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News
Does Star Trek's Enterprise Crew Measure Up?
We compare the original Star Trek cast to their rebooted successors.
by Jen Yamato | April 29, 2009
Discuss Article

Next week, director-producer extraordinaire J. J. Abrams (LOST, Cloverfield) re-starts one of the most beloved franchises in Hollywood history: Star Trek. What's more, the eleventh feature film in the Star Trek universe is a reboot, not a sequel, which dares to revisit the youthful Starfleet Academy days of James Tiberius Kirk (Chris Pine) and his future Enterprise crew. While we won't reveal plot spoilers here (suffice to say this Trek places our familiar officers in an alternate reality timeline), we thought we'd take a close look at the cast of Abrams' Star Trek to see how closely they resemble their classic counterparts. See how the Enterprise crew measures up inside!



James T. Kirk



Played by: William Shatner / Chris Pine

Strengths: Twenty-eight-year-old Chris Pine has a William Shatner-esque, boyish quality to him (see: Princess Diaries 2) but there's also edginess beneath that handsome mug (see: Smokin' Aces). We think Pine has got what it takes to give Kirk a faithful facelift.

Weaknesses: Can...anyone...resist...impersonating... the Shat? Pine will have to walk a delicate line between playing the character and playing the man who made Captain Kirk iconic to begin with.



Spock




Played by: Leonard Nimoy / Zachary Quinto

Strengths: We know Zachary Quinto can do cold and calculating, thanks to his work as Sylar on Heroes. And maybe it's the pointy ears and the bowl cut, but we think he looks the part of a young Nimoy, too.

Weaknesses: Where Nimoy was a master of the intelligent-yet-impassive face, Quinto's Spock seems to struggle more to contain his emotions. Plus, can Quinto sing like Nimoy?



Uhura



Played by: Nichelle Nichols / Zoë Saldaņa

Strengths: Actress Zoë Saldaņa has the charisma to keep pace with the flashiest co-stars -- she starred in Crossroads opposite Britney Spears, after all -- and has the wit to fill Nichelle Nichols' shoes (and Federation-issued minidress) as the xenolinguistics expert.

Weaknesses: Starred in Crossroads opposite Britney Spears.



Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy



Played by: DeForest Kelley / Karl Urban

Strengths: New Zealand actor Urban seems to "get" what Bones is all about -- complaining, practicing medicine, and cultivating his bromance with Jim Kirk.

Weaknesses: Urban has built a career around playing muscular warrior types (The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Doom, Pathfinder), so he was a surprising choice to play the sardonic (and combat-averse) doctor.



Hikaru Sulu



Played by: George Takei / John Cho

Strengths: Let's be frank; there aren't many Asian American actors in Hollywood who are household names, let alone ones who are great dramatic and comic actors, so we're especially glad that Abrams picked John Cho to fill the pilot's chair. Plus, Cho appears to have some mean fencing skills.

Weaknesses: Despite quibbles over casting Korean-American Cho as the Japanese-American Sulu, in the globalized -- nay, galacticized -- future, Sulu represents all Asians. Or something.



Pavel Chekov



Played by: Walter Koenig / Anton Yelchin

Strengths: Russian-born Anton Yelchin has mastered the art of the Chekov "w" -- nuclear wessels, anyone? -- and plays the character as a believable sort of naive boy genius.

Weaknesses: WTF, Abrams? Chekov didn't have curly hair!!!



Montgomery "Scotty" Scott



Played by: James Doohan / Simon Pegg

Strengths: The Enterprise's basement-dwelling engineer has always been the life of the Trek party, so who better to spice up Kirk's authority-challenging tiffs and Spock's half-human, half-Vulcan existential crises?

Weaknesses: Pegg looks nothing like the Scotty we know from the original Star Trek, and he's likely to give us more of the usual Pegg humor. Aw, who are we kidding? We love him! Bring on the hyper-Brit antics!



The USS Enterprise (NCC-1701)



Strengths: It's not really a matter of "casting," but Abrams and Co. did give the beloved USS Enterprise a bit of a facelift. We'll leave you Trekkies to make out the differences (hint: check out the bridge and the engineering sections to start).


Star Trek opens nationwide Friday, May 8.
 

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Comments (1-20 of 104 posts) | Reply
chille
chille writes:
on Apr 29 2009 05:29 PM

Sure Cho's great but he can never match the amazing voice of Takei

(Reply to this)
reavus4983
reavus4983 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 05:41 PM

Two years ago I was pissed as hell about remaking Star Trek. But now I'm not complaining about any of the casting, especially not Kirk, Spock, and Bones. Couldn't be happier or more relieved, in fact. All I can say now is thank god Abrams didn't pick Mike Vogel to be Kirk. Pine might be a pretty boy, but Vogel looks like he's ripped right off an Abercrombie poster. I like the new ship too. Faithful but new.

(Reply to this)
niall1
niall1 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 06:41 PM

hate the new ship, hate the fact that they're making a star trek film for people who don't like star trek, and i hate the fact that ANTON YELCHIN is going to be in this movie

maybe itll work as an action picture, but still what a shame that one of the best television sagas EVER is getting a reboot treatment when nothing was wrong in the first place, imo, and doing the reboot without the likes of ronald d. moore, brannon braga, or rick berman


(Reply to this)
Crispy1
Crispy1 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 06:43 PM

I starting to think it might be good!

(Reply to this)
Chris B.
Chris B. writes:
on Apr 29 2009 06:45 PM

omgawd! this movie looks awesome.

(Reply to this)
Chris B.
Chris B. writes:
on Apr 29 2009 06:49 PM

omgawd! this movie looks awesome. i'm going to see this shiznit.

(Reply to this)
willpower
willpower writes:
on Apr 29 2009 07:15 PM

KKAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry, had to be done. Shatner's face is right there for Christ's sake.

(Reply to this)
scifimark
scifimark writes:
on Apr 29 2009 07:30 PM

In reply to this comment (#2444445)
ummm rick berman almost single handidly destroyed the star trek franchise, im glad he is no where near this. Why do you care about yelchin so much. Out of all the characters he is the least important anyways. Chekov wasnt even in the first season of TOS. Also it seems you were going to hate this movie no matter how it is. Fairly ironic how rodenberry was all about tolerance and an optimistic future and some of the die hard trekkies are some of the most close minded people i ever talked to. Im making a distinction between star trek fans and trekkies.

One reviewer said it was for people who hate star trek and you take that as gospel? I think its for both people who like star trek and bringing something new for people who never could get into it. This movie would not succeed if they targeted trek fans exclusively there just arent enough of them to make it the success they want.


(Reply to this)
niall1
niall1 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 08:07 PM

In reply to this comment (#2444479)
please please PLEASE tell me how rick berman almost destroyed star trek..i cannot wait to hear this

and have you EVER SEEN ANTON YELCHIN IN A MOVIE?

hes the most annoying little squirm i think ive ever seen in the movies in the last decade..watch charlie bartlett and you will totally agree with me that this annoying little smug a.s.s. does not belong anywhere near a franchise as legendary as star trek..


(Reply to this)
Looselycult
Looselycult writes:
on Apr 29 2009 08:13 PM

"and doing the reboot without the likes of ronald d. moore, brannon braga, or rick berman"

Nothing against Ron Moore but the best thing he did was get out from underneath Next Gen and all those other crappy Star Trek spin-off shows and do real scifi with BSG.


(Reply to this)
Jen Yamato
Jen Yamato writes:
on Apr 29 2009 08:28 PM

Anyone else singing "Bilbo...Bilbo Baggins" in their heads right now?

(Reply to this)
thunderstruck560
thunderstruck560 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 08:32 PM

One of my favorite aspects of the original star trek was the storytelling aspect. To the casual observer, it looks like the same thing happens in every episode, but the exact opposite is true. They actually found a way of telling deep and compelling storylines every episode that usually had some moral or humanity message in them. There were the occasional screwball episodes (trouble with tribbles comes to mind off the top of my head) but there are also episodes like the cage which puts Commander Pike in a position to realize if humanity is contempt to stay in an ideal environment or if freedom and knowledge is really that important. I think the movie will be very shallow when it comes to storyline, and i'm sure it will have Michael Bay action sequences, but there is a small glimmer of hope inside of me that the storyline will be somewhat intelligent.

(Reply to this)
Adam R.
Adam R. writes:
on Apr 29 2009 09:03 PM


Uhura without the fro??? WHY! Shes the Fro of Star trek!

and it's funny to see Chekov being played by a teenager,
he always was pocket sized.


I hope this movie is actually good.


(Reply to this)
tfortier
tfortier writes:
on Apr 29 2009 09:31 PM

Wow, thanks for the hobbits song... that was pure gold!

Making the movie more like "real Star Trek"? what? put more cheese, cheap fx and weak storyboards?

The trailer 3 was fantastic. Cant wait to see that.


(Reply to this)
ledawg1138
ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 09:34 PM

In reply to this comment (#2444540)
How about Shatner's take on "Rocket Man"?

(Reply to this)
ledawg1138
ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 09:36 PM

Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor not a action hero!

(Reply to this)
ledawg1138
ledawg1138 writes:
on Apr 29 2009 09:38 PM

In reply to this comment (#2444386)
Takei is THE VOICE!

When people say "You gotta have THE VOICE!" They're talking about him.


(Reply to this)
Trufire
Trufire writes:
on Apr 29 2009 10:50 PM

"Weaknesses: Starred in Crossroads opposite Britney Spears."

Indeed. LMFAO :-P It will be very interesting to watch. I don't expect them to but fully faithful to the original. That's why it is a reboot. Tweaks will be made and I will be OK with that. Why? Because we still have a lot of the original stuff to love and cherish. (KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNN!!!) I am going to go into the theatre to be entertained as i'm sure I will be. Then after that, I will critique the differences they made. I'll enjoy the film as it is rather than judge it by its predecessor. That would just be too much to live up too and no one can really do that. But kudos for trying though too. :)

May 7th 7pm show here I come! :-D


(Reply to this)
geluf
geluf writes:
on Apr 29 2009 11:47 PM

In reply to this comment (#2444445)
"but still what a shame that one of the best television sagas EVER is getting a reboot treatment when nothing was wrong in the first place, imo, and doing the reboot without the likes of ronald d. moore, brannon braga, or rick berman"

..are you serious?

Rick Berman ran Trek into the ground, and Nemesis was the nail in the coffin. Wake up: Trek was absolutely dead before Abrams got a hold of it. I love Trek. Always have, always will. But times change and Trek has to keep up if it is to remain culturally relevant.


(Reply to this)
FURY.UK
FURY.UK writes:
on Apr 30 2009 04:17 AM

Berman, Braga and Moore always went with a safe approach to Trek, and ultimately in the end ran out of ideas. I think the darker elements in DS9 and the story arks were great though.

The new ship looks good, and its still the Enterprise. Can't believe some people are nitpicking over that. Hopefully the new film will be a bit more edgy and less sentimental.

As for singling Anton Yelchin out... Dont watch the film niall 1, you seem to disapprove about everything. Anyone want his seat?


(Reply to this)
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