Levar Burton aka Geordi La Forge criticizes Star Trek 2009

[serenitytrek1]

http://www.trekmate.org.uk/star-trek-levar-burton-disappointed-in-jj-abrams-movie/


I saw this post on trekmate.org

Burton who played Geordi in TNG says he is disappointed with the 09 film because it erased the TNG timeline. Burton also said it was a silly thing for JJ to do.

I don't think Burton watched any behind the scenes footage or any Interview of JJ ABRAMS speaking about the 09 film or even watched the film with JJ's commentary.

JJ did spend a good time respectfully ranting about how his trek is an alternate reality and everything that happened in the prime universe still exists and is unchangeable.

So that Includes the TNG timeline.......right?

I am certain that Burton is not been spiteful like William Shatner who is mad at JJ because JJ wont let him be part of new Trek.

However I do think Burton is plain wrong on this issue.


The Prime Universe is still out there.


Also it kind of sucks that Burton will say this things. TNG had so may time travel and alternate reality episodes so it makes no sense when he says JJ did a silly thing by creating a new timeline.


what say you?

 

[HaventGotALife]

I don't think it matters a great deal. CBS has released multiple seasons of the "old" universe on Blu-Ray. We still discuss what happened in the shows when it's been (at least) 8 years since they went off the air. The new Trek movies are one universe. And the shows and older movies are another. I can appreciate both. I also wouldn't mind if we got another television show out of this. So I think it keeps Star Trek alive and people are going to be more willing to re-sample the show because of the franchise is alive. It hasn't been erased. It still exists. And until (let's hope they don't) do a TNG re-boot, Levar Burton is still beloved as Geordi LaForge.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

As long as Burton's TNG salary wasn't erased from his bank account, he should be fine.

 

[The Wormhole]

So, LeVar Burton, someone else who is not "an angry fanboy" has spoken out against Abrams.

I'm conviently ignoring the bit where he calls Abrams a "very good director." It weakens my argument, so it doesn't count.

 

[yousirname]

If I'd been the interviewer there, I'd have been sorely tempted to pretend not to know that TNG existed just to underline how silly Burton's being.

Burton: Disappointed, quite frankly, that his timeline negates the existence of Next-Gen...

Int.: "Next-Gen"?

Burton: Y'know, the show! The show I was in.

Int.: What, Roots?

Burton: No, Star Trek!

Int.: You were in Star Trek?

 

[BillJ]

Who cares?

 

[SalvorHardin]

I am certain that Burton is not been spiteful like William Shatner who is mad at JJ because JJ wont let him be part of new Trek.

........

Also it kind of sucks that Burton will say this things. TNG had so may time travel and alternate reality episodes so it makes no sense when he says JJ did a silly thing by creating a new timeline.


what say you?

I say some of you take this stuff way too seriously.

Shatner is not being spiteful or mad, he's just being Shatner and having some fun.

And Burton didn't say anything bad. So he missed the point about alternate universes and whatnot. Big whoop.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

Artistically speaking, there is nothing whatsoever stopping some TV or film producer from continuing with the TNG universe if they wanted to. If they wanted to do it tomorrow, they could do it tomorrow. Plus, the commercial viability of it would not be adversely affected by the fact that ST2009 was made. I'm not saying it would necessarily be commercially viable -- just that ST2009 did not ruin that viability.

So no, Levar -- Abrams did not erase anything.

 

[Relayer1]

So, LeVar Burton, someone else who is not "an angry fanboy" has spoken out against Abrams.

I'm conviently ignoring the bit where he calls Abrams a "very good director." It weakens my argument, so it doesn't count.

You are very fair minded !

 

[marksound]

The only thing that JJ erased was Burton's last hope of ever being called back for another movie.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Artistically speaking, there is nothing whatsoever stopping some TV or film producer from continuing with the TNG universe if they wanted to. If they wanted to do it tomorrow, they could do it tomorrow. Plus, the commercial viability of it would not be adversely affected by the fact that ST2009 was made. I'm not saying it would necessarily be commercially viable -- just that ST2009 did not ruin that viability.

So no, Levar -- Abrams did not erase anything.

Even if the movie explicitly erased TNG from existence, there's no reason why they couldn't ignore it and make a TNG movie later. I've seen film sequels that ignored prior installments in a series just because. Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles ignored Terimanator 3: Rise of the Machines and picked up after T2. Friday 13th Part VI ignored V and told a totally different direct follow-on from IV. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country seemingly ignored STV, which ended with Kirk and the Klingons on friendly terms and made Kirk a bitter Klingon-hater since his son's death in STIII. Casual movie fans are seemingly much more able to accept these things and enjoy what they're watching than die-hard Trekkies are.

 

[marillion]

I wonder how many fan emails have poured into LaVar's agent's office to argue the point. lol

 

[Garak]

LEVAR BURTON IS GEORDI LA FORGE. GEORDI LA FORGE IS LEVAR BURTON. FINKLE IS EINHORN. EINHORN IS FINKLE.

 

[Kruezerman]

So? We like Trek. He didn't. Woo-hoo.

Come May 17th we'll get more Trek.

Now that deserves a real "woo-hoo!"

Edit: ^ You deserve a goddamn medal.

 

[M'Sharak]

[...]

what say you?

Are you sure this isn't from three and a half years ago, when the TNG cast were still seriously being asked their opinions about a new movie?

Also: Who are trekmate.org and where did they come from? I've never even heard of them before, and it looks as if hardly anyone else has either.

 

[Squiggy]

Sigh...

Levar, Levar, Levar (I'm addressing you as I'm sure you frequent the forum). TNG isn't erased. It's in a different timeline.

If TNG is erased than so is the universe that gave us Sela. You know, that show you were on. Don't make me school you on multiple universes. YOU DIRECTED AND APPEARED IN AN EPISODE OF VOYAGER ALL ABOUT ONE!

 

[CorporalClegg]

Someone just tell him the TNG universe still exists.

It's in a book. Perhaps he should take a look?

 

[Franklin]

The original source of the interview is ET Online (Entertainment Tonight), which is a credible site. The interview is dated February 19, 2013 and was done at a Trek convention in Burbank.

Burton says, "... his timeline negates the existence of Next Gen. I think that's silly." If we give him the benefit of the doubt that he saw the movie, paid attention, and knows it's a new timeline, he could mean he's sad that TNG characters may never even be born in the new universe, let alone come together on Enterprise-D.

I mean he could mean that, for what it's all worth. Which is about a nickle.

 

[Xaios]

I tend to swipe aside most criticism of the 2009 movie because I found it to be unfounded. However, knowing that Levar Burton is one of the better actor-turned-directors out there, I figured he'd have some relevant criticism of the directoral style of ST2K9.

Nope, just whining about how "TNG doesn't exist anymore," which isn't even true.

Le sigh.

 

[-Brett-]

There are plenty of valid criticisms of the 09 flick, but that one's just silly. It's not like we were ever going to see the Next Generation era again anyway, so what does it matter if it was erased?

Trek being fiction, if hell freezes over and someone picks up Prime Trek right where it left off, they can ignore Abrams' version easily enough.