Is it possible that Abrams is simply trying to say that his "sequel" will work as a "stand alone" movie?
In other words you didn't have to watch Trek '09 (or "any" Trek) to "get" the plot of the new film?
Is
that possible?
I believe back in 09 Abrams said that he never watched Trek, not that he never "got it."
Nicholas Meyer never watched a single episode of Trek either.
I will say that Abrams "does" come off as a completely arrogant ass most of the time.
The whole point of "Science Fiction" is to foster an interest in "Science".
I would agree that one of the great things about "Star Trek" is that it inspires people to become astronauts, engineers, scientists, doctors etc...
However the whole point of "science fiction" is to take a moral dilemma (or potential crisis) facing our World "today" and wrap it up in a "futuristic story" in order to have the audience ponder the dilemma without feeling like they have been preached to.
Science Fiction is at its best when it is an allegory of modern life.
"The Time Machine" (in my humble opinion) is one of the best science fiction allegories about the Industrial Revolution, however I certainly don't think it was written to "inspire" anyone into becoming a scientist.
That said, do I think Abrams Trek aspires to be "great" sci-fi?
Of course not! :lol
However even old Star Trek doesn't "always" acheive that greatness. Sometimes they knock it out of the park with City of the Edge, Let That Be Your Last Battlefield, The Measure of a Man etc...
And sometimes you get a Way to Eden or Samaritan Snare.
Unfortunately Trek went the way of the Dodo when it came to telling those compelling "hard sci-fi" stories a long time ago (like... decades ago for me), opting instead for the "cool story"/entertainment factor.
Kevin