Herb Solow, the former head of Desilu Studios, was asked by the BBC about his thoughts on the movie, and he didn't disappoint:

I really enjoyed finally meeting the young Kirk, the young McCoy, the young Scotty and the young Uhura, though I found the young Chekov a bit more hyper than we envisioned him to be. He was originally to be a rather plodding Russian astronaut with no sense of humour. But this young Chekov was much more lively and a bit of a caricature.

The young Sulu was of particular interest. Sulu was my namesake. Gene Roddenberry wanted to call him Solo - long before Han Solo made an appearance on screen, but we later changed it (my request!) to Sulu. I was a little disappointed in this performance. The original actor, George Takei, played the character with more grace and charm infused into his austerity.

So Sulu and Chekhov disappoint, but what about Zachary Quinto's new Spock?

The young Mr Spock was certainly commendable. But I missed the depth of Leonard's Spock, and the centuries of knowledge that always lurked in his eyes.

Overall, though, Solow wants to see the new version succeed, and not just because of any potential financial benefit for himself:

The single most emblematic phrase of our original series is 'Live Long and Prosper'. I hope the new series of movies will have that long life, and that Star Trek will continue to prosper.

Star Trek's ex-chief movie praise [BBC News]

While you're making up your mind what you think of the new Star Trek movie, why not take a look at Annalee's review from earlier this week? Spoiler: The words "brilliant and exciting re-imagining of the original series" and "hot, sexy new Spock" appear pretty early on.

Meredith managed to talk to some of the people responsible for said brilliance and excitement, giving you a look behind the scenes in these four posts:

J.J. Abrams Admits Star Trek Lens Flares Are "Ridiculous"
If you've seen a single second of Abrams' Star Trek you know the film is stuffed with audience blinding lens flashes. J.J. Abrams admitted he got a bit carried away, but explained why they're there.

The Romance That Will Change Star Trek Forever
J.J. Abrams' Star Trek takes your familiar crewmembers places they've never been before - including one love story that will forever alter the crew's dynamic. We asked writers Orci and Kurtzman about it.

Sulu and Chekov Talk Takei's Baritone, And How To Say "Wessel"
What's it take to pilot the shiny new Enterprise? We asked crew members John Cho and Anton Yelchin about changing their accents, mannerisms and overall tone, to portray Hikaru Sulu and Pavel Chekov.

Bana: Nero Is Really The Misunderstood Tragic Hero Of Star Trek
We got a few minutes alone with Star Trek's Romulan bad boy, Eric Bana, and looked deep into the psyche of Nero. Bana explained how he got so revved up, he passed out on set.

Meanwhile, Charlie Jane asks the important question Why Is The Media Trying To Make Star Trek Fans Look Like Naysaying Dorks?, wondering just why certain mainstream news outlets seem to want to find fans who hate the new movie.

If that's not enough for you, then we've also got The Complete Guide To All Things Star Trek Online to keep you busy, as well as our 5 Favorite Star Trek Rip-Offs, just in case you're wondering what's next. Besides going to see the movie again, that is.

Iron Man 2:

Don't expect the sequel to be more comic book-y and fantastical than the original film, warns writer Justin Theroux. It has to stay within Tony's world, which is the world of technology. And he and Jon Favreau have already settled on a villain. [IGN]

Terminator Salvation:

Here's the UK trailer for Terminator Salvation, which is basically the same as the U.S. trailer, just with a couple of shots from the Japanese version. [IGN]

Dragonball Evolution:

We already showed you the new international trailer for Dragonball Evolution, but now IGN has posted it in high quality sparkly video. [IGN]

And here are some new posters as well. [DBTheMovie]

The Day The Earth Stood Still:

Here's an extended clip that showcases a sequence you may have seen before, where Jennifer Connelly's character gets dragged out of her home to help investigate the arrival of a mysterious alien sphere.

Also, apparently I'm not the only person who didn't hear Keanu say "Klaatu Barada Nikto." Keanu and director Scott Derrickson got very bummed when Sci Fi Wire asked about it, because they recorded that line 20 times. Apparently Keanu says it backwards and forwards at the same time, or something. [Sci Fi Wire]

Knowing:

Here's a new pic from the Alex Proyas-directed film about a guy who finds a time capsule full of numbers that predict disasters. Like the previously released pics, it deals with a big plane crash, that confirms that the guy (Nic Cage) is onto something. Bigger pic at the link. [JoBlo]

Fringe:

The next batch of episodes will up the emotional stakes, as Peter's past bites him in the ass and Olivia's kid sister shows up, after being abandoned by her husband and four-year-old kid. We'll get to see sides of Olivia we've never seen before, but action is always a big part of the character's DNA. And she'll keep investigating her dead partner John Scott, who will reveal a huge wrinkle in the Pattern. [TV Guide via Fringe Television]

So what's going on with John Scott? Actor Mark Valley has some ideas. [Fringe Television]

Dollhouse:

Mind-wiped puppet for hire Echo can have as many as four assignments per episode, says Eliza Dushku. And the reason the dollhouse has no windows is because it's actually deep underground. And that giant Muay Thai boxing scene she mentioned shooting recently? Is between Echo and Paul (Tahmoh Penikett.) [SpoilerTV]

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles:

The last nine episodes of season two will pay off all the stuff we've learned this fall, promises producer Josh Friedman. That includes the Summer-bot's malfunctions and the relationship between John and Riley. And a major character will die before the end of the season. [TV Guide via SpoilerTV]

So why exactly did Jesse travel back through time? It's because she has certain ideas about how things should be done, says Stephanie Jacobsen. [Sarah Connor Society]

Smallville:

And here's a new pic of the Legion of Superheroes, who see Clark as a pioneer in making the Earth a safe place for aliens. [OSCK]

Heroes:

A couple of new set pics from next spring's "Fugitives" storyline. Looks like Claire's making a little pitstop at Sam's Comics. Does this mean more Seth Green? Also, she just filmed a scene with the Puppetmaster guy, Doyle. [TenGossip and The ODI]

And here's a sneak peek from Monday's episode, where Ando schemes to rescue Hiro from his latest blunder. [Heroes Television again]

Also, in Monday's episode, heroes team up against each other, and villains reveal their inner angels. Peter and Nathan square off. Sylar has HRG, Claire, Meredith and Angela held captive inside the Company. Sylar and Claire face off, and one of Claire's parents will die — probably Meredith.

And in this spring's "Fugitives" arc, Matt's wife Janice will reappear, and Matt will realize that anyone who's in the heroes' lives is in danger as much as the heroes. There won't be much time travel, but we'll still somehow see more of Ando's past, and also possibly see the founding of the Company, in 1977. Mohinder will have an "uphill battle" to remove his powers. Sylar will search for more answers about his past, and this will (surprisingly) lead him to do more "awful and scary" things. [Heroes Spoilers]

Supernatural:

The show returns in January with four stand-alone episodes. The brothers investigate a haunted house. Then they meet a trio of aging magicians (including one played by Barry Bostwick.) They investigate a ghost at their high school and we see flashbacks to the brothers, aged 14 and 18. (We had some script pages from that episode a while back.) And then a dangerous siren enthralls the boys and makes them turn on each other, allowing them to say some stuff they've been bottling up all season. And in the longer run, Ruby pushes Sam to uses his supernatural powers, and Dean learns what the angels want from him. And it's not a good thing. [SpoilerTV]

Star Wars: Clone Wars:

In January's two-parter, George "Sulu" Takei plays Lok Durd, a creature who devises a nuclear weapon that kills organic life forms but leaves droids unharmed. And the peace-loving inhabitants of the grassy planet Maridun, the Lurmens, refuse to shelter Anakin and Ahsoka, because they think the Jedi are war-mongers — even though Lok Durd plans to test his weapon on their planet. The Lurmens are like Lemurs with an Irish accent. [TV Guide via SpoilerTV]

Batman: The Brave And The Bold:

January's episodes include even more awesome team-ups. A full-fledged Green Arrow teamup. Batman's mentor, the boxing hero Wildcat. An appearance by the original Blue Beetle (voiced by Wil Wheaton!). The Atom (Ryan Choi version) has to shrink down to microscopic size to battle a toxic infection inside Batman. The strait-laced Atom will have a hard time collaborating with the jovial Aquaman. [TV Guide via SpoilerTV]

Kyle XY:

Season three will be the most action-packed, as Kyle gives up on trying to be normal and starts using his powers more. Kyle goes looking for his girlfriend Amanda (who was kidnapped by the Latnok organization) and immediately gets himself captured by Latnok as well. Kyle fights his way out, then goes and finds his fellow test-tube kid, Jessi, and they team up to rescue Amanda. Kyle becomes more sneaky and tricky as he fights against Latnok. We meet a new Latnok leader, Cassidy, who wants Kyle to join them. And a Latnok scientist, Nate, who sees Kyle as a threat. Also, Kyle realizes he and Amanda can never share the bond he has with Jessi, even though he can't trust Jessi. Jessi, meanwhile, goes through some heavy stuff, and we learn to appreciate her more. [TV Guide via SpoilerTV]

Wonder Woman:

Here are some new stills from the direct-to-DVD animated movie, which premieres at New York Comic-Con. Wonder Woman is pissed, Steve Trevor is resolute, and Ares is kind of a bastard. Actor Alfred Molina, who voices Ares, says he went for "suave" rather than rough with the character. [Warner Bros.]

Additional reporting by Katharine Duckett.

As with the previous set of posters, these four combine to form a pop-art Starfleet insignia. Between these promo posters and the original announcement poster, someone at Paramount is very good with the graphic design.




The images were released at the con and put online by TrekMovie.com, who promise more coverage from the convention, including "a potential movie spoiler." Stay tuned...

VegasCon 08: New Star Trek Movie Posters With Four New Cast Images [TrekMovie]

• New production photos of Reposession Mambo tell us absolutely nothing about the more serious of the two organ-repo movies coming next year. You can see allegedly "futuristic" cars and some buildings. Yawn. [ShockTillYouDrop.com]
• The new Justice League movie is being "cast as cheaply as possible," says New York Magazine. It's semi-official that total unknown Armie Hammer will play Batman in the League. That's in addition to the previously leaked cast: Scott Porter as Superman, Megan Gale as Wonder Woman, Common as Green Lantern and Adam Brody as Flash. "In other words, a D-list cast is set to portray the world's oldest, most iconic superhero team," Matthew Perpetua kvetches. [NYMag]
• Newly released clips from I Am Legend reveal no spoilers, but prove the film will live or die depending on how much you enjoy Will Smith talking to himself. [IESB]

• Battlestar Galactica co-creator Ronald D. Moore has two new TV series in development: one that he's developing for NBC/Universal, and one that he's supervising for Fox Broadcasting. He's also writing a sequel to iRobot, and a new version of The Thing for Universal. The new Thing will be linked to the 1982 version somehow. [Eclipse Magazine]
• Fans who want to see more of George Takei's Sulu as a starship captain in his own right had better not blink during the new Star Trek movie. The older Captain Sulu will appear in a brief scene with Leonard Nimoy's Spock. [TrekWeb]
• Brian Aldiss spent ten years trying to convince Stanley Kubrick not to turn AI into a dumb PInnochio story. "But you might as well try to persuade this table to be a chair as persuade Stanley of anything," he complains. In the end, Kubrick died and Spielberg turned AI into non-sensical "crap," says Aldiss. [London Times]