Burton Disturbed By Trek Comments
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Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s LeVar Burton is not happy with what he has heard lately from some working with J.J. Abrams.
The actor feels that the comments are disrespectful of Star Trek that came before Abrams’s two Trek movies.
“Star Trek (2009) was a great movie, and he brought a whole new generation to Trek,” said Burton. “But I’m a little disquieted by things I hear coming out of his camp, things like he would like to be remembered as the only Trek – which would discount everything before he got there.
“There’s ‘breaking the canon,’ which he did (by re-inventing Star Trek‘s timeline). But there’s also honoring the canon. And to pretend to be the only one is really egocentric and immature.”
Burton highlighted achievements in real life that mirror Star Trek technology, and which may have been inspired by Star Trek. “I just came from a conference in San Francisco with Advanced Micro Devices, and they’re working on technology towards building a holodeck,” said Burton. “That was Next Generation. And that’s part of what Star Trek has brought to the culture. So when J.J. Abrams says, ‘there should be no Star Trek except the one I make,’ I call bullshit, J.J.”
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Wow. I am somehow not surprised, but await all the disclaimers from both camps. I stand by all my previous comments at how writers love to piss like dogs on a franchise to leave their stink (kill Kirk, Data, Picard’s family, etc, etc, and now Vulcan for the Coup de grâce). I always hoped the Alien franchise would go back and erase Newt and Hicks meaningless death. Similarly for Star Trek, the next reboot should go back and doing something with the original timeline, sans the Kirk/Data/Picard debacles, and show the pissers what what.
Someone is bound to be offended by the following fan-made video but, in the immortal words of KirkPrime, “The best defense is a good offense, and I intend to start offending right now.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8B1GNCSfX0
Who knows what was actually said, or the context, but my view is that if Abrams in fact thinks his Trek is somehow going to be the only one, well, to me that would be like a hypothetical David Garrick and his director thinking that with their rewrite of Shakespeare it meant the original author could be dispensed with. Well, no.
I felt back in the early flailing days of “Enterprise” that the future for Trek might lie in the Shakespeare route, in the sense of continual variations of the TOS crew that go on and on and on via different plots. I just missed by ten years or so when it would happen. But this does not mean the original series will ever die, just as I can enjoy listening to an old recording of Leopold Stokowski conducting a symphony and then go the next day to hear a live rendition of the same piece. The Original Series came about at a time when tight plotting of what were basically mini-plays both mattered and was standard, so quite a few of the episodes are truly first rate dramas that will always stand the test of time, regardless if there is a reboot going on at the same time. “Balance of Terror” comes to mind. Along the same lines, TNG won’t die either, because of its focus on exploration and the human condition, though I have less confidence the crew will ever be reimagined with new actors (mainly because of competiton with TOS)–though it could, because the characterizations in some ways offer greater potential than TOS–Worf, Data, Picard, especially for arcs (which I think TOS characters support less, but I might be biased because no arcs really happened in the old series).
I think the real thing that will sink Trek being a continuing staple in the future is if technology evolves such that the basic premise is ludicrous, or never happens. Then we will treat it like Flash Gordon.
Along those lines–in the reboot, I thought all the actors did fine roles, though I thought Scotty a tad too silly. But the only part I felt truly outdid the previous actor was the McCoy one–and it did not have a real chance for Bones to philosophize in the way that DeForrest Kelly excelled at. I would expect a chance in this movie comng up.
What that means is that while the 2009 reboot was good, elements of the plot were weak, and as a drama some of the old episodes were tighter. In other words, 2009 did not greatness achieve, even by Trek standards, much less movies/stories/fables/literature standards. And you have to hit that mark if you want to bury everything else.
Once again, the dispute between fans of the original and fans of the Abrams prequel-reboot reaches a new level of mediocrity and hypocrisy. Only this time, LeVar Burton makes the foolish error in judgement by taking it to the next level. Another reason why I have never liked him and the character of Geordi LaForge.
Man, where in the Universe does it end?
How about directing the pissing contest elsewhere, Trek fans? Like on Star Trek Continues, Farragut Films, and the following individuals(John Broughton, Michael Bednar, Dennis Russell Bailey, Kasey Shafesky, Matt Bucy, Vic Mignogna, and Alec Peters). That spiteful abomination is worth relieving oneself on and flushing down the commode immediately after.
It ends when you stop trying to make strained connections to your one-man fanfiction vendetta.
I am indeed offended! Klingon horns play the Dukes of Hazzard chase music.
Hm.
I’ve heard these rumours as we all have, but rumours are as substantial and as credible as a wet fart.
Is there anything solid to support this assertion that JJ wants his Trek to be the only Trek?
If not, then LeVar may be pissing up the wrong rope.
But if there is…
Well, if Jar Jar (or someone close to him) really said that, then he is delusional. Because there’s no way his Trek will ever be perceived as the “only” Trek. His “Star Trek” is only building on the success of Star Trek, which spans 40+ years, and it’s just a part of the whole Star Trek franchise (although, strictly speaking, it’s not even canon). Star Trek is a cultural phenomenon and it goes beyond a mediocre popcorn flick. So, I agree with LeVar, it’s BS.
More like when purist Star Trek fans quit their constant feuding, and even better CBS Paramount closing shop on FF and their questionable business activities(i.e. breaking all ties with Vic Mignogna for one, due to his bad reputation and other issues surrounding his controversial background).