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Talk: SciFi Scanner: January 20, 2008 - January 26, 2008

Star Trek Vs. Star Wars

Since I was a little kid, I've always been more of a Star Trek guy. I had practically memorized every episode of The Next Generation, owned all the action figures and playsets, and even had a Halloween costume or two. But no matter how hard I tried, I could never convince my friend Jon that Star Trek was any good. For him it was Star Wars or bust. He must have seen each of the movies over a hundred times, and when the original three were re-released he made sure we were all first in line at the theater.

I would say forcefields, he would say the Force. I would say phasers, he would say sabers. I would say warp speed, he would say hyperspace. I couldn't figure out why until I realized that for almost every aspect of Star Trek there exists a counterpoint in Star Wars, and vice versa.

I tell this story because the teaser for J.J. Abrams' new Star Trek has come out just as George Lucas has been tantalizing fans with images from his new CGI Clone Wars. Rumors of a pending live action television series could send the competition into another dimension! Are we heading into a SciFi showdown between the two franchises?

Could Star Wars ever trump Star Trek on the small screen? Could Captain Kirk beat Han Solo in a battle of brain and braun? Is the Prime Directive a better motivating force than, well, the Force? Is there really a difference between the two? Or are these just two parallel universes?

Clayton Neuman
January 25, 2008 2:31pm

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Filed under: Favorite SciFi Films
Tags: star trek, star wars

Star Trek Casting News: You Be the Critic

News broke this week that soap opera star Jeffrey Hauser has joined the cast of the new Star Trek for what sounds like a bit part.

I'll admit, when casting began with Zachary Quinto at Comic-con, I was beyond excited. But since then, each choice seems to grow stranger and stranger. With all due respect to Chris Pine, I was rooting for Firefly's Nathan Fillion even though he's probably too old to play Kirk. I even would have been happy with Matt Damon, who is as old as William Shatner was when he first donned the space suit.

As far as the rest of the cast, I love Simon Pegg, but can't see him transforming drastically from the characters he played in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz. I would have loved to see someone like Stargate Atlantis' Paul McGillion fill Jimmy Doohan's shoes. And John Cho for Sulu? Really? Why not Jason Kyson Lee?

What do you think of the movie's casting thus far? Who is in your Star Trek Dream Team? Is J.J. Abrams headed towards a valiant trek through the stars, or a Kobayashi Maru?