Cruise. Pike. Christmas 2008.
Cruise. Pike. Christmas 2008.
Aug 14If the rumors are indeed true, and Tom Cruise will cameo in J.J. Abrams’ Trek film as Christopher Pike, then this picture gets exponentially more intriguing.
Friend to Alert Nerd Steve was discussing this with me the other day–he saw the casting as a possible sign of cautious optimism. I’m enthusiastic about someone like Abrams doing a “soft reboot” of the Trek franchise, but I’m a bit more realistic. I’d like to believe that Abrams and his writers will somehow manage to make a movie that is both incredibly cool and incredibly respectful of previous Trek and its arcane “continuity,” but that seems almost too much to ask.
As I told Steve–It’s like the Rolling Stones playing in your living room. It will probably kick ass, but if you think Keith Richards isn’t going to get stoned and break a few lamps, you’re a bit daft.
Perfectly said. I love your term “soft reboot.” I’m going to go around using it now. I’m a little crabby about the casting of Anton Yelchin as Chekov, but I guess Early Chekov isn’t as major as some of the other characters. Still: harumph.
In fairness to friend Steve, it’s not so much the Cruise cameo as the casting sheet that is cautious cause for optimism. Let’s acknowledge a few fast facts: (1) casting a 30-32y.o. JTK is definitely not a frolic at the Academy with a young crew, but obviously a reboot at the beginning of the 5 year mission–this alone is cause for great relief; (2) such a premise offers the chance to thread a lot of continuity through the story (i.e., visit to Enterprise of Carol Marcus and young David, described in STII novelization); (3) if Abrams has the sense to work some early episode plot points (Gary Mitchell, Corbomite Maneuver, Kodos) into the film, it could be great fun to see them realized on the big screen. However well or poorly it all comes off, we’ll have to wait and see. But I’m already 100% more interested than I was in an Academy story.
As for Capt. Pike leaving the Enterprise to battle Xenu and the Thetan army…well, let’s just say I could do without Tom Cruise.