As J.J. Abrams’ much-anticipated Star Trek reboot prepares to beam into theaters, we pit the old and new crews against each other in an interplanetary smackdown.
James T. Kirk
William Shatner vs. Chris Pine
The Matchup: It’s no easy feat portraying the character made famous by Shatner, who achieved icon status as the bold, charismatic captain of the USS Enterprise in the original series. Though high-profile stars like Matt Damon reportedly coveted the role of Kirk in the reboot, director J.J. Abrams and company went with the relatively unknown Pine. Trek fans may detect traces of Shatner in Pine’s performance, but those looking for an imitation of his predecessor’s trademark (and oft-parodied) clipped delivery will be sorely disappointed. “Absolutely not,” Pine declared to the Wall Street Journal. “In that territory, it becomes an impersonation. I can only do my version of it.”
The Winner: Pine. It’s difficult to side against a living legend like Shatner, but … no, it really isn’t. Shatner was a scenery-chewing ham whose every utterance oozed self-importance. Pine took the part and ran with it, leaving his overrated predecessor in the dust.
MORE: Leonard Nimoy vs. Zachary Quinto
[PAGEBREAK]Spock
Leonard Nimoy vs. Zachary Quinto
The Matchup: Inheriting the franchise’s most instantly recognizable — and arguably most challenging — role is Heroes star Quinto. Unlike the famously impassive, resolutely “logical” adult Spock portrayed by Nimoy in the original series, Quinto’s younger version has yet to master his emotions (blame his human mom, played by Winona Ryder), and repeatedly butts heads with Starfleet Academy rival Kirk. The young Vulcan, it seems, is having an identity crisis. “It’s completely rooted in how he feels alienated from himself and those around him,” Quinto explained to WSJ. “He’s not one thing or another.”
The Winner: Nimoy. To be fair, Quinto never really had a chance: Abrams stacked the deck against him by casting Nimoy in a memorable cameo, thus allowing us to compare performances within the film. Not surprisingly, Quinto comes out on the losing end.
MORE: James Doohan vs. Simon Pegg
[PAGEBREAK]Montgomery Scott
James Doohan vs. Simon Pegg
The Matchup: Rolling his tongue with a preposterous Lowland accent as he pleaded for more time to restore impulse power, Doohan was a fan favorite as the Enterprise’s perpetually exasperated Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott. Pegg, best known to American audiences for his fine work in horror comedies Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz, opted for a different approach to the character. “I tried to make it brand new because I think it would be a disrespectful thing to James Doohan to go and just impersonate his Scotty,” Pegg told Deadbolt. “As much as I love the original series, I tried not to watch too much of it because I wanted my performance to be a tribute to him and what he did with the character.”
The Winner: Pegg. Though the Scotty character doesn’t appear in the new film until the midpoint, Pegg makes the most of his limited screen time. Plus, it’s nice to see a Scottish character played by a guy who actually hails from the UK (as opposed to Doohan, who was born in freakin’ Canada).
MORE: Nichelle Nichols vs. Zoe Saldana
[PAGEBREAK]Uhura
Nichelle Nichols vs. Zoe Saldana
The Matchup: In a time when African-American TV actors were all too often forced to play servants and other demeaning roles, Nichols broke barriers as Chief Communications Officer Uhura in the original series. Playing the role of Uhura in the reboot is rising star Saldana, who singlehandedly boosts Trek’s sexiness quotient. Not since Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine manned the cockpit in Star Trek: Voyager has such a stunner explored Trek‘s final frontier.
The Winner: Nichols. The elder Uhura deserves the edge for the courage she demonstrated — not in her work as a Civil Rights trailblazer, but in making out with Shatner on-screen (in the “Plato’s Stepchildren” episode). That couldn’t have been easy.
MORE: DeForest Kelley vs. Karl Urban
[PAGEBREAK]Leonard H. McCoy, MD
DeForest Kelley vs. Karl Urban
The Matchup: Though officially designated as the Enterprise’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. “Bones” McCoy was often pressed into service in a variety of other duties, to which the irascible physician usually responded with a gruff “I’m a doctor, not a [insert occupation here].” Urban, who takes on the role first played by Kelley, has an interesting theory regarding his character’s cantankerous demeanor: “I think he’s bipolar,” the Lord of the Rings alumnus proposed in an interview with the New Zealand Herald. Apparently, Star Trek’s utopian vision of the future has no place for Lithium.
The Winner: This one’s a tie. Kelley left big shoes to fill, but Urban was more than up to the challenge, nailing the character while avoiding imitation.
MORE: Walter Koenig vs. Anton Yelchin
[PAGEBREAK]Pavel Chekov
Walter Koenig vs. Anton Yelchin
The Matchup: Baby-faced Koenig donned a wig and joined the crew during the original series’ second season as the Enterprise’s Russian-born navigator — signaling creator Gene Roddenberry’s hope that bitter Cold War rivalries would vanish by the 23rd century. Stepping into Chekov’s shoes for the update is Yelchin, who himself was born in St. Petersburg, Russia. “With Chekhov, it was fun to capture the comedic aspects,” Yelchin told the Los Angeles Times. “Naturally, he’s kind of funny sometimes. I adjusted it, but I wanted to be close to the [original version].” The elder Chekov’s mod hairpiece, unfortunately, didn’t make the cut.
The Winner: Yelchin. The Chekov character essentially serves as comic relief (Russian people have difficulty with the letter W, which is apparently hilarious). At least Yelchin wasn’t forced to wear a Davy Jones wig.
MORE: George Takei vs. John Cho
[PAGEBREAK]Hikaru Sulu
George Takei vs. John Cho
The Matchup: Employing the deep baritone voice that even the most novice of Trek fans would instantly recognize, Takei served aboard the Enterprise in the original series as helmsman Hikaru Sulu. Taking the reins of Sulu in the reboot is Cho, whose breakout performance came as one half of the titular starving stoner duo in Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle. In an interview with Star Trek Magazine, Cho described the new Sulu as “badass” and more action-oriented than the original.
The Winner: Takei. Cho’s Sulu may be more “badass,” but Takei’s had the voice. And is a badass Sulu really all that necessary anyway?
MORE: The Old Enterprise vs. The New Enterprise
[PAGEBREAK]The USS Enterprise
Old Model vs. New Model
The Matchup: Looking for an Enterprise with more of a “hot-rod type of feel,” Abrams tasked the visual effects wizards at Industrial Light & Magic with overhauling the legendary vessel. The result is a sleeker, less static version of the Enterprise more appealing to a contemporary sci-fi audience. Its warp drive still runs on good old dilithium crystals, which always seem to be in short supply.
The Winner: This one’s a matter of personal taste. You can go with the classic look and retro charm of the old Enterprise, or the more aggressive styling and superior fuel economy of the new one. It’s a toss-up.
STAR TREK HANDBOOK:
Star Trek Answer Sheet | Then vs. Now | Trekkie Trivia Game | Trek Timeline
10 Qs With J.J. Abrams | 9 Qs With Leonard Nimoy & Zachary Quinto | 8 Qs With Chris Pine
DVDs Giveaway | Red-Carpet Photos | Chris Pine Fansite
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THE 2009 ULTIMATE SUMMER GUIDE
