Movie Franchises Done Right

Avengers: Infinity War is the culmination of a decade of films, with probably a hundred-or-so Characters from all across the universe. Chances are, it’s going to break box office records, and join the likes of Toy Story 3, Fast & Furious Seven and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 in the billion-dollar club.

What do these four movies have in common? They’re the conclusion to long-running franchises, and the end of the story for Characters that audiences will have grown up with. We have watched these Characters grow- Captain America, Buzz Lightyear, Harry Potter, Brian O’Conner- and evolve as they face the events from multiple stories. Each time, they learn something new, they experience loss, their appearances change. As we grow up, so do they.

Time And Care Pay Off

Harry Potter was always going to have an end, and judging by the success of the books, it was always going to be a hit at the box office.

J. K. Rowling and Warner Brothers worked hard to tell eight excellent movies, and every time it paid off. They could have been unremarkable films and made decent money, but the creators put in the effort to make an exceptional product, and this series will be remembered forever.

When Pixar started out, Toy Story was a huge gamble but it paid off. A few years later, Disney announced a sequel going straight to DVD. The studio wrestled back control, told a story worth telling and the results spoke for themselves- it helped Pixar become the animation powerhouse it is today. Years later, they decided to end the Toy Story franchise and take their care making a perfect ending. It grossed over a billion dollars and was nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars.

Developing Organically

Marvel Studios risked everything with Iron Man, and it paid off. They slowly started introducing Characters like Thor and Captain America, letting audiences get to know them. Four years after Iron Man, Marvel released The Avengers and it became one of the highest-grossing movies of all time.

The studio continued the pattern- introducing more Characters to a movie at a time, then bringing them all together. Each time, the box office improved. Some were more successful than others, but audiences got to know Characters as they appeared more often.

The Fast and The Furious started off as a generic car-racing movie. It limped on for a few more installments with different characters, never quite capturing the magic of the original. Then the studio decided to change gears, hire a new director, and crucially bring back Characters from the first four movies. Somehow, this worked and with every new Fast and Furious movie, featuring Characters that now had a chance to develop, the movies became more successful.

When you have a plan, and it shows that you really care about these Characters, it pays off. It doesn’t matter if you planned it all out from the beginning, or it happened organically and you maintained the quality of each sequel. When you realize you have something special that people connect with and you work hard to nurture these Characters, the aforementioned examples prove that it will often result in success.

Forcing It

The previous examples, across multiple movies, make you care about their characters and developed a rich, ongoing story. Yes, even The Fast and The Furious did this. They all took their time to build a universe and didn’t rush their storytelling.

However, they are the exception to the rule. More often than not, in the case of Avengers and Harry Potter, competitors thought in the short-term and wanted what these franchises had worked long and hard to achieve. They wanted the same success in a much shorter space of time, and it didn’t work out for them.

DC Comics

DC, the comics studio that owns beloved Characters like Superman and Batman, altered their plans after the Superman movie Man of Steel and released 3 films in the space of fewer than 2 years. This enabled them to release Justice League, their own equivalent of The Avengers. When they finally released Justice League, a team of 6 heroes, we were introduced to half of the team for the first time. They lacked Character development, and they had no chemistry as a group.

Wonder Woman is the only fleshed-out Character of the Justice League. Audiences responded well to her solo movie, released several months before. It was a huge hit and the most financially successful DC movie. But Justice League made less money than any other DC film before it. A movie featuring Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman together was less successful than Marvel movies featuring superheroes most people had never heard of.

Young Adult Series

After the Harry Potter series, movie studios were desperate to copy its success. They bought the rights to many Young Adult book series and rushed them into production. But The Hunger Games and Twilight, whilst successful, completed their series in less than a decade, and each successive installment made less money than the previous one.

Rather than learn from these popular franchises, rivals wanted to copy them exactly, and put less time and effort into them. Even if they were relatively successful, their attempts have less of a life beyond the opening weekend. Audiences stop talking about their movies pretty soon after the credits roll.

What Writers Can Learn From Franchises

People cry out about “the death of Hollywood”, and how sequels and comic book movies are ruining Cinema. In fact, Franchises, if done right, present a wonderful opportunity for writers.

They are able to take their time developing Character arcs and storylines. Franchises that take their time and spread themselves out end up being more like long-form Television series.

Our culture has changed, and Television has become the storytelling medium of choice. Some stories can be told in 2 hours or less, but some need longer. They can connect with audiences for longer, and don’t need to rush things. Shows like The Wire and Breaking Bad have captured the public imagination and remain talked about to this day.

In certain circumstances, if properties are going to create multiple installments of their movie franchise, then they might as well treat them like long-form television. The four successful examples prove that this is one of the best ways forward, as Hollywood relies more and more on expensive blockbuster franchises.

This month is Power of Love month, but this week takes a slight detour because of the biggest movie of the year so far- a true cultural phenomenon.  Black Panther features examples of both the light and dark side of Power of Conscience, and it tackles themes of what is right and who gets to decide that issue.

Black Panther

Black Panther tells the story of T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman), the recently coronated king of the fictional African nation of Wakanda. Built around the world’s rarest metal, Wakanda is the most technologically advanced nation on earth, and centuries ahead of everyone else in every respect. At its heart, it’s a story led by Power of Conscience character.

Power of Conscience Characters follow their own moral code and expect others to do the right thing. They operate on their own level of justice and think solely about what is right and what is wrong. Most importantly they are compelled to tackle in injustice and correct what they perceive as wrong-doing.

T’Challa’s Moral Dilemma

T’Challa must compromise his moral code to become the leader that his country needs.  He is challenged by a Power of Conscience antagonist that is the seeming opposite of everything he stands for. He learns to become the kind of leader who makes decisions that are for the greater good, despite opposition.

I will try to avoid spoilers for those of you who haven’t seen the movie- Go see it yourself!

Too Good To Be King

“You’re a good man, with a good heart — and it’s hard for a good man to be king.”

One of the central dilemmas that faces King T’Challa in Black Panther is whether he should cooperate with the rest of the world and share with them what Wakanda has to offer. Many in the nation he now leads believe that the world is not ready to interact with Wakanda.

Throughout the film, T’Challa does the right thing no matter the cost. Members of his family and his heads of security disapprove. When he learns of his father’s dark past, and his connection to film’s lead antagonist, Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan), he sympathizes with Erik and realizes he must lead Wakanda in a different direction to his ancestors.

T’Challa’s journey is going from being an uncertain man who does not feel ready to carry out what he knows the be right, to a King who has conviction in his actions.

Mirror Image

Erik Kilmonger (Michael B. Jordan) represents the dark side of Power of Conscience. Some people have already compared T’Challa and Kilmonger’s approaches to that of Martin Luther King and Malcolm X respectively. He is an outsider to Wakanda, determined to use Wakanda’s resources to benefit others. However, his vision is far more violent than T’Challa’s.

Erik takes it upon himself to take revenge for the injustices that the world has perpetrated on all his African forebearers. He believes that Wakanda has an obligation to help the oppressed outside of the nation. He is willing to shed blood to make sure that they rise up against inequality.

Erik shows how far Power of Conscience Characters will go to do what they believe is right. Although his intentions are noble, T’Challa knows that it will result in a scenario of endless bloodshed where no one truly wins. Erik is so blinded by his moral code that he becomes the kind of villain he wants to destroy.

Doing The Right Thing

Black Panther features both ends of the spectrum for Power of Conscience Characters. The film shows how far people are willing to go for the greater good, as they percieve it.

T’Challa becomes a better man when faced with constant challenges to his authority and beliefs. Erik is so blinded by rage and tragedy that he believes the ends justify the means. He goes too far in his attempt to conquer Wakanda and wage war on the world for past oppression.

Power of Conscience

Power of Conscience Characters provide plenty of opportunity for conflict in drama. They work well in serious or comedic stories. For more examples of Power of Conscience characters, check out my eBook about this Character Type at the ETB store.

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This month is Power of Conscience month, where most of the website’s content is dedicated to those who are justice seekers. They believe they know best what is right or wrong, and will go as far as they have to do ensure that wrong is punished or set right.

Today we’re looking at Whistleblowers. These are the men and women who call out injustice and conspiracy for the good of the people. In the real world, we have recent examples like Edward Snowden and Chelsea Manning, who were forced into exile for exposing Government wrongdoing.

Whilst it may have broken the law, sometimes laws are outdated and no longer work to protect the people. When this is the case, sometimes, you need to go outside the law in order to do what it right. This is exactly what any Power of Conscience character would do.

There are also Whistleblowers who don’t break the law but are suppressed and finally risk everything to do what is right. Most recently we saw Rose McGowan, among others, who drove the momentum after the accusations came out against Harvey Weinstein.

The movement became bigger than one predator because of Whistleblowers like Rose McGowan who were bullied into silence but spoke out because it was the right thing to do. Whistleblowers are always Power of Conscience characters.

An excellent example of a fictional Whistleblower is Captain America (Chris Evans), in the 2014 movie Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Captain America is frozen in time after WW2 and defrosted in the present day. A soldier with a boy scout mentality has his morality severely tested when he discovers that SHIELD, the espionage organization he works for, has been infiltrated by HYDRA, the villains he thought he defeated back in the 1940s, since the beginning. He has been working for the bad guys and decides to reveal this information to the public.

This action destabilizes national security and leaves the espionage community, and government, in chaos.

He may not have been a Whistleblower if he wasn’t a Power of Conscience character. He always does the right thing, even if it may have catastrophic results in the long term.

In this case, he was right to do so, but in the 2016 sequel he goes the other way and keeps information from his friends, and violates international law because he believes it is the right thing to do. Captain America is every bit as much as Power of Conscience character as Manning, Snowden, and McGowan.

This key speech from the film perfectly sums up Captain America’s motivations:

“The Price of Freedom is high, and it’s a price I’m willing to pay.”

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This week I am busy in Copenhagen so I offer an excellent essay by Patrick H Willems.  His video discusses the character problems in the latest batch of DC films.

This essay was released before Wonder Woman, which has come some way to fixing what Willems talks about. With Justice League right around the corner, audiences will be anticipating Wonder Woman’s return.  There is lots of work to be done in the franchise to make the two returning characters and two brand-new characters add and not detract from the sequel.

My own take on Batman: The Dark Knight Rises can be found HERE

Nolan’s whole Batman trilogy is remarkably consistent in its emotional and psychological characterizations. In the Emotional Toolbox method, rather than looking at genre, the essential emotional force driving the movie is analyzed. Nolan’s trilogy is a series of complex multi-layered Power of Truth stories.

These kinds of stories are driven by secrets, lies, conspiracies, or concealment. In the opening of The Dark Knight Rises a huge lie is rotting at the heart of Gotham City.

Bruce Wayne/Batman languishes in disgrace, broken and hiding in his cavernous mansion. Harvey Dent, who had become the criminally insane Two Face in the previous film, The Dark Knight, has been put on a pedestal and is revered as a hero. His crimes are concealed and even blamed on Batman.

When the terrorist villian Bane takes over Gotham he exposes the lie. Bane says: “Behind you stands a symbol of oppression; Blackgate Prison, where a thousand men have languished under the name of this man.”

Bane holds up a picture of Harvey Dent and continues, “Harvey Dent, has been held up to you as the shining example of justice …You have been supplied with a false idol to stop you from tearing down this corrupt city. Let me tell you the truth about Harvey Dent from the words of Gotham’s police commissioner, James Gordon.”

Bane quotes Gordon’s letter, “‘The Batman didn’t murder Harvey Dent, he saved my boy then took the blame for Harvey’s appalling crimes so that I could, to my shame, build a lie around this fallen idol. I praised the mad man who tried to murder my own child but I can no longer live with my lie. It is time to trust the people of Gotham with the truth and it is time for me to resign.'”

Bane asks the crowd, “And do you accept this man’s resignation? Do you accept the resignation of all these liars? Of all the corrupt?”

Police Officer John Blake watches the speech on television says to Police Commissioner Jim Gordon, “Those men were locked up for eight years in Blackgate and denied parole under the Dent Act, based on a lie?”

Gordon explains, “Gotham needed a hero …”

Blake is disgusted, “You betrayed everything you stood for.”

The Dark Knight Rises and all Power of Truth stories chronicle the most profound and personal betrayals. These stories also ask: when does betrayal look like loyalty and when does loyalty looks like betrayal? These stories’ twists, turns, treachery, and reversals, changes everything the character believes is true. All the character holds dear is destroyed.

One of the major betrayals at the heart of the film is Alfred Pennyworth’s omission in telling Bruce Wayne what happened just before Bruce’s great love, Rachel Dawes, died. Alfred argues against Bruce re-emerging as Batman, revealing the truth.

Alfred says, “I’ll get this (package) to Mr. Fox, but no more. I’ve sewn you up, I’ve set your bones, but I won’t bury you. I’ve buried enough members of the Wayne family.”

Bruce Wayne can’t believe Alfred would leave him.

Alfred explains, “You see only one end to your journey. Leaving is all I have to make you understand, you’re not Batman anymore. You have to find another way. You used to talk about finishing a life beyond that awful cape.”

Bruce argues that Rachel died believing that the two of them would be together; that was his life beyond the cape. He can’t just move on. She didn’t, she couldn’t.

Alfred reluctantly tells the truth, “What if she had? What if, before she died, she wrote a letter saying she chose Harvey Dent over you? And what if, to spare your pain, I burnt that letter?”

Bruce accuses Alfred of just using Rachel to try to stop him.

Alfred is adamant. “I am using the truth, Master Wayne. Maybe it’s time we all stop trying to outsmart the truth and let it have its day. I’m sorry.”

Bruce can’t believe his ears. “You’re sorry? You expect to destroy my world and then think we’re going to shake hands?”

Alfred sadly admits that he knows what exposing this truth means. “It means your hatred… and it also means losing someone that I have cared for since I first heard his cries echo through this house. But it might also mean saving your life. And that is more important.”

Bruce Wayne turns on Alfred and bids him an angry good-bye.

Alfred’s action precisely echoes what Batman himself does at the end of the previous film, The Dark Knight. At the end of that film, Batman takes on the burden of Two Face’s crimes to give Gotham a “hero.” Batman turns himself into someone he’s not in the eyes of the public. Like Alfred tries to “save” Bruce Wayne/Batman from the truth, Batman tries to “save” Gotham from the truth.

In Power of Truth stories, like Nolan’s Batman triology, things are never what they seem.  The tangled undergrowth of human duplicity catches and pulls at every character in the film.

In The Dark Knight Rises, deep below Gotham, a secret city seethes in rebellion. The terrorist Bane rises from underground to take over Gotham.  His complex subterranean lair tunnels under Gotham and undermines its very foundations. The hidden  criminal enclave is a visual symbol that under the assumptions of the slick shiny city surface dark deceit and a world of pain wait– For Batman and for anyone else in Gotham City.

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/risky-business/watch-thr-s-full-summer-181150

Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time is a movie based on Jordan Mechner’s videogame series.  The movie was directed by Mike Newell and written by Boaz Yakin, Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard.  In the film, Dastan (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes the titled prince when he is picked off the street and adopted by King Sharaman (Ronald Pickup). Dastan’s fiery defense of another boy and his athletic ability get him the royal nod.  He is raised as an equal to the king’s biological sons Garsiv (Toby Kebbell) and Tus (Richard Coyle).

The real action begins as Dastan and his brothers are tricked into conquering the Holy City of Alamut.  Their evil Uncle Nizam (Ben Kingsley) convinces the brothers the city hides deadly and prolific weapon forges.  In reality, Nizam is after a magic dagger that can turn back time and give him unlimited power.  The lovely Princess Tamina (Gemma Arterton) is the dagger’s guardian.  She has a sharp tongue and a sassy spirit. After a grand adventure together chasing and/or protecting the dagger, Dastan’s and Tamina’s bickering results, as expected, in the two falling in love.

Although the film has a cast of thousands, a vast sweeping visual canvas of deserts and palaces, and the actors gamely give their swashbuckling all, the movie has several object lessons on pitfalls to avoid in an action adventure (or any other) movie:

1.  The stakes should remain high. The fact that the magic dagger can undo any death or restore any sacrifice undercuts the urgency of the story and the ultimate vulnerability of the characters.  This magical “do-over” is like rebooting a videogame to have endless lives.  This option may be useful to extend the playability of a game but it is a major problem in a movie where the audience must believe a “life or death” struggle is actually that critical.

2.  Chase scenes should build. The free-running athletic discipline of Pakour is amazing the first time we see Prince Dastan dash along the roof-tops, bound across rafters and vault through windows.  The next several times we see a variation on the same moves, these sequences blend into an endless loop of more of the same. Those chasing Dastan, we are told, become progressively more dangerous– ending with pursuit by the magical death-dealing Hassassin clan.  The prince’s own abilities don’t progress or change much from his impressive show as a street urchin. Dastan just uses the adult version of basically the same moves over and over.

3.  The hero should build on his character. Dastan makes no personal or emotional progress over the course of the film.  From the start, he is a good and true soul.  He is accepted by his brothers and loved by his adoptive father.  He is a bit wild and rough around the edges, but he can be counted on as a warrior, as a brother and as a man.  True, he doesn’t speak up against the invasion of the Holy City soon enough, but his silence is motivated more by youthful uncertainty and respect for his Uncle than any personal character flaw.  It’s just not very interesting to see a really good man become a slightly better man.  His quest doesn’t require him to overcome any formidable personal flaws or transcend any deeper fears.

4. A love story subplot should result in an exchange of gifts. Princess Tamina has no crucial qualities that Dastan lacks.  Dastan has no key personal qualities that Tamina needs.  There is no emotional reason that makes their partnership crucial to the success of their mission (or the eventual success of their lives).  At heart, she is as good and true as he is.  Two imperfect halves do not combine to make a more perfect whole.  The two lovers don’t desperately need each other except as a plot device.  Neither lover has the personal flaws that make a character human– a bit of youthful arrogance, some misunderstandings and sassy banter aren’t enough to craft a compelling love story.

5.  A good villain destroys a character from within. Uncle Nizam is a caricature of seething resentment. His physical appearance– slick slightly oily bald head and dark eyeliner rimmed eyes– telegraphs that he is up to no good.  It’s no surprise he is the one behind King Sharaman’s death.  The only surprise is that Dastan is the only person to notice or question Nizam’s burned hands (caused by handling the toxic robes that burst into flames and kills the king).  Nizam is a poor foe because he only relies on external forces to defeat Dastan.  He never activates Dastan’s own fear or uncertainty to destroy him from within.  It is far easier to fight any external obstacle than it is to deal with crippling force of inner personal dread, deficiency or self-doubt.  Dastan seems to fear little and is quite sure and very satisfied with himself.

6.  Use character development minutes wisely. The roller-coaster thrill ride of an action adventure movie leaves very little time for character development.  No harm in that.  These films are not meant to be complex character studies.  But each precious minute of character development time should push the main characters forward emotionally in some way. When a film’s character development is squandered on repetitive or uninspired moments those minutes are wasted and movie suffers.  We need to care about the characters and feel that they are truly at risk and personally vulnerable.  That is simply not the case on any level in Prince of Persia

It’s not surprising the film earned a paltry 25 point Rotten Rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Prince of Persia is a harmless romp but ultimately empty of the crucial character moments that lift the best action/adventure films into the category of a classic. . This movie never strays from its rock em sock em videogame roots and never makes a successful transition to a compelling film.

I had an interesting question forwarded by a reader on FaceBook. I described John Connor (Christian Bale) in Terminator Salvation as a Power of Conscience character. Power of Conscience characters are most deeply concerned about rightness, fairness and the higher duty involved in anything they do. (See Conscience Blog Posts). The question was: Aren’t all characters to some degree “fair.”

The answer of course is, yes! But the key factor is: How does that particular Character Type define “fair.” That definition varies widely. Each Character Type views the concept of fairness very differently and acts accordingly. Let’s look at Terminator Salvation and Star Trek for examples.

Power of Conscience

A Power of Conscience character (John Connor in Terminator Salvation) values doing good, the higher duty and moral correctness most highly. Fairness for this character is doing right by others. Fairness means taking the moral high ground in any decision.

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Power of Idealism

A Power of Idealism character (Marcus Wright in Terminator Salvation and James T. Kirk in Star Trek) values individuality, personal excellence and authenticity most highly. Fairness for this character is persevering the unique rights of the individual. Fairness means allowing each person to decide his or her personal destiny according to one’s own uniqueness and standards of excellence (even if the individual choice rebels against the rules, norms or morals of society).

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Power of Reason

A Power of Reason character (Spock in Star Trek) values objectivity, expertise and rationality most highly. Fairness for this character is deciding purely according to the facts and not being swayed by emotion. Fairness means looking at a situation objectively and proceeding logically (even if that decision is personally or socially painful).

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Power of Will

A Power of Will character (Nero in Star Trek) values strength, power and territory most highly. Fairness for this character is what preserves the strong, culls the weak and decisively leads the pack. Fairness is the law of the jungle and survival of the fittest. Fairness means the biggest most powerful dog wins. (“Win or die there is no compromise”).

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Fairness Depends on Point of View

These are four very different ways of looking at and defining “fairness.” Each of these characters would make a very different determination about what is fair and would take very different actions given exactly the same set of circumstances.

It is very tempting, individually, to believe that everyone views “fairness” exactly as “I” do. In fact, different Character Types view philosophical concepts like fairness, love and social or personal responsibility very differently. They each have very distinct ideas about how the world works and very specific ideas about what is owed to the self and to others. It is this distinctiveness which will clarify, sharpen and set your characters apart from general stereotypes when you are clear about your character’s type.

We first meet a morose Marcus Wright on death row. Dr Serena Kogan (played by Helena Bonham Carter), a researcher who is dying of cancer, makes a passionate appeal to him to be part of a larger project or greater vision. Marcus agrees to “sell” his body to science for a kiss. He kisses Dr. Kogan deeply and says, “So that’s what death tastes like.” This doomed romantic moment is exactly what appeals to and defines a Power of Idealism character.

When Marcus awakes decades later, he finds himself in a post-apocalyptic world overrun by a vicious, relentless, red-eyed mechanical army churning through the remains of human-kind. Marcus begins a long tortuous journey to discover who and what he is and how he fits into this horrifying new world.

Power of Idealism characters are most deeply concerned about authenticity, personal identity and the individual vs. society. These characters strive to find their place in the world— Who am I and where do I fit in?— while being acknowledged as unique, special and one-of-a-kind.

When Marcus discovers his extraordinary but horrific nature, he rebels. Dr. Kogan tells him he was designed for a unique purpose and that there is only one of him. He is indeed one-of-a-kind. Marcus refuses to be defined by his circumstance or situation. He will not submit to a larger crushing authority or an inescapable technological imperative. He will define himself.

In true Power of Idealism fashion, Marcus defines himself and becomes the stuff of legend through sacrifice. What makes him human is his heart— both metaphorically and literally. He sacrifices his heart so that the Resistance might live. It reminded me of one of the Psalms: “I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint; My heart is like wax; It is melted within me.” Marcus Wright’s heart melts and he pours his life into John Connor and the hope of the Resistance.

We meet John Connor as the voice and moral authority of those fighting against the machines. At the climax of the movie, the larger Resistance leadership argues to strike a death blow against Skynet when Skynet’s defenses are down. John refuses to do so because such an attack would result in the deaths of masses of human prisoners trapped inside Skynet’s fortress city. John argues that if the Resistance fights with the same cold calculation as the machines– they are no better than machines.

Power of Conscience characters are most deeply concerned about rightness, fairness and the higher duty involved in anything they do. Although he wants desperately to end the war, John is not willing to do so at the expense of what he believes is mankind’s higher value of respecting human life. No one is expendable. All human life is precious. He tells those under his command to stand down. They respect John’s moral vision and choose to obey.

Power of Conscience characters believe they are their brother’s keeper. They feel responsible for the greater good and for doing good. These characters wrestle with how far they should go in seeking justice and fairness for others or in standing up against evil. They worry about and struggle with what is the higher duty and what exactly is required of them in response.

Yes, the slick production values and special effects wizardry are important to the film’s success, but the new envisioning of the story ultimately succeeds because the characters are so true to the original. The creative team took the established Character Type of each well-loved individual and then wrote a younger version of the type.  For example:

James T. Kirk is a quintessential Power of Idealism character. This Character Type is the angry rebellious young man or the passionate idiosyncratic young woman in a Coming of Age Story. Star Trek is fundamentally a Coming of Age story. Although it features a strong ensemble cast, it is primarily the story of how Kirk becomes Captain of the Enterprise and assembles his famous crew.

Power of Idealism Coming of Age stories are about the struggle to grow up, distinguish one’s self as an extraordinary individual and find a place in a world where, at the beginning, the young person just doesn’t seem to fit.

We first meet young Kirk in an act of rebellion. He is a pre-teen speed demon racing down an Iowa road. Kirk grows up to be an intelligent, rebellious and somewhat cynical, young man. He is out of place in the flat Iowa landscape and hangs out at a bar near the Starfleet Academy.

When Kirk takes on a group of young Starfleet Cadets in a bar fight over a girl (Uhura), Captain Christopher Pike recognizes him as the son of an old friend. He challenges Kirk to do something “special and extraordinary” with his life. Kirk, as a Power of Idealism character, cannot help but rise to challenge of a higher calling.

Kirk is determined to distinguish himself in the Academy by beating a test Spock devises. After Captain Pike tells Kirk he could be a Captain in 4 years, Kirk responds to in typical Power of Idealism fashion:

Kirk: I’ll do it in three.

In fact, he earns his Captain’s Chair in the space of a single mission. He cements his place as a legend in the Federation and begins his extraordinary mission to “go where no one has gone before.”

The Power of Idealism eBook describes in-depth how these Character Types are defined in their youth and the book specifically describes and quotes at length how James T. Kirk is defined as an adult in the television series.

Young Spock is a spot on Power of Reason character. These characters play the role of the expert, the technician, the problem-solver, the diagnostician or the analyst in a story. They dominate a story situation by force of their special expertise, independent thinking, superior knowledge, keen analysis and cool self-sufficient self-containment. They are inherently socially awkward, aloof, shy or superior. They dislike or disdain what they would term excessive emotion.

The following exchange with Bones demonstrates Spock’s character:

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy: Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Are you making a logical choice, sending Kirk away? Probably. But, the right one? You know, back home we have a saying: “If you wanna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don’t leave your prized stallion in the stable.”

Spock: A curious metaphor, doctor, as a stallion must first be broken before it can reach its potential.

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy: My God, man, you could at least ‘act’ like it was a hard decision…

Spock: I intend to assist in the effort to reestablish communication with Starfleet. However, if crew morale is better served by my roaming the halls weeping, I will gladly defer to your medical expertise. Excuse me.

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy: (as Spock leaves) Green-blooded hobgoblin.

The Power of Reason eBook describes in-depth how these Character Types are defined in their youth and the book specifically describes and quotes Spock as an adult in the television series.

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy is a Power of Truth character. These characters believe danger and disaster potentially lurk everywhere. They wary and skeptical. They are often the voice of potential doom and gloom. This exchange with Kirk demonstrates Bones’ character and his view of the world.

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy: One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait till you’re sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you’re so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.

Kirk: Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space.

Leonard ‘Bones’ McCoy: Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones.

The Power of Truth eBook describes in-depth how these Character Types are defined in their youth and as an adult.

The clarity and consistency of the characters are what make this summer’s Star Trek such an enjoyable voyage. A final thought– “Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character.” Ralph Waldo Emerson