I hear about it. It's different, and people expecting "more TOS but shinier" have a right to be worried, but even with Kirk's James Dean make-over it sounds like it's more than just special effects wrapped around the Trek brand, it sounds like a movie in its own right.

[Bounty]

Bernd Schneider hates it, and posted a whiny, crybaby webpage to that effect. Which just makes me like it more.

He's still convinced it's a direct prequel to TOS and picks out everything that doesn't gel with The Cage. Ignore him.

[La Maupin]

Bernd Schneider hates it, and posted a whiny, crybaby webpage to that effect. Which just makes me like it more.

He's still convinced it's a direct prequel to TOS and picks out everything that doesn't gel with The Cage. Ignore him.

But why? His tears of fanboy rage are so yummy and delicious!

[La Maupin]

I will say this honestly: When it comes to reboots or reimaginings, the more the fans of the original flavor don't like it, the better the end product tends to turn out to be. I think Yahtzee said it best, fans are fickle and annoying creatures, and the more you tune out their shrill whining the better off you are.

I mean, we all remember when Lt. Kara "Starbuck" Thrace was the subject of massive internet fan wars.

Which other reboots do you have in mind when you say this?

Dr. Who - not exactly a remake but did precipitate violently negative feelings from some quarters of the fan community (especially when Torchwood was announced).

D&D, EVERY edition changeover - the edition wars were venomous, inflammatory and highly vitriolic. They've mostly subsided for 4th Edition, but expect them to flare up again in 2016-2018 when 5th Edition rolls out. Yet 4th Edition is the most playable, most consistent and most interesting edition of D&D that I've ever played. The AD&D2E-D&D3E, 3E-3.5 and 3.5-4E edition wars are most visible and obvious, but the edition wars between OD&D and AD&D fans, and AD&D1E to AD&D2E were just as vitriolic, just in slow motion.

Godzilla - OK, you got me there But that wasn't just hardcore Godzilla fans complaining, either. And Godzilla's design from that movie was not really all that bad for a large, pseudo-dinosaur monster. Just not Godzilla.