RE: TNG | Report this post to moderator
By: the quickening (Odo's file, contact) @ 15:13:56 on Jun 09, 2006

Don't totally agree with your timeless character limitation comments. It's the exception, not the rule. The majority of the time, from BATMAN to SHERLOCK HOLMES, SUPERMAN, TARZAN, etc., we have seen successful re-workings of classic timeless characters, formats, story lines, myths, series, etc. Sure, there is usually a vocal outcry at first from the "holy disciples", but that blows over. The more serious TOS fans will complain at first about seeing a new Kirk and Spock, just as they did with TNG, but they'll get over it. TREK is no different from any other franchise. Trust me.

I agree timeless characters can become cliques, but that is to be expected because they become the symbols that we judge ourselves by. Their actions, quirks, idiosyncrasies become patterns, models in the culture. And when we see them, we identify with them. Where we disagree is, I feel the cliques can be ignored, not ignored, expanded upon, played with, reworked, seen in a different light, twisted, etc. I see no limitations where creative art is concerned.

Sure, there was moderate growth in TNG characters, but not enough to make much of a debate, at least from me. The characters were just too soft, passionless, "white bread", and anemic, with very little chemistry between characters.

Actually, like you, I would love to see TREK stay in the TNG-DS9 time frame, but given the sad state of TREK, PARAMOUNT is going with the best chance it has to revitalizing TREK and sending their "best hitter to the plate". It's the smartest move. By "best" I mean the best chance of success. That happens to be TOS. I love DS9, and would love to see a movie built around it, but using TOS as a frame work is a better gamble, and believe me, it is a gamble. Personally, I don't think anything will work to bring TREK back. Not sure it should come back. It is just too soon and there has been too much of it (as well as too much bad TREK) in too short a time frame.

TNG has had their chance at the plate. It had very limited success in my opinion. The TNG characters, tone, style, just didn't have that special "spark". I think framing a movie around DS9 would be a big gamble, too, but there are some promising features. First, the characters and tone are darker, which matches the current trend in scifi / fantasy movies today. Second, DS9 contains pseudo-religious-fantasy elements ( the wormhole aliens--gods? / Pah-wraith--good vs evil? / emissary--son of god? threads ) that works with what is hot at the movies today--STAR WARS, LORD OF THE RINGS, etc. In my opinion, TNG trend is over. The 1980's are gone. It would be harder to conform TNG to the current atmosphere of today's sci-fi and fantasy than it would either TOS or DS9. Which is one of the many reasons TNG just didn't work for me. Don't get me wrong, I liked TNG in its day, but it just hasn't matured and made an impact in the cultural limelight as TOS has and continues to. If this were not the case, why aren't we seeing a Next Generation movie?

Thanks!

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