Star Trek: Unification (short)
- Thread starter ghostryder
- Start date
So, a lot going on here. Again, the Spock actor (Lawrence Selleck) with makeup looks like Nimoy's twin brother. But to discuss it further...
1) When we see Saavik, Robin Curtis states that the older Vulcan behind her (Sorak) is Spock and Saavik's son.
2) Kirk has to interact with a crewmember from the Kelvin Timeline, Yor (who gives Kirk his rank insignia) to enter the Kelvin timeline and be present when Spock dies. Yor is played here by Gordon Tarpley
3) The current voice of Darth Maul, Sam Witwer is (younger) Kirk, with both prosthetic makeup and digital editing, but apparently no deepfakes
4) Shatner was involved with the production to some degree, at least enough to be given an executive producer title for the short
5) Michael Giachinno does the music
6) Watching Kirk's emotions as he realizes what is happening, at each step of the way, without uttering one word.
Robin Curtis (Saavik), Shatner, Lawrence Selleck (Spock) and Mahé Thaissa (Star Trek pilot yeoman J.M. Colt)
2) Kirk has to interact with a crewmember from the Kelvin Timeline, Yor (who gives Kirk his rank insignia) to enter the Kelvin timeline and be present when Spock dies. Yor is played here by Gordon Tarpley
3) The current voice of Darth Maul, Sam Witwer is (younger) Kirk, with both prosthetic makeup and digital editing, but apparently no deepfakes
4) Shatner was involved with the production to some degree, at least enough to be given an executive producer title for the short
5) Michael Giachinno does the music
6) Watching Kirk's emotions as he realizes what is happening, at each step of the way, without uttering one word.
Robin Curtis (Saavik), Shatner, Lawrence Selleck (Spock) and Mahé Thaissa (Star Trek pilot yeoman J.M. Colt)
That was lovely.
So many accurate Shatner expressions. If they weren't using deepfake, how did they do it? They really need to do a making-of video.
I only have three minor beefs:
So many accurate Shatner expressions. If they weren't using deepfake, how did they do it? They really need to do a making-of video.
I only have three minor beefs:
1. Screw the Kelvin timeline.
2. Super weird deep cut to put so much attention on Saavik's son from a book most of us haven't read. I had to watch the Robin Curtis video to find out WTH that was all about.
3. I know they were trying to mimic Shatner's posture, in that he would leave his arms slightly bent, but a couple of profile shots were trying way too hard in that regard. It looked ridiculous.
2. Super weird deep cut to put so much attention on Saavik's son from a book most of us haven't read. I had to watch the Robin Curtis video to find out WTH that was all about.
3. I know they were trying to mimic Shatner's posture, in that he would leave his arms slightly bent, but a couple of profile shots were trying way too hard in that regard. It looked ridiculous.
NakedMoleRat
Master Member
The Paramount Puss group will NEVER understand Trek like this!
Well…Paramount is in the credits as one of the participant companies in the production.
So, is this officially canon? I would like to think so.
So, is this officially canon? I would like to think so.
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As a TOS and TOS movies lover, I must say I'm really on the fence here. I watched all this and its two shorter predecessors, and the trend I see is style over substance. The execution is awesome, no doubt. And sure, Gary Mitchell, Saavik, young Kirk, old Spock, young Spock, very cool fan service. But that's all it is. It's really excessively "avant garde" and incoherent and "it means what you want it to mean" when you poke beneath the visuals. I have to jump through some major mental hoops for it to make any sense. It's a bunch of amazing scenes slapped together with rubber bands and spit for a plot. Plus, I'd have to now acknowledge the Kelvin timeline as canon to the Prime timeline, which I won't. Writing matters!
On top of that, while we have Kirk ands Spock, the other hallmarks that define Star Trek are missing: the Enterprise, a sense of exploration and future thinking, technology, a "human adventure". And sure, you can't cram all that into 8 minutes, but when I see YouTube comments that say stuff like "this is more true to Star Trek than anything in the last 30," I can't agree. I believe we are being manipulated by fan service and heartstrings.
It is very weird for me to leave this comment, because Kirk is my favorite captain, and the TOS films are hands-down the best of all Trek out there in my opinion. But this just feels like Shatner trying to foist some kind of narrative to prove to everyone that he and Nimoy were on good terms when Nimoy passed. They weren't.
On top of that, while we have Kirk ands Spock, the other hallmarks that define Star Trek are missing: the Enterprise, a sense of exploration and future thinking, technology, a "human adventure". And sure, you can't cram all that into 8 minutes, but when I see YouTube comments that say stuff like "this is more true to Star Trek than anything in the last 30," I can't agree. I believe we are being manipulated by fan service and heartstrings.
It is very weird for me to leave this comment, because Kirk is my favorite captain, and the TOS films are hands-down the best of all Trek out there in my opinion. But this just feels like Shatner trying to foist some kind of narrative to prove to everyone that he and Nimoy were on good terms when Nimoy passed. They weren't.
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It just makes me realize that, every once in a while, like Picard Season 3, Star Trek fans get things like this, while Star Wars fans keep getting the opposite.
For Star Trek, there are always possibilities.
(Yeah…yeah, that was cheesy to say, I know)
For Star Trek, there are always possibilities.
(Yeah…yeah, that was cheesy to say, I know)
It’s a rip-off…I mean, a homage to the “Dave Bowman in the Hotel Room” scene from 2001…just as interpretive.
In the next installment, Generations Kirk becomes the Starchild.
Neat stuff.
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Lightning
Master Member
It's officially licensed, much like a Video game or Novel. But it can't be canon unless declared to be so, in this case Kurtzman has the say so.
Exactly.
But maybe we are reading too much into this?
"It should be MORE" is not what it was meant to be.
We know that for the last year of Nimoy's life, he and Shatner were on the outs. For some reason. Shatner has said he really doesn't understand why, or what happened (although there was some discussion of a reason). So, part of me thinks/wants to believe that this was Shatner's way of making peace with Nimoy, not necessarily saying that they had a good relationship IRL up to the end.
Anything new product relating to the original characters would be seen as a quick emotional grab, and it is... but that isn't always a bad or undesirable thing. It's not being done for profit (per se,) but as an homage to the characters.
CB2001
Master Member
So… basically a continuation of the attempt of the 2001-like Star Trek: The Motion Picture?
Bring on the Animated Series as Season 4 of Star Trek, using OTOY’s tech. I recall that Rod Roddenberry had said he would like to revisit the Animated Series, at some point, with better animation.
They already have the Animated Series bridge created and ready to go.
They already have the Animated Series bridge created and ready to go.
All of the OTOY videos combined into one “Supercut”
Well, in that case. I’m sure Alex loves classic Captain Kirk and William Shatner and will have no problem….
…oh…
