Ok, I admit it. I totally spaced yesterday for writing. I don't know if it's writers block (don't think so) or that I have been pre-occupied (maybe) or just getting old (never!).
I was thinking about writing what I and my friends did for my birthday. I have two friends (yeah I know, where'd I get the two?) that I have known over 20 years. One lives in St. Louis the other the KC area. All our birthdays are close together so we get together somewhere in the middle of them and usually in the middle of the state, which is Columbia. What we do would not be interesting outside our circle. We eat, we watch movies, we play games, we travel around seeing what kind of trouble we can get into. Usually not much with our ages. We truly have been there, done that. Did I mention that one of them is a retired airborne ranger and another a former US Marine? And then there is me. Well I have done a lot in the civilian sector so that's acceptable.
Anyway, what I did find interesting is that my friend and I disagree about the upcoming Star Trek movie. He is anxious to see it, as he says, it looks like fun. and to get new blood into the Star Trek fandom, we need that.
I on the other hand have very little desire to see it. J.J. Abrams has made, what looks like an exciting, exploding movie, again. Another Mission Impossible: 2. And, in my opinion, it will do as good as MI:2. And no, I didn't see that movie either. And this one doesn't even have Tom Cruise in it for me not to see.
I have a problem as they are telling us origins of the main characters. That I have a problem with. And from what I have seen, they are behaving in ways that I don't think they would. Yeah its my opinion, also based on all the movies that they were in I have seen, the original series and all the Star Trek books I have read. Now the argument, which happened was what was canon. Even Gene Roddenberry, the Great Bird of the Galaxy differed on what was canon as part of the Star Trek universe.
I would much rather see this using other characters. That way they could jump-start the franchise with them, instead of making movies from a series, they could have made a series from a movie.
I haven't seen the last couple of Trek movies as they are going more for the action instead of the story. When Data and Picard got decked up as Rambo and the words, 'lock and load' were uttered from them.... ok. Picard is not my favorite. I think of him as a whimp captain. Yeah, Kirk rules. But, he was consistent through the Next Generation series. And yes, I did watch the Next Gen. Not as much as the original, but still. So I understood what they were doing; they had spilt Kirk into several characters. Ok, I'll stop the analyzing.
But then they totally made him into something else. when you go against what you have done for over 6 years; naaah. And yeah I got all that from the previews.
As for the new Trek movie; I am sure I will see it at some time in my life. Just like I know I will see those others I missed. Sooner or later there will be a Trek marathon that I will be at and have to sit through them. Did I mention that all three of us are members of the largest fan run Star Trek fan club (according to the Guinness Book of Records)? And that all three of us have held positions from local to Fleet level? So we know Trek. We just have different opinions.
Unlike The Hunt for Red October or even How the Grinch Stole Christmas, I can not just look at this as a space movie. I have talked with a few other 'old timers' and the reaction is about 50/50. So speaking only for myself, I know not what others may do; but I choose not to spend my hard earned money on this; or even rent it. I will not, as I have my own ideas on their back stories. I don't need someone to spoon feed me it through a movie. The difference between the original series (TOS) and the Next Generation (TNG) is that the original had to make do with salt and pepper shakers as props and were character and plot driven. In TNG, in my opinion, they sacrificed plots and initial character development for special effects.
So what does this mean? Just that I probably won't see it. One of my friends will. The other one? Did he cast a deciding vote one way or the other? Not that I heard. and if went one way or the other, wouldn't matter. As that is what friends are for. They like what you like; usually. But when they disagree, after it is all said and done, they are still your best friends.
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