Original Star Trek enHANCED!?

[Brandon B]

Well, Paramount is redoing all exterior FX and bridge viewscreen shots of the original series. I am actually keen on this ever since seeing a taste of it in a Deep Space Nine epsiode years ago where they incorporated an old episode with enhanced FX.

There's also a purported sample at YouTube.

This would make me finally spring the for (rather expensive) DVD season sets. Assuming both versions are on there.

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[dyazdani]

That's cool... I bought one of the STNG seasons. Like you say, they are quite expensive.

[maximumshow]

I HATE it when studios do this! Why mess with something that is already great? Besides CG almost always looks lame when compared to real models.

The only reason that studios do this is becasue they have run out of ideas for good movies, so they go back and butcher the old greats.

[Rael]

Bad idea, much in the same way as colorizing black and white films is a bad idea.

[Glen]

If it drives down the price of the box sets that are already out there, I'm happy 8) .



:B

[Brandon B]

I don't know. I would definitely be mad if they pulled or had not released them in original form, but this is actually something I've wanted for years. And I am certainly a fan of the show. Seen almost every episode 20+ times and STILL like it better than any of the modern series.

Maxmimum, did you watch the sample? It seems like they tried to keep the FX mostly toned down, basically doing a cleaned up version with maybe some camera moves the old ones didn't have, but not a full "state of the art" replacement with whiz bang zooms and sweeping camera moves.

But not much point in debating, I certainly see the point of those who dislike the idea. Fortunately in this case, each can have his own.

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[maximumshow]

I agree that the CGI in that demo clip was tastefully done. However I'm of the mindset that if it's not broke, don't fix it. To me it will feel out of place with the simplistic glowing lights of the bridge controls and various alien races (if they CG any aliens I'll freak out).

What's more, I really do not want them to become the new "standard", and for all tv stations to switch to broadcasting them instead, just as the special editions of Star Wars have become the "standard".

ST: TOS is one of my all time fav shows, and I really would hate for this to ruin it for me.

[David Meek]

As long as both are made available (preferrably on the same DVD) then I'm all for it. Tasteful updating could actually enhance things, but changing anything at all in the story (ie. Greedo shooting first) is verboten.

[Arneson]

Shortening of Ohura's skirt is certainly OK also.

[Brandon B]

What's more, I really do not want them to become the new "standard", and for all tv stations to switch to broadcasting them instead, just as the special editions of Star Wars have become the "standard".

Totally agree with that.

[Burke Strickland]

...changing anything at all in the story (ie. Greedo shooting first) is verboten

Yep, when Greedo made his guest appearance on Star Trek, he was definitely seen shooting first. :>)

By the way, the purported "Enhanced" segment in the link above shows a copyright date of 2003, so they've taken their time doing anything more with it. It's a shame they aren't leaving it at that.

Burke

[Brandon B]

Well, looks like they might do what you were worried about, maximumshow:

http://www.thedigitalbits.com/mytwocentsa126.html#trekqa

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[maximumshow]

:M x 10

[Brandon B]

Well, just watched the first aired epsiode Balance of Terror. Not to second guess your opinion, but the change is pretty subtle. In fact I wasn't positive at first I was watching the enhanced ones. Give it a chance before you turn as red as your emoticon there.

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[maximumshow]

I am on analog cable here in Canada, and the only station that currently runs ST: TOS is Space. I don't believe they are planning to air the "enhanced" versions quite yet. But I will try to be open minded when they do.

[Brandon B]

OK, watched the second aired episode, Devil in the Dark.

At this point, have to go thumbs down. I think the original FX are actually better. Literally better. The CGI looks flat.

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[David Meek]

Flat? As in a painted sheet?

[Brandon B]

The shots of the model often looked reasonably good. Sometimes not so much but usually realistic enough in the context of the show. Some of the CGI shots in this week's episode seemed to have really poor rendering as far as the lightsources they modeled, so the ship had no convincing shading or shadows.

So yeah, kind of like a painted sheet.

The sample shown of the doomsday machine was way better than what I saw this week, and certainly better than last week, although last week's did not strike me as objectionable. If next week isn't better, I am going to join maxshow's camp and declare this a craptastic failure.

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[David Meek]

The shots of the Doomsday Machine episode really looked good. Hopefully, the poor quality you are seeing is limited.

[maximumshow]

I agree Brandon! I found out that the Fox affiliate just across the border from us is airing the enhanced version on Sundays. Now first off I have to point out that this station has never looked good no matter what was being aired on it.

More was done to the episodes than just adding CGI elements, such as "enhancing" colour saturation and contrast, as well as a re-edit for time constraints. To me (and this may be the stations fault) the colours were too saturated and looked awful! I am also used to seeing the full epsiodes with no edits. The first enhanced episode I saw was "the city on the edge of forever", one of trek's best. I immediately noticed many parts left out of the broadcast, and this made the entire epsiode feel completely off. Once again, I cannot be sure if it was edited for time for this channel only, but I assume that it was not.

Now to the CGI. I honestly viewed it with as much of an open mind as possible, but I have always been strongly against adding CG to non CGI movies. It always, in my experience, makes me feel like I am watching two totally different things. In this case the same happened. Not only do the original SFX feel better and make it more enjoyable to watch, but in MANY respects they actually look better. I am quite serious about that. Professionally made models on film will always look better to me than CGI.

There is a mentality in the business these days that if "we can, we should". This goes for new releases as well... because CGI has no limits, a lot of the boundaries that allow for creativity are gone. Directors go hog-wild because "it can be fixed/done in post". The most obvious examples are the original Star Wars trilogy versus the new. Story/character driven, with emotional ties Vs huge nauseating space battles where one can "try a spin move, that'll be cool!"

There are obvious exceptions, but most of those are movies where the CGI is made to produce a certain feel as opposed to adding annoying cartoony characters. Exceptions like Sin City, where the comic books feel could not been done conventionally.

[Brandon B]

I honestly feel that in many of the shots, the Enterprise looks no better than it did in the old animated series of the '70s. No texture or quality ray tracing here. About the only positive thing I have to say is some of the revised ship trajectories look nice rather than the simple straight track shots they were limited to.

And yes, the synidcation edits are exceptionally bad this time around. I feel this may be a plot to drive sales of the existing DVD sets.

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