Face... The Paneled Front Tier

Being a lifelong fan of Star Trek, I've been awaiting the release of the J. J. Abrams directed franchise relaunch film with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. Excitement, due to this being the return of Trek to the big screen and headed by J. J. Abrams, the guy responsible for Lost. Anxiety, because it's directed by J. J. Abrams, the director of the last Mission Impossible movie and the fact that I'm a paranoid fanboy that pays too much attention to continuity. The teaser posters with the first real glimpses of the actors in character came out recently, so I thought I'd share my initial thoughts upon seeing them.

The Hotness Poster


First thing I want to mention is that I like the design and the uses of color. Eric Bana plays the big bad, so he's in grey, while Uhura, Spock, and Kirk are in red, blue, and gold, which corresponds to their departmental uniform colors from the television series. This is a nice touch and lets Trek-heads like me know that the folks involved know a little bit about what they're doing. Let's look at the characters:

Nero - Eric Bana: All that I know about this character is that he may be a Romulan and that he's the main villain of the piece. He looks mean and the head tattoo is a nice touch. If he's supposed to be a Romulan, it looks like the point of his left ear was burned or chewed off. Evil, but still bringing the hotness.

Nyota Uhura - Zoe Saldana: Uhura appears to be the only female regular cast character to make the cut for the relaunch (I haven't heard anything about a new Nurse Chapel or Yeoman Rand). Nice job on the eye makeup; it recalls back to Nichelle Nichols without seeming too retro. I always thought young Nichols was pretty hot, but Saldana totally brings the hotness.

Spock - Zachary Quinto: Talk about near perfect casting! Homeboy looks dead up like a young Leonard Nimoy. As far as his acting goes, Quinto does an okay job hamming it up as Sylar on Heroes, but he may fare better in a role where he has to repress his emotions. He's probably going to be one of the reasons I'll be able to get Allison to come to this flick with me. She thinks that Quinto has the hotness.

James T. Kirk - Chris Pine: If Quinto nails the look of Spock/Nimoy, Pine totally nails the attitude of Kirk/Shatner. He's good looking and knows it. This is the face of the guy that will try to sleep with every woman he meets on an away mission. This is the guy that will try to sleep with your girlfriend. This is the guy that would change the rules of the final exam. This is the guy that doesn't like to lose. This Kirk brings the arrogant bastard hotness.

The Not-As-Hot, But They Sure Ain't Ugly Poster


The rest of the crew get their own poster. This one follows the same color scheme as the first. The only difference is that Sulu is in gray and not gold to balance out Nero in the first poster.

Hikaru Sulu - John Cho: I didn't realize until today that this is John Cho who played Harold in the Harold and Kumar movies. I think he's a decent enough actor, but I wonder how his is at shirtless fencing. Hopefully, he won't have to demonstrate a mastering of the "George Takei Slacked-Jaw Stare of Astonishment".

Montgomery Scott - Simon Pegg: Pegg almost looks unrecognizable in this picture. His hair is darker than usual and he doesn't have a goatee. He doesn't necessarily look like James Doohan, but there's definitely something very "Scotty" about this shot. I love Simon Pegg and I'm looking forward to what he does in this role. And I just have to say it, "You've got red on you."

Leonard "Bones" McCoy - Karl Urban: Another actor I didn't recognize at first. This is the guy who played Eomer in the Lord of the Rings. Amazing what quick shave and a haircut can do. I will say that he's got a bit of the DeForest Kelley annoyed looking down. I hope this Kiwi can pull off a Georgian accent.

Pavil Chekov - Anton Yelchin: I know nothing about the actor and this shot doesn't scream "Space Davy Jones" like Walter Koenig, but he certainly conveys a sense of youth and inexperience. Chekov was the supposed to be the young, naive ensign, but he was mainly brought on to attract a younger audience, which is what this entire new cast is being wheeled out to do.

From these images I remain cautiously optimistic. I'll feel a little better once I actually see a trailer with some action and acting. So far, though, it feels like that Abrams and Co. are on the right track.