tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3455996925473293351.post8594814353974336778..comments2013-10-08T20:11:17.562-07:00Comments on Thrill Power!: The Little PrinceMark Simmonshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15707254801998495553noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3455996925473293351.post-28007903575606222072010-01-29T10:08:43.590-08:002010-01-29T10:08:43.590-08:00I think Spock would make a better captain... He...I think Spock would make a better captain... He's smarter. The computer on Kirk's escape pod said the atmosphere outside was inhospitable on the ice planet and he's like "screw it, I'm a badass, I can breathe hyrogen and survive at -60 degrees!"Jelterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03339291249106623431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3455996925473293351.post-3201919102240943582009-11-30T21:38:49.679-08:002009-11-30T21:38:49.679-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3455996925473293351.post-59528893766017709782009-11-30T04:39:01.448-08:002009-11-30T04:39:01.448-08:00Nngh... I think I reflexively want to rise to the ...Nngh... I think I reflexively want to rise to the defense of Star Wars here, but let's see if I can let my brain steer my gut instead of vice versa.<br /><br />Although the "Luke as prince" element isn't all that strong in the first Star Wars movie, I'll grant that the starting point of New!Kirk isn't that dissimilar - I can imagine him whinging about having to go pick up power converters, getting in bar fights in Mos Eisley, etc etc. And of course he's a hick from the middle of nowhere with a daddy complex.<br /><br />On the other hand, though, Luke's a bit more strongly motivated. From the moment he sees her holographic plea, his whole goal is to rescue the hot princess, which then segues into the whole Death Star thing; it's all very epic and quest-y, which is probably why it became Exhibit A for the whole Campbellian hero's journey thing. To the extent that Luke has a kingdom to reclaim, it's actually the kingdom of Being A Creepy Sith Lord Like Daddy, and Obi-Wan and Yoda are the ones who are trying to steer him <i>away</i> from it! Just as Tolkien's <i>Lord of the RIngs</i> is a fantasy epic about trying to <i>get rid</i> of a magical artifact, the original <i>Star Wars</i> movies seem like the story of a kid who successfully struggles to <i>avoid</i> fulfilling his destiny and following in his father's footsteps.<br /><br />In the Trek movie, Kirk does have a goal of sorts - he's got that crazy Romulan conspiracy theory to peddle, and he kind of wants to stick it to Spock. But I'm not sure why he joins Starfleet in the first place apart from simple boredom, and when the Special Guest Star shows up, he seems a lot less concerned with beating Nero than he is with installing Kirk as captain and putting Young Spock back in his proper sidekick role. So I came away with the feeling that the main concern of writers and characters alike was putting Kirk back on top, rather than rescuing princesses and blowing up Death Stars and whatnot.<br /><br />Maybe that all seems a bit technical - a matter of storytelling emphasis rather than plot fundamentals. But I feel pretty strongly that not all stories are identical and interchangeable, and it's these details that give them their distinctive character.Mark Simmonshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15707254801998495553noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3455996925473293351.post-40329536994865159412009-11-30T00:22:40.006-08:002009-11-30T00:22:40.006-08:00I felt that the new Trek was essentially a "S...I felt that the new Trek was essentially a "Star Wars-izing" of the franchise -- this movie's Kirk is very much a Luke Skywalker type. <br /><br />As it happens... It seems to me that the story of Luke Skywalker very much parallels the Disney princess story model you describe.<br /><br />So, in other words, I agree with you. However, I still think the new Trek was pretty awful.Grebo Guruhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05245622539715745504noreply@blogger.com