They do go back to the established canon, they didn’t totally toss it out. Spock says he never took the Kobayashi Maru test. Now we know why: he created the test. When Kirk passes it, he does so while eating an apple. He ate an apple in Wrath of Khan when he explained how he “changed the conditions of the test.” Scott explains that he got stuck in a crappy job because he beamed Admiral Archer’s prized beagle… nowhere. That’s Captain Archer from Enterprise. Kirk even sits in the chair the same way Shatner did originally. Captain Pike is paralyzed. So they didn’t just chuck out all the canon. I liked the homages.
I am a huge fan of TOS and loved the reboot, despite the plot holes.
The sucky aspects of the first AbramsTrek film (e.g. “Instant Career Path – Cadet to Captain – Just Add Water Maze”) were all directly connected to the poorly thought-out contrivances used to put the alternate-universe characters into the same slots as the original-universe ones. That wouldn’t be an issue for the sequel (except insofar as it indicates a proclivity to take facile shortcuts instead of coming up with good plotlines).
Of course, in this continuity, Pike’s still a HELL of a lot better off. (Remember the “one blink for yes and two for no” business in TOS? They couldn’t have gotten the guy a digital readout?!) And we don’t know whether he’s really permanently paralyzed or just slowly recovering from his injuries. (I rather hope for the latter. I liked Pike in this.)
I will say, however, that when it came to the reprogramming of the Kobayashi Maru test, I liked the scenario laid out in the Trek novel The Kobayashi Maru better than this one.
As a result of Jim’s reprogramming, the simulated Klingon commander asks who is in command of the ship. For the first time, Jim hears himself saying the name “Captain James T. Kirk.” The Klingon gasps, “THE James T. Kirk?!” and backs off babbling apologies. Jim rescues the ship and even gets the simulated female commander to agree to dinner with him. Now, if that’s not a scenario straight from the mind of James T. Kirk, I don’t know what is!
You people are insane, you know that? Did you want them to remake all the original episodes? No, that would have sucked too, because Kirk wasn’t losing his hair or something.
Good god. Trek fans makes LotR fans looks like casual aficionados.
She was as presented in TWOK. She had a winter coat and pants on for most of the movie and I don’t recall Kirk so much as raising an eyebrow (or anything else) at her when he encounters her. The Alice Eve version is being presented as a gorgeous Hollywood babe who wants to join Kirk in the space equivalent of the mile high club.
Well if we want to get really Trek-pedantic, “Admiral” Archer would be contradicting the bio we saw in “In A Mirror Darkly” in which Archer’s career at this point should have been president of the Federation. Upon checking the Wiki, I see “Admiral” Archer could work but it’s squishy and I don’t like my continuity squishy.
I ranted long and insanely on the last Star Trek movie, and even I think this OP is silly. For one thing, Star Trek II came out thirty-some years ago. For another thing, if you don’t want to see the movie, just don’t see it. That’s what I did with THE HOBBIT.
I didn’t like the first movie because it was such lazy writing. Absolutely no nod to canon except Pike is Captain of the Enterprise? I could take 5 minutes and write a story that at least agrees with ST canon. Capt April in command with Pike as XO. McCoy is a doctor in Piper’s medical bay. A cruise for cadets on the Honor Roll at the academy. Scotty is on board while some new engine upgrades are being tested. Because of the skeleton crew, the cadets are given duties on board and Pike passionately convinces April that Kirk should be acting 2nd Officer.
We need to get Kirk aboard the Enterprise. Let’s invent transwarp which was never hinted at in ST:Any Incarnation.
We need Kirk to take command so let’s have Spock puss out.
We need Kirk to be a full Captain after graduating last week so … POOF! Make it so.
You really want an 80 year old Shatner - in a ripped shirt - rolling around on the ground?
I would like a series again that tried to take itself half as seriously as TOS - quality stories from quality Sci-Fi authors - that isn’t going to happen these days - thats been obvious since TNG left the air - DS9 was better than TNG, but it was more ‘arc’ and less ‘bottle’ episodes - they got it mostly right in the mix - but I just don’t see the current TV execs greenlighting what was so hard to barely get greenlit in the 60s.
DeForest Kelley (McCoy/Bones) has been dead for 14 years now, and James Doohan (Scotty) for eight. Also, despite seeing him do more acting work in the last 3 years than the prior 20 years leading up to it, Leonard Nimoy is retired.
I’m guessing Paramount would have one hell of a time getting them to reprise their roles.
