Try to wrap your head around this logic, Tom Hanks is putting the blame on Star Trek for confusing people when it comes to proper naval strategy as it’s portrayed on screen. Granted, in a lot of movies detailing Navy strategy it’s been tough for filmmakers to show everything they want to show, largely due to limitations that come from the setting and the style of filming. But really, where does Star Trek factor into all of this? From Hanks’ line of reasoning, it has to do with the idea that any large-scale Navy strategy that’s been seen has come from Star Trek, which allows for some logic but not nearly as much as the actor appears to think. Maybe he’s using a bit of logic that some of us can’t really see for one reason or another, but at this point, it sounds as though he’s reaching in a way that really doesn’t make a lot of sense. On top of that it sounds more like he’s trying to vent after his own movie, Greyhound, went to streaming instead of to the big screen as he wanted. Does anyone hear a violin playing in the distance? No? Me neither, since to be realistic it’s a wonder what Tom was expecting given that the coronavirus, y’know, the same virus that he and his wife actually caught, isn’t gone yet and theaters aren’t a safe place yet. It was likely possible to allow the movie to head for the drive-in theaters, but it didn’t happen apparently, and now Tom’s ‘disappointment’ is manifesting in a couple of ways that some might argue have nothing to do with each other, which is ironic since neither does the basis for this article.
If anyone’s keeping count, Tom has also gone on social media to actively call out people that aren’t wearing masks during the pandemic as well, and yes, this was following the release of his movie. At this point, it does feel that Mr. Hanks is venting more than anything and he’s bound to say what he wants when it comes to getting it all out of his system. But blaming Star Trek for the poor representation of Naval strategy in movies is kind of a reach since there have been plenty of movies both good and bad throughout the years that could be said to employ strategies at sea and have been able to get some things right and then botch others. Why in the world would he make such a leap to Star Trek? Was it the first thing he thought of? In a big way it almost feels as though this is what came to mind when he was talking and he just ran with it, since otherwise comparing Star Trek to movies such as Saving Private Ryan and Run Silent, Run Deep is a little ridiculous to listen to, not simply because comparing the movies is a bit odd, but largely because their different strategies are based upon very different circumstances, not to mention enemies.
Plus, going on to riff on older movies and how ‘primitive’ they are when it comes to showing such scenes is enough to make a person shake their head. Tom, you’re describing movies that took place before special effects really took off, when set pieces didn’t have the mobility and versatility they have now, and when acting was actually the most important part of a movie. Back then people had to really act to make things happen and to get people on board with the whole idea of the movie. They didn’t have the added bonuses of a setting that looks realistic, or a band of costars that could make them look good because they were every bit as talented. It’s hard to really rag on someone like Tom Hanks, but as the years go by it’s starting to get easier, if only because like so many other actors he’s starting to say things now and then that are easy to dissect and disagree with in a number of ways. Realistically he’s always been this way, but he’s been easier to take when he speaks possibly because he’s never gone quite this far. If he has then it’s been forgiven time and again, but this time it’s a bit ludicrous since trying to say that Star Trek is responsible for something that it had little to nothing to do with is either a humongous reach in logic or someone that’s venting because they didn’t get their way. That last statement is a bit of a reach as well but in terms of just far it’s not quite as hard to believe as Tom Hanks’ theory on why Star Trek is responsible for people being misled when it comes to strategic moves on the high seas.
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