Benedict Cumberbatch is John Harrison

[Spider-Who?]

Just saw it. Benedict was fantastic as expected.

 

[BestGirl]

Why didn't they write

Spoiler

Khan

into an anti-hero to spice things up and differentiate from his original incarnation? Benedict actually made the character likable, and I actually thought the film was going that way in the first half because of how he saves the crew from the Klingons and the reasons for his terrorism.

I'm actually glad they didn't go in that direction . I don't think I could handle another summer movie that promised one badass villain only to replace him with a lamer, unknown one.

 

[venus_ice]

This guy's voice in IMAX is some kind of porn. I'm sure it is.

 

[Slushy]

Benedict Cumberbatch is a good actor, but he's no

Spoiler

Khhhaaannn!!!

I would've enjoyed this movie better had he played Gary Mitchell!

 

[DKDetective]

Benedict Cumberbatch is a good actor, but he's no

Spoiler

Khhhaaannn!!!

I would've enjoyed this movie better had he played Gary Mitchell!

Agreed, or anyone alien with those otherworldly features of his. I love Cumberbatch, but [BLACKOUT]Montalban's seductive, almost sexual charisma and powerful build added so much to the role. The former made him convincing as a tyrant who inspired unwavering loyalty from his followers, which was only matched by Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat, and the latter really gave him the visual presence of a true genetic superman.[/BLACKOUT]

 

[Destructus86]

Agreed, or anyone alien with those otherworldly features of his. I love Cumberbatch, but [BLACKOUT]Montalban's seductive, almost sexual charisma and powerful build added so much to the role. The former made him convincing as a tyrant who inspired unwavering loyalty from his followers, which was only matched by Marc Alaimo as Gul Dukat, and the latter really gave him the visual presence of a true genetic superman.[/BLACKOUT]

Yeah...no. We must have both been watching a different Wrath of Khan :P

 

[StarLord]

Cumberbatch was LIGHT YEARS better than [BLACKOUT]Montalban[/BLACKOUT].

He actually did stuff.

I said it. Believe it.

 

[DKDetective]

Yeah...no. We must have both been watching a different Wrath of Khan :P

I was talking about

Spoiler

Space Seed mainly since both are about a recently thawed Khan in his physical prime. Wrath of Khan's Khan is a very different character. Very much a shadow of his former self.

 

[godisawesome]

Bingo.

Spoiler

WOK featured Khan as a man who'd had decades to stew in his anger and rage against Kirk, one who'd grown old like Kirk had and had lost most of his family to a horrific disaster. This Khan is basically Space Seed Khan after a few years of being used and manipulated by Starfleet command. He's had a presumably more active and presumably healthier lifestyle as an agent of Starfleet, so his leaner but still muscular build makes more sense here than a beefier look probably derived from a mostly meat driven diet.

And he's much more sensible, with the exception that he's still a power mad "savage." He's driven by the search for his crew first and foremost, and since he's approaching Kirk in a manner similar to Space Seed, he doesn't underestimate or obsession him. I liked the few appraising glances he gave Kirk that suggested some respect for him, but was still sane enough to just knock him out instead of trying to torture him.

 

[DKDetective]

Bingo.

Spoiler

WOK featured Khan as a man who'd had decades to stew in his anger and rage against Kirk, one who'd grown old like Kirk had and had lost most of his family to a horrific disaster. This Khan is basically Space Seed Khan after a few years of being used and manipulated by Starfleet command. He's had a presumably more active and presumably healthier lifestyle as an agent of Starfleet, so his leaner but still muscular build makes more sense here than a beefier look probably derived from a mostly meat driven diet.

And he's much more sensible, with the exception that he's still a power mad "savage." He's driven by the search for his crew first and foremost, and since he's approaching Kirk in a manner similar to Space Seed, he doesn't underestimate or obsession him. I liked the few appraising glances he gave Kirk that suggested some respect for him, but was still sane enough to just knock him out instead of trying to torture him.

You explanation of

Spoiler

Khan's change makes absolutely no sense. Musclebuilding and nutrition does not work that way at all. One of the reason why America is suffering an obesity epidemic is that a lot of faulty science and misinterpretation of collected data told everyone that animal proteins and fatty foods are bad and that people should base their diets around grains and other carbohydrates. Consuming protein and carrying lean body mass (muscle) is not a sign of poor health. Skinny people are not healthier than them. Would you call a heavily muscled thoroughbred horse unhealthy? No,that animal is in peak physical fitness and the product of careful selective breeding, just like Khan.

 

[godisawesome]

Fair enough.

Spoiler

I'm not a dietary expert, I was just thinking that a bulkier, older Khan made sense thanks to a combination of what little I know about how guys like Chris Hemsworth put on bulk with a lot of chicken, or how Tom Hardy got thicker with presumably less sprinting and jogging around, and how older guys in fiction tend to be portrayed as either all lean muscle or Dark Knight Returns style man-mountains. This probably means I'm ignorant of real-world muscle rules, so again I'm sorry if I've messed something up.

Also, Cumberbatch was much more muscular than he has been before, albeit still a pretty thin and tall guy. He went up a few suit sizes for the role, but they did make a decision to portray Khan's strength by showing us what he could do with it this time, as opposed to sticking prosthetics on someone to give than a defined chest. Khan's build is still consistent with his first appearance in Space Seed, where he looked like regular guy with more of a runners build.

I'll stand by my comments on the character, but I'll yield to your belief that WOK Khan looked healthier and stronger than either Space Seed or Into Darkness Khan. I'm just spit-balling a possible explanation for the change in the two movies' looks. He's supposed to be a genetically engineered marvel, so maybe you just get naturally bigger the older you get if you're an augmented human.

 

[Brian Braddock]

Not to be picky, but the whole 'plastic chest' thing was debunked a long time ago.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Not to be picky, but the whole 'plastic chest' thing was debunked a long time ago.

I'm confused now, I thought we were talking about Khan, not Carol Marcus.

 

[ThePowerCosmic]

I'm confused now, I thought we were talking about Khan, not Carol Marcus.

 

[DKDetective]

Fair enough.

Spoiler

I'm not a dietary expert, I was just thinking that a bulkier, older Khan made sense thanks to a combination of what little I know about how guys like Chris Hemsworth put on bulk with a lot of chicken, or how Tom Hardy got thicker with presumably less sprinting and jogging around, and how older guys in fiction tend to be portrayed as either all lean muscle or Dark Knight Returns style man-mountains. This probably means I'm ignorant of real-world muscle rules, so again I'm sorry if I've messed something up.

Also, Cumberbatch was much more muscular than he has been before, albeit still a pretty thin and tall guy. He went up a few suit sizes for the role, but they did make a decision to portray Khan's strength by showing us what he could do with it this time, as opposed to sticking prosthetics on someone to give than a defined chest. Khan's build is still consistent with his first appearance in Space Seed, where he looked like regular guy with more of a runners build.

I'll stand by my comments on the character, but I'll yield to your belief that WOK Khan looked healthier and stronger than either Space Seed or Into Darkness Khan. I'm just spit-balling a possible explanation for the change in the two movies' looks. He's supposed to be a genetically engineered marvel, so maybe you just get naturally bigger the older you get if you're an augmented human.

Wait a second, why are you acting like I'm saying that WoK Khan is in better shape than Space Seed Khan. I specifically said the opposite.

Spoiler

Both Space Seed Khan and WoK were portrayed as big, muscular supermen and it is probably more obvious in Space Seed when Khan manhandles Kirk.

The reason why Hemsworth and Evan's muscle building programs sound unhealthy is because they are the equivalent of crash diets. Those are cases of actors rushing to make changes to their bodies before the start of shooting, where they were taking certain unhealthy shortcuts to pack on as much mass as possible as quickly as possible. When you see similar amounts of muscle on elite athletes, it is usually accumulated slowly over years.

 

[godisawesome]

Okay, I think I just got lost in reading your previous posts. Sorry!

 

[Silvermoon]

Posted this in one of the other threads, figure I should post it in the Benedict thread as well (apologies if it's already been posted)

EXCLUSIVE: J.J. Abrams Shows A Deleted "Star Trek Into Darkness" Scene
CONAN Highlight: To answer charges of sexism in "Star Trek," J.J. shows a cut scene of Benedict Cumberbatch showering.

All I have to say is... they totally should've left that in!!!!

 

[venus_ice]

Good god.

 

[Schlosser85]

He even showers ominously.

 

[chamber-music]

Cumberbatch would make a good terminator

 

[DKDetective]

That has got to be a joke, right? I mean I have no idea how or where that possibly could that have been incorporated into the film's narrative.

 

[Pink Ranger]

That has got to be a joke, right? I mean I have no idea how or where that possibly could that have been incorporated into the film's narrative.

... said every female film critic for the past 40 years.

 

[Doctor Jones]

That has got to be a joke, right? I mean I have no idea how or where that possibly could that have been incorporated into the film's narrative.

Maybe that's why they cut it?

 

[Snow Queen]

Good god.

Sherlock, you've gotten big.

 

[Silvermoon]

Sherlock, you've gotten big.

See, that's why I think it's a shame they didn't use it. Benedict said he went up 2 suit sizes (I think?) due to the muscle he put on for this role - shame he wasn't allowed to show off that hard work.......... not to mention the fact that he looks so damn fine