It’s safe to say LeVar Burton is something of an expert in what makes Star Trek so special, given his time on the USS Enterprise. Burton was part of one of the best Star Trek series, The Next Generation, so his opinion on anything Trek related is pretty valid, we’d say.
Obviously, when it comes to watching the various sci-fi series and Star Trek movies in order, Burton’s time exploring the depths of space comes long before JJ Abrams arrived on the scene. While we are big fans of Abrams’ entries into the Star Trek timeline, it seems not everyone was happy with his work.
Speaking to AssignmentX in an interview from 2013, Burton revealed exactly how he felt about Abrams’ science fiction movies, and let’s just say he doesn’t have them at the top of his own personal list of the Star Trek movies ranked.
When asked how he felt about Abrams’ first Star Trek film, Burton said: “I miss [Star Trek creator] Gene [Roddenberry]’s vision. I like the characters, I care about them. And. Where’s the hope, JJ? Where’s the hope? Gene’s vision is about hope – bring the hope back, y’all.”
Tell us how you really feel, LeVar! The actor played the role of Geordi La Forge for seven years, and with all that time aboard Star Trek starships, it seems Burton was looking for something a little more positive from Abrams’ version of Star Trek.
To be fair, he does have a point. The Next Generation cast was full of infectious energy and endearing charm, and there was certainly a more uplifting tone to the show overall. Whereas, Abrams brought a more serious and gritty Hollywood vibe to his iteration of Star Trek.
There are plenty of new Star Trek content coming our way in the future, so it will be interesting to see what kind of tone they follow. To find out more about those, check out our guides to the Star Trek Legacy release date, the Star Trek 4 release date, and the Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 3 release date. Alternatively, find out who we deem to be the best Star Trek captains, and here’s why we think Star Trek’s Kirk and Spock were obviously in love.