Shatner's Kirk feels as though he thinks he's the best because everyone has told him he is.
Pine's Kirk feels as though no one had believed in his ability except himself, until a trigger point in his life makes him decide to try and prove it to other people as well.
This puts so simply something I've been mulling over in my head ever since seeing the movie. I'm sure you know Kirk was based in large part on Horatio Hornblower, but much as I like Shatner's Kirk, he never hit me on the same level as Hornblower, either the book character or Ioan Gruffudd's portrayal, and it's for exactly the reason you outlined. Hornblower claws his way up through the ranks despite the disadvantages of his birth and relative poverty. He doesn't lead a charmed life, but he's tenacious through every hard knock the story gives him, he has natural tactical brilliance, and inspires fierce loyalty in his men. (Also, both he and all incarnations of Kirk are basically like Wedge Antilles: shit just happens when they're around.)
I don't see that hardscrabble ethos in Shatner's Kirk, but it's written all over Pine's portrayal. Maybe if we'd had a chance to see Shatner's Kirk rise through the ranks we'd see why he is a Hornblower-type. But without that, it's like you said: he behaves less like he's had to fight to prove himself and more like people have been telling him how great he is since the day he enlisted.
Anyway, you don't know me, but I've just meta-d all over your post. Sorry about that, but it was an interesting discussion of Kirk and Pike, who along with Uhura were easily my favorite characters.
no subject
Pine's Kirk feels as though no one had believed in his ability except himself, until a trigger point in his life makes him decide to try and prove it to other people as well.
This puts so simply something I've been mulling over in my head ever since seeing the movie. I'm sure you know Kirk was based in large part on Horatio Hornblower, but much as I like Shatner's Kirk, he never hit me on the same level as Hornblower, either the book character or Ioan Gruffudd's portrayal, and it's for exactly the reason you outlined. Hornblower claws his way up through the ranks despite the disadvantages of his birth and relative poverty. He doesn't lead a charmed life, but he's tenacious through every hard knock the story gives him, he has natural tactical brilliance, and inspires fierce loyalty in his men. (Also, both he and all incarnations of Kirk are basically like Wedge Antilles: shit just happens when they're around.)
I don't see that hardscrabble ethos in Shatner's Kirk, but it's written all over Pine's portrayal. Maybe if we'd had a chance to see Shatner's Kirk rise through the ranks we'd see why he is a Hornblower-type. But without that, it's like you said: he behaves less like he's had to fight to prove himself and more like people have been telling him how great he is since the day he enlisted.
Anyway, you don't know me, but I've just meta-d all over your post. Sorry about that, but it was an interesting discussion of Kirk and Pike, who along with Uhura were easily my favorite characters.