What I Want in a New Star Trek TV Show

io9 had a post today regarding what they thought should be in a new Star Trek television series, and I do agree that there needs to be one to fill the void left by shows like Lost and Battlestar Galactica no longer running... But with all of the original shows (The Original Series, The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, and yes, even Enterprise) still in the Star Trek canon despite the time-altering events of the new movie, where does one go when making a new Star Trek TV show?

I already posted this in the io9 comments, but it's an idea I've had since I first watched the new film, so I figured I'll just re-post it here to get it out there and keep it for my own records, with added comments in red.

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My ideal new Star Trek series would be this:

First off, set it in the new time-line. Why? Because while it may not please all the classic fans, it's the Star Trek that's most familiar (and perhaps most appealing) to the average television viewer.

But, since the film's cast is now (mostly) too busy for television, the series can focus on another Starfleet crew. It worked for DS9 and Voyager, so why not now? You set up a whole new 'fresh and young' cast, with some experience characters/actors as well, and you've got yourself some appeal already.

Not to mention, this is a chance to expand the universe of the new time-line outside of just comics and events that take place before the film (i.e. Star Trek: Countdown and Star Trek: Nero). I want to know what's going on outside of the Enterprise; there's a whole new universe to explore that could never be shown in a two-hour film.

Even better, depending on development time and/or filming of both the next film and TV series, you could even have this other ship and its crew have a minor role in the film, or even have characters like Quinto's Spock (w/o Heroes, what's he doing anyways?) show up for an episode arc or two.

This refers to both paragraphs: I think that the mindset for say... Chris Pine, Zoë Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho (maybe) , and even Anton Yelchin, is that they're too big for TV now that they've each been in multiple Hollywood blockbusters, including Star Trek. So ultimately that's the reason I suggest a new, different cast. However, actors like Zachary Quinto, John Cho, and even Simon Pegg have appeared in recent television series, even if it's just cameo roles (i.e. Pegg on Doctor Who, or appearing on Look Around You, though both of these appearances pre-date Star Trek).

Sure, FlashForward and Heroes both got canceled, but I still don't think that's good motivation for a Spock/Sulu adventure series. But at least that now frees up both actor's schedules to possibly appear on the new show to bridge the gap between the new films and this new TV series. And while I think Pegg would be the kind of person to appear for fanboys, the idea of flying all the way to Hollywood just to film a cameo seems highly unlikely. Plus, I wouldn't want to rely too much on the Enterprise crew to be in this series because then the new crew doesn't get the spotlight.

Oh, and get Orci/Kurtzman/Abrams to produce, with Damon Lindelof as a lead writer, and then allow other writers to get their hands on this new Trek. Preferably, set the show up in a Fringe-like 'adventure of the week' formula but still have an over-bearing season long story arc. So that it's kind of like the Star Trek we know, with something new each week, but at the same time can keep you interested in the long run.

This parts tricky, so I'll explain: Orci/Kurtzman/Abrams should at least write the pilot, with Abrams directing, but I picked Lindelof for lead writer for a few reasons. First off, Lost is over, and while he may have only had the role of producer on the new film, he's joining Orci/Kurtzman on the writing staff for the sequel. Second, Orci/Kurtzman still have Fringe to focus on, while also producing the Hawii Five-O TV series remake, while J.J. Abrams has Super 8 and a new TV series, The Undercovers, to worry about. Of all the heads of the recent Star Trek film, Lindelof is the only one with a freed up schedule now, and a new Star Trek series with him at the helm may attract a lot of the Lost viewers that may not have watched a Star Trek series otherwise.

But, at the same time, I'd love for new writers (and maybe even classic Star Trek writers) to take a shot with this new series, especially if it was an 'adventure of the week' type formula. It's something that made the latest series of Doctor Who very interesting and enjoyable, because not only are getting good episodes from the show-runner that's had history with the series, but you have one off episodes from other writers that can give a fresh take on characters while still feeling familiar.

So yeah.. that's my ideal new Star Trek series. I'll sign the contract now.

Sure, my fanboy dream would be to have the film's cast, reprise their roles for television. But I know that just won't happen. What I'm proposing here is what I think would be... logical.

Star Trek Blu-ray review

After years of not purchasing anything live-action on disc (DVD or otherwise), one movie finally makes me take the leap away from animation... But in the end, was it worth it? Of course it was, this is Star Trek we're talking about here, the only movie all summer I managed to see multiple times!


Disc 1
Of course, if you're buying this on Blu-ray it's because you want to see the fantastic, eleventh Star Trek feature film. The film of which, centers around the story Romulan rogue, Nero, who rips a whole in time to destroy Spock's home planet, Vulcan, and in doing so resets the timeline before The Original Series would have started. A great new cast, a great director, and not only just one of the greatest pieces of Star Trek material, but a great film in general.For a better analysis of the film, check out my original review, this way I don't repeat myself.

The disc also features audio commentary by J.J. Abrams (Director), Damon Lindelof (Producer), Bryan Burk (Producer), and Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Co-Writers). The commentary is pretty interesting, though sometimes they tend to run off, not to mention a lot of what they have to say gets repeated in the second disc's numerous features. There's also BD-Live support, though as of now, there's just NASA news updates, despite the inside pamphlet's advertising of 'Exclusive Star Trek content for your Blu-ray player' which doesn't seem to be in the BD-Live section anywhere. Instead what you're left with is a lifeless, soundless menu, that features some news from NASA and a 'Picture of the Day'; nothing you'll come back for to say the least. But otherwise the film itself looks fantastic in HD and the sound is glorious; couldn't ask for anything more than that.

Disc 2
While the first disc may not seem to have much, the second is packed full of behind the scenes and documentary content. There are 10 main featurettes, and most of them have branching videos that can be access during play by an indicator, or watched separately on their own. First off is "To Boldly Go", which is a behind the scenes look at how the project got started, with interviews with Leonard Nimoy, J.J. Abrams, and the like, discussing how the film came to be. Then there's "Casting," "A New Vision," and "Starships," which all mainly focus on how The Original Series and his new film compare, and for a fan of both, such as myself, they're pretty insightful. "Aliens," "Planets," and "Props and Costumes" are the next group of videos, and while they too compare the old and new Trek, their main focus is how the physical effects of the film were made. And the last of these subject-divided behind the scenes featurettes are "Ben Burtt and the Sounds of Star Trek," which I actually found really helpful fora project I'm working on, and "Score," which obviously both focus on the sounds and music of the film.

There's still more though! One last short documentary, "Gene Roddenberry's Vision," which discusses how Star Trek, the TV show/franchise, was created and just how influential and important the series is to TV and science fiction. Then there's 9 deleted scene, yes, even the scenes with the awesome looking Klingons(!!!), all of which have commentary tracks from the same group as the film (minus Roberto Orci for whatever reason). Also included are the three theatrical trailers, and a Gag Reel, which I found really amusing, as it evoked a much similar feeling to when I watched bloopers from The Original Series, and it's just kind of charming to see these iconic roles come out of character and be human. While all of this is also on the DVD version there's only one Blu-ray exclusive extra (other than BD-Live): 3D ship-models of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the Narada, which allow you to view the ships from multiple angles and read up about the different parts. I could delve into how awesome each feature is here, but my fingers would collapse; just know there's multiple things to enjoy here, fans of the franchise or just new to the film.

Digital Copy
The Digital Copy works for PC or Mac, as it should be, and the installation is simple; but what make this different is that the disc also includes a demo of Star Trek D-A-C for Xbox 360 (oddly enough). But upon inserting he disc into the computer, you can find weblinks for PC or PSN demos of the game as well. Though, the PSN link doesn't do much on a PC besides show you Sony's game page. You'd actually have to go to the PS Store on your PS3 to that; which I did, two weeks ago, and I was unimpressed by the game. Point is, the trial being on this disc serves no purpose, since you can already get the demo otherwise. I just found it odd to see Xbox 360 labeling, on a Blu-ray set (though it is on the one DVD disc of the set, but still).

Final Thoughts
Considering how much I surprisingly (I had many doubt about recasting my favorite characters!) loved this film when it released over the summer, it seemed like a worthy addition to my movie collection, and even more worthy of the 'first live-action anything I've purchased' title. Not to mention, I was really eager to see the Klingons and other deleted scenes that I saw in the trailer but didn't make it into the final film. The extras just sweeten the deal, they're robust, informative, and it was great to see other original Star Trek cast members Walter Koenig and Nichelle Nichols talking alongside their new counterparts. I could go on and on here, but overall it's a great package whether you just got into the film or have been a long time Trek fan.

Overall Score: 9/10

On a side note, those you with a Best Buy around may still be lucky enough to pick up their exclusive collector's set that includes four replica Starfleet badges from the film. The badges themselves are awesome looking, though I wouldn't dare touch them. But it should be noted that the package you see picture is all that hold them, there's no secondary, interior case which I was saddened to find out. Because, with items so nice, a double sized cardboard box with a thin plastic window doesn't do them justice. Also, the included Blu-ray package differs slightly from the stand-alone one in that it has a 2-front covers, instead of the expected information back-cover, which instead is on paper and stuck on. I put it in the box, but It's just something I thought should be noted for those who planned on getting this set and actually watching the movie.

Flickr Update: Star Trek plate

Just one lonely photograph, but I was pretty excited when I arrived home tonight, as my Star Trek collector's plate came in the mail! Sure it's just eight inches in diameter, and made of plastic, but you don't have one do you? That's what I thought!

As you can see, I stay true to my collector's OCD by not removing it from the sealed plastic (just like before, and before again). Like I said before, it's average size, and made of plastic, but what you can't see from the photo is that the central image is actual a lenticular print of the Enterprise coming at you; nothing amazing, but I just thought I'd let you know.

To get the plate I sent in two "proof of purchase tokens" from the back off Kellogg's Eggo products, with a (I believe) $3.99 check which included shipping. So all in all, it was about $8 for what I guess should be considered a collector's item, and who knows what it'll be worth in the distant future...

Star Trek: Countdown review

While J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek film has been a hit for fans and non-fans alike, IDW Publishing's official prequel comic collection is aimed at long time Star Trek fans.

Star Trek: Countdown ultimately serves as the background story for the film's main villain, Nero; only known in the film as the captain of a Romulan mining vessel, the Narada, who seeks revenge on Spock after his home planet, Romulus, is destroyed. This trade-paperback collects the four volume series which was released earlier this year (January through April) as a lead up to the film, but can easily be read before or after seeing the film (in my case, after).

Story
As stated above, Star Trek: Countdown serves as Nero's back story, since he is practically the only "new" character introduced to the Star Trek franchise via the new film; and I'm sure everyone is curious as to what would cause a man to literally divide the timeline of the Star Trek universe in half.

What I thought was really cool about this series was the way it connected Nero, and ultimately the entire Star Trek film, with the Star Trek: The Next Generation series and characters. In actuality much of the book is inspired by the TNG two-part episode, "Unification", which had brought Spock into the 24th Century, and it shows. As a fan, it was just neat to see familiar faces in new scenes, but if you're not a Trek fan, chances are you won't even be picking this up in the first place.

Writing
If you left Star Trek wanting more, this is your best bet; and thankfully, the writing makes it feel like it really is an unseen part of the film. As the "Official Movie Prequel" (as stated on the back of the book), Countdown's story was thankfully penned by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman, who co-wrote Star Trek alongside Abrams; while the book itself is written by Mike Johnson and Tim Jones. What's also nice is that the inclusion of The Next Generation feels natural, and not just tacked on, as the characters exist in a time not long after Star Trek: Nemesis, so it's nice to see that they tried to make this as canon as possible.

As for the book's focus, Nero, much like the film his story is an understandable one; but there's never a moment that you can really feel for him as his actions are always self-centered. Yes, I understand his entire planet was destroyed, and he did all he could to try and save it. But if you got the vibe that he's just a self-centered jerk from the film, his vibe is no different in the book.

Artwork
This is actually the part of the book I disliked the most, which can't be very good for what is essentially a visual medium. Call it my taste, but I was never wowed or overly impressed with David Messina's artwork for Countdown. It's not bad, his recreations of live action characters is pretty spot-on, but it never surpasses the look of generic comic book art.

Thankfully the great writing in the book makes up for the so-so art, but that may just be my personal preference of having a distinct, well done art style in comic books, and then good writing just ends up being the bonus factor.

Overall
As said, this is really a collection for Star Trek fans. If you left Star Trek wanting to know more about Nero's story, or just missed your Next Generation buddies, this is certainly a book to pick up. But if you only know Star Trek because of the new film, I don't think this book is a necessary inclusion to your reading list.

Overall Score: 7.8/10

For more Star Trek, be sure to read my review of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek.

Star Trek review

I've been writing about it for months, and waiting anxiously all this time, but the day has finally come! The J.J. Abrams directed film hoped to revitalize the public interest in Star Trek; does it do the franchise justice, or is all hope lost in space?

For those of you unfamiliar, J.J Abrams' Star Trek is the eleventh film in the Star Trek movie franchise, but re-imagines the characters of Gene Roddenberry's original television series. In actuality though, I don't think this is much of a spoiler, the film is a sequel to pretty much the entire Star Trek franchise in that the film's villains, Nero and his Romulan henchman, are from a future yet to be seen in the franchise, but one in which the original Spock, reprised by Leonard Nimoy, existed. The rest of the film however takes place in an alternate timeline from that of The Original Series and subsequent Star Trek films and shows, thanks in part to Nero's tamperings with time. So, for fans, all this is thankfully well explained and shouldn't really interfere with set stories and future films; but for new viewers it won't matter.

But, if anyone out there wants to read more into the character of Nero and his connection with Spock and Star Trek as a whole, you can pick up the film's prequel comic book, Star Trek Countdown, which not only connects Nero with J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, but Star Trek: The Next Generation as well. I haven't read it myself (though I have skimmed through it) but after seeing the film I certainly plan to pick it up now, if only to get a better understanding of the film and character.

As for the film itself, it centers mainly around the lives of James Tiberius Kirk (Christopher Pine) and Spock (Zachary Quinto); in fact they're really the only characters in the film with back stories explained, where as most everyone else gets a few spoken sentences regarding their past. Thankfully, because I found the child portrayals to be rather annoying, Star Trek takes a cue from Abrams' series, Lost, and "Three Years Later" appears on screen, putting all the past behind and jumping right into the story at Starfleet. The rest of the film follows the young Enterprise crew as they learn about one another as they try to defeat Nero; that's just really summing it up though, there's more too it but I'd hate to be the one to spoil it for you.

Personally, The Original Series is my favorite when it comes to anything Star Trek, so for me I was really interested to see how this new, young cast portrayed the characters I loved. To say the very least I was pleased, but why don't we go into some detail? When most people think of the original Star Trek, they usually think of the trinity of Kirk, Spock, and of course, Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy. Portrayed in the film by Karl Urban, I felt that his character was a nice emulation of the same one played by DeForest Kelly, but I don't think he was given the attention he deserved. Yes, the "I'm a doctor, not a ..." lines were intact, and that was nice, but I would have liked to see more of him, as McCoy was my personal favorite from the series. But, as stated before, the real focus is on Kirk and Spock, and both characters portrayals are pretty true to their original counter parts. Pine definitely offers a different side to Kirk than Shatner, but come later in the film, as the character develops, it's the start of the Kirk we've come to love. As for Spock, I don't think anyone could have portrayed him better than Quinto. He had the look, and the attitude, it was spot on and it was great.

As for the rest of the cast, Uhura (Zoë Saldana) was given more prominence this time around than in The Original Series, and the fact that she was marketed alongside Kirk, Spock, and Nero in promotional materials now makes more sense after seeing the film. Her performance is not ground breaking, but she doesn't ruin the already developed character, she just adds a little bit more to her. Then there's the forgotten ones, not forgotten in terms of no one liking them, but these guys just really have no attention or development in the film. I'm talking mainly about Pavel Chekov (Anton Yelchin) and Hikaru Sulu (John Cho), the former of which didn't even appear in The Original Series until its second season, so his inclusion now is a bit odd, but maybe it has to do with the whole "alternate timeline" aspect, but your guess is as good as mine. The character of Chekov is still comedic in his lack of being able to pronounce "v" but he really felt unnecessary; I also don't get why he has to have curly hair now but ... whatever. As for John Cho as Sulu, he gets his one scene in the spotlight and that's pretty much it for the film; and he doesn't have George Takei's voice, but then again, who does?

Lastly, Montgomery Scott (Simon Pegg), first off he doesn't even appear until much later in the film, and he really didn't seem to be the same Scotty that James Doohan played; once again you could bring up the "alternate timeline" aspect, but there definitely seemed to be something lacking from his character. Oh, and I can't forget Nero (Eric Bana); he's not the most memorable of Trek villains in terms of something that makes him unique, and there's really no compassion for the character, try as the writers might though. In the end he just works to drive the story along, and he obviously poses a threat, being that he is the sole causer of the alternate timeline. He's no Khan though, to say the least. Last note, Nimoy definitely stole the show me, to say the least, just thought you should know. (Trekgasm)

With the acting out of the way it's time to talk about the rest. One thing I noticed a lot, lense flares and awkward camera movement. Like, I don't think there's a two minute gap without some sort of flare effect; not that big of a deal, but it is noticeable. As for awkward camera angles, there's a few times where the image is literally on its side and then will twist and turn to set itself normal; once again not something that bothered me that much, but those prone to motion sickness may want a bag at hand. And then there's the soundtrack. The orchestrated pieces are brilliant, and the track that recreates the original theme gave me goosebumps in a good way. But there's one scene that used the Beastie Boys' track, "Sabotage", and it just seemed really out of place for the 23rd century.

Overall, J.J. Abrams and his crew, not to mention the cast, really have brought Star Trek to a new audience and generation. Not to mention that it's certainly the flashiest, most engaging, and even the most welcoming Trek film to date. The "alternate timeline" allows new viewers to get into the series, while Trekkies and casual fans will be able to sleep at night knowing their original characters are safe in their own timeline. Not that it's a bad thing, but time travel can cause a whole lot of continuity issues, so I was glad to see the writers figured out a way to get it done right. Let's just hope everyone else can agree that this crew is the right way to bring Star Trek back as well.

Overall Score: 9.3/10

Flickr Update: Star Trek glasses

As reported the other day, Burger King now has four collector's glasses available as a promotion for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, which released in theaters yesterday (and I'm still desperate to see it). But while I may not of had the chance to see the film, I was able to get to my local Burger King and inquire about the glasses. And thankfully for my health, I found out that I don't need to buy four value meals to get all four glasses, I simply just had to order one food item and the cups would still be $1.99 each. So with one 4-piece chicken nuggets, the four glasses, and tax, my total was $9.59; not bad, in my opinion.

As you can see, I've decided not to use these glasses, let alone remove their protective plastic, because of my "collector's OCD". However, I'm quite fond of the Spock glass, and I'm thinking of buying a second one so that I can actually use it. These glasses are only available this month, so if you're liking how they look in pictures, you may want to pick them up for yourself while you still can!

Star Trek comes to Burger King

In order to promote J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek film (in theaters Friday!) Paramount has joined with Burger King to, well, promote the hell out of it. First off is the usual bit, kid's meal toys. For Star Trek, they've decided to make 16 different super-deformed toys of various cast members, ships, and item, each making a sound when a button is pressed. I'm personally not a big fan of these designs, but what can I do? See them for your self at Club BK.

Next, as you can see from the BurgerKing.com screen-grab to the left, are a set of 4 collector's glasses. The four designs are Kirk, with the U.S.S. Enterprise; Nero with his Romulan ship; Spock with future Spock (Leonard Nimoy); and Uhura also with the U.S.S. Enterprise. Each will be available for $1.99 with the purchase of a value meal; but I'm sure you will be able to buy them separately if you do not wish to choose from Burger King's death-inducing menu.

It's not the first time collector's glasses have been given away at Burger King. In fact, many will remember that BK had glasses back when the original Star Wars films were out, and those probably can fetch you a pretty penny nowadays. Also in relation to Star Wars, those super deformed Star Trek toys available in the kid's meals, look an awful lot like the Star Wars toys released by Burger King just a few years ago.

You can't even tell me you don't see similarities. And I'll be honest, I wasn't a fan when Burger King revealed those puny Star Wars figures, I'm still not a fan when it's Star Trek. But hey, all you people who have been waiting to battle your super-deformed Star Wars toys with similarly designed, super-deformed Star Trek toys, now's your chance. Enjoy!

For more on the Star Trek toys and glasses, be sure to check out TrekMovie.com's extensive first look.

New Star Trek trailer with Watchmen

Thanks to Paramount, I just got a pretty awesome heads up about the third trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek:

"Announced today, a third trailer from Star Trek is planned to be in theaters starting on Friday, 3/6 with WATCHMEN.

The trailer, which features brand new footage will also be online on Apple.com Trailers in HD starting on the morning of 3/9 and thereafter on the official site and this webmaster program for direct download and streaming."

Pretty awesome news in my opinion, cause I plan to see Watchmen as soon as possible, no guarantees on premiere though. Though, I was promised a Watchmen trailer and the second Star Trek trailer when I went to see Quantum of Solace, but I sadly received neither. Let's hope things work out this time!

Super Bowl trailers

With the game over, I guess that makes it a safe time to post the only thing worthwhile about it, the commercials. More specifically, the movie trailers (since the actual commercials were awful). Thanks to Hulu, you can find most of the commercials there. However, because of our contact with Paramount, the Star Trek spot is available at VFHvideo. So, let's take a look at the movie trailers that got us interested:

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (available in HD)

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek (our first video in HD)

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

Disney / Pixar's Up

Year One
What do you think? Do you agree with our picks? If you want to see more videos from Super Bowl XLIII's commercial breaks, be sure to check out Hulu.com

Ricardo Montalbán: 1920 - 2009

Star Trek fans, it saddens me to say this, but the man responsible for Captain Kirk's famous screams in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan has passed away. Yes, actor and icon, Ricardo Montalbán has died; currently the reasons are unknown.

Khan! You and your chest will be greatly missed.

Other than portraying the infamous Khan Noonien Singh, both in the Star Trek TV series and the second film, Montalbán was also known for playing Mr. Roarke on the TV series Fantasy Island, along with his mini-sidekick, Tattoo (Hervé Villechaize). He was also very famous for his unmistakable voice, often providing voices for such shows a Dora the Explorer, Family Guy, Freakazoid!, and Kim Possible, among many others.

He was 88.

Meet your Enterprise crew

More news from Paramount came into my inbox today. First off, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek will not only release in theaters this May 8, 2008; no, it will be releasing in IMAX theaters as well. But now, instead of releasing four more posters (as I had expected they would), Paramount decided to make one big banner of the new (or should it be old?) Enterprise crew:

So there you go, broody teenage Starfleet. And I don't now why but Karl Urban (playing Dr. Leonard McCoy) and Simon Pegg (playing Montgomery "Scotty" Scott) look kind of wierd in this set. What are your thoughts?

J.J. Abrams' Star Trek just got cooler

I was going to post this earlier but I was busy moving back in my home, sorry. Couldn't forget this though ...

I don't think I need to say more, but if you want an explanation, Ain't It Cool News got themselves a special version of the new trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, and quite the treat was awaiting viewers at the end. I managed to get the screenshot for those of you that don't feel like watching. (Shame on you!)

Your welcome. "Live long and prosper"

Two more Star Trek posters

Can't say I didn't call it last time, here's two more posters for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. These are of Uhura (Zoe Saldana) and new villain, Nero (Eric Bana), and as predicted, they're in the same style of the Kirk and Spock posters

Doesn't Uhura's over the shoulder look just wreck the pattern?

Should be noted, the first of these black and white posters match the characters from the first set of "Starfleet" posters. Perhaps, regardless of the film focusing on Kirk's and Spock's backstories, Uhura plays an important role in the film, as will Nero. And if the poster pattern continues, my prediction is that McCoy and Chekov are next in line.

But while I assume the rest of the cast is coming, as I assumed before, I don't know if I'll be posting them each time. But if Paramount wants me to have them ... it's not like I can say no. So Enjoy!

New Star Trek trailer, website

There's a brand new trailer for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek, as well as a new website. This is the trailer that is supposed to play before Quantum of Solace, but didn't for me.

The new website is pretty elaborate, as it gives you a glimpse at the Enterprise's interior. As for the content, most of it was available before, but there are a handful of new wallpapers and such. Oh, there's also that other thing you were looking for: the new trailer!

You can download it in HD at this link

I have to say, this trailer has really raised my expectation of the film. Sure the posters were cool, but finally getting to see it all in motion is just awesome. I just hope this Star Trek isn't the Episode I of Star Wars, because that's the vibe I was getting from kid Kirk and kid Spock. Have you seen Episode I? Yeah, that's my point.

Two new Star Trek posters

Got another e-mail from Paramount, know what that means? More Star Trek images, this time in the form of two new posters. Both are black and white, featuring the facial details of James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) and Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) unseen by the airbrushing of Empire Magazine.

Not sure I'm digging these as much as I was the four color sets; and Pine's image looks exactly like the one from that sets' first batch. And much like the previous posters, I'm sure we can expect to see the rest of the cast soon enough.

Paramount also reminds that wallpaper featuring this new artwork is now available at the film's website, StarTrekMovie.com. While there, you may also notice a countdown for a new trailer, set to hit in six days; you can be sure we'll have it posted as soon as it becomes available to us.

Interesting Star Trek comparison

Yup, I'm back with more on J.J. Abrams' Star Trek. The latest issue of Empire Magazine has a cover feature of the new film, and the photo used is actually based on a picture taken back in the day of Leonard Nemoy and William Shatner as Mr. Spock and Captain Kirk. It interesting seeing just how close Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine are to their predecessors.

To see a transformatio of the images, as well as a couple new shots from the film visit Empire Online

More Star Trek previews

Speak of the devil, I just got an e-mail from Paramount with links to 6 exclusive images of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek film. The catch is that right now, each image is exclusive to a different site, therefore each of these thumbnails will link to their original source:

Ain't It Cool News and UGO Movie Blog

TrekMovie.com and JoBlo.com

IGN.com and MTV Movies Blog

So there you have it, a look at pretty much everyone! Still curious as to why teen Kirk decides not to wear a uniform, but I guess that's why I have to see the movie.

First look at J.J. Abrams' Star Trek

After a teaser trailer, monochromatic posters of the eight main cast members, finally, we get to see what the movie will look like, if only just in stills. Here is the first shot from J.J Abrams' Star Trek, set for May 8th 2009.

It's Zachary Quinto as Spock, chocking out what seems to be Chris Pine as Kirk, sans uniform. Not only is the first full color shot, it's also our first chance the see the mostly full uniform. I like that while it has a more modern feel, it's still faithful to the classic design, though it isa bit on the dark side. This pic, and more will be available in the upcoming issue of Entertainment Weekly.

via Ain't It Cool News

I'm guessing Spock predicted this memorable scene from his inevitable future:

Anyways, if anything shows up in my Trek Webmaster account I'll be sure to post it here!

New Star Trek posters

Four more posters for J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movie, exclusively from Paramount. Like the first set, these too make up the Starfleet emblem.
Top row: John Cho as Hikaru Sulu; Simon Pegg as Montgomery Scott.
Bottom row: Karl Urban as Dr. Leonard McCoy; Anton Yelchin as Pavel Chekov.

With these four posters, as well as the previous four, we know have an idea what the eight members of the main cast will look like. The only new character of the eight is Nero, played by Eric Bana; little is known about the character right now though.

Personally, seeing these images gets me even more pumped for the film. I still don't see Cho as Sulu, or Yelchin as Chekov, they just don't look like the originals. Urban as Bones is sort of convincing though, a younger version though, obviously; he just has that scowl. And Scotty, Simon Pegg just has that stare, he's just lucky he didn't have to play the fat Scotty, mustache and all.

I'd also like to mention the classy decision of Paramount to not put Sulu under the yellow filter, thus avoiding any potentional race issues.

Star Trek movie website

The official website for J.J Abrams' Star Trek has been up since the teaser was released last winter. However it wasn't updated until now. Most notable is the May 8, 2009 release date; a bit earlier than the presumed Summer 2009. But it's also now sporting a nice white design, the teaser trailer is still up for viewing, also added to the site is the downloads section. In it are wallpapers based on this new set of posters for the film, and if you combine the four you will see they actually make up the series' emblem.

Top Row: Zoe Saldana as Urura; Eric Bana as new Romulan villain, Nero
Bottom Row: Chris Pine as James T. Kirk; Zachary Quinto as Mr. Spock

When clicked, you will see the emblem reflected in each character's eyes.

I'm really excited they went for The Original Series style, I just hope J.J. doesn't ruin it. Judging from the posters however, they're doing a fine job of staying true to the series. Now we'll just have to see how the rest of the cast looks...

Star Trek - Official Movie Site