When J.J. Abrams & Co. said they planned to break their radio silence on the new Star Trek movie, they weren’t kidding. The first photos are starting to beam out. Here are two:
Here we see Anton Yelchin as Chekov (left), Chris Pine as Kirk, Simon Pegg as Scotty, Karl Urban as McCoy, John Cho as Sulu and Zoe Saldana as Uhura. Some points: Kirk is wearing what producer Damon Lindelof calls ‘A captain’s uniform;’ Lindelof says it’s crucial to this scene. The rest of the uniforms are exactly what was promised: updated versions of the originals, a different material, a different structure (jersey over t-shirt instead of a single piece), but still true to the concept. Also, Pegg looks like Scotty, which is proof of the man’s acting ability. So far, so good.
Ah, here’s Zachary Quinto’s spot-on Spock going after Kirk. This provides an interesting dynamic to their earlier days, doesn’t it? We knew Quinto would look the part, but this is really something. I do wonder if the movie will just ignore the uniforms from Where No Man Has Gone Before (the beige and powder-blue ones without the black collars).
There are more photos, including a shot of the bridge and a look at enemy Nero, at a bunch of other places, but there’s really only one spot to see: trekmovie.com
- Shatner and Nimoy reportedly had approval over their ‘replacements,’ a contract dating back to the mid-90s Starfleet Academy concept. Shatner would, of course, pick someone who looks the way he thinks he used to look.
- Dawson’s Kirk … sort of true. Chris Pine is right purdy. But nobody has ever looked at Simon Pegg, John Cho or Karl Urban and said ‘Pretty Boy.’
- Anton Yelchin’s Chekov is supposed to be about 18. and that works. And the perm hair? Hey, do you really want to see that Monkees ‘do again?
- Anyone moaning about the look of the bridge should go watch Star Trek: New Voyages (or Phase II these days) to see how the old-look Trek translates to the digital age. It had to be updated. This isn’t so bad. The uniforms look good, and better than velour, let me tell you. I’m from the 60s. Velour = not good.
- These are production stills, not footage. We don’t really know how things will look on film. I think, personally, the new bridge looks like the old bridge if it had actually been a cosmetics shop. But it may look very different on film.
Other Trek stuff here
Green Party leader Elizabeth May didn’t even come close to getting actually elected. Rather than running in a riding she could win — an urban zone in Ottawa or Toronto, for instance — she decided to take on the most popular Conservative MP, studly Tory heir Peter MacKay, in the riding he’s held for a decade, and his father had for a long time before that. Even after the Liberals agreed to not run a candidate against them, she still lost. This was a shame, as May really came into her own on this campaign, joining the other leaders for two TV debates and riding cross-country on a train to toot the green horn.
Maxime Bernier bounced back from his year of scandal to win re-election. This is the guy who left secret documents at his ex-girlfriend’s place, and she used to be married to a biker who was murdered or something … all very scandalous. She wrote a tell-all book that came out just before the election, but it didn’t affect his chances. Maybe it’s because his name is “Maxime” and he looks like Bruce Boxleitner.
Supernerd Stephane Dion, leader of the loser Liberals, will likely now have to step down, sparking yet another race for the leadership. Leadership races are like U.S. primaries, only stupider and slower, but it’s clear Dion has to go. Here’s a photo of him with one of his former MPs, Belinda Stronach, who as you can see (above) is not very attractive. She’s the CEO of a family-owned auto parts business and has billions of dollars, and is very smart, which is why she is no longer in Canadian politics.
