ST VI: The Undiscovered Country

[Mr. Atoz]

I saw "The Undiscovered Country" when it first came out and I disliked it immediately. I disliked it so much, I have not watched it again until just this past week. It is not so much the plot itself. I can put up with a few mistakes, inconsistencies of science, or of logic, or of characterization. Each of the movies has two or three. But "The Undiscovered Country" is packed with them from start to finish! I mean literally from the very first scene to the very final scene! I had intended to draw up a list for further discussion, but after just the first half hour, I got tired of writing and gave up on it! So for the purpose of this topic, I will address what I feel is the most egregious mistake, the one that completely ruined the movie for me.

Sometimes a regulation or an order from a commanding officer is misguided, and the proper thing to do might be to disregard it. We have seen it happen on Star Trek from time to time. But situations like that are extremely RARE, and NEVER undertaken without the most CAREFUL consideration. But in this movie I counted at least TEN times when they casually without even a thought disregarded Starfleet regulations or direct orders from Starfleet! I am sorry, but that is completely unacceptable, and inconsistent with the characters as I know them.

1. using impulse drive in the space dock
2. when Valeris reminded Kirk of the regulation, she was reprimanded and ordered to comply
3. Serving Romulan ale at a diplomatic function
4. failing to return to Starbase, falsely reporting failure of the warp drive
5. crossing into Klingon space without authorization
6. breaking Kirk and McCoy out of prison, in direct violation of both Starfleet orders AND interplanetary due process
7. Sulu leaving his patrol station to help Kirk, who had been illegally broken out of prison
8. Sulu failing to arrest Kirk, or even report his presence
9. ignoring Starfleet order to return to spacedock for decommissioning
10. when Spock said "go to hell", he was guilty of Mutiny and Incitement to Mutiny.

So.... would anyone care to explain why our heroes aren't in a penal colony somewhere? Assuming that this movie really happened of course. I would just as soon assume it was another alternate universe.

[Thallassa]

I never liked this movie much, either. They actually disobeyed orders TEN times? You know I was even a little bit nervous in Wrath of Khan when McCoy gave Kirk a bottle of Romulan Ale. They both always struck me as the type who followed regulations to the letter. But I shrugged it off.

[Niemz]

I liked it bettter than TNG...

[Mr. Atoz]

Jun 8, 2011 11:47:40 GMT -6 Thallassa said:

I never liked this movie much, either. They actually disobeyed orders TEN times? You know I was even a little bit nervous in Wrath of Khan when McCoy gave Kirk a bottle of Romulan Ale. They both always struck me as the type who followed regulations to the letter. But I shrugged it off.

That's just what I mean. I didn't like the scene you mention either, but I can shrug and accept it. When they keep on ignoring regulations, it spoils the movie for me. And what about moving at impulse speed in spacedock?

[Mr. Atoz]

Jun 8, 2011 17:43:50 GMT -6 Niemz said:

I liked it bettter than TNG...

Do you mean the series or the movies about the series? A person on one of my other forums claims that all the TNG movies stank (but then she wouldn't bother to talk to us about why she thought they were so bad...). I personally like them.

[Niemz]

I meant the movies, but I guess you could say I like TOS universe better as a whole. TOS was more about exploring strange new frontiers and often hostile races. I felt tha TNG was more about the political aspect of keeping the peace and making everyone feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

[Thallassa]

TNG was about that too! The thing is it ran for longer, seven seasons, so quite a few stories especially from say season four onwards centered purely on the relationships between characters.

Another thing about the Undiscovered country -- why is Valeris called "Lieutenent" when she clearly has Commander's bars on her uniform?

[Mr. Atoz]

I didn't notice that, but it wouldn't surprise me.

[Thallassa]

On a positive note, Christopher Plummer was in it, and he has always been one of my favorite actors.

[Mr. Atoz]

Well yes there is that. Too bad they gave him such terrible dialogue. I'm still trying to figure out some scenario whereby a sane individual could actually believe that Shakespeare was a Klingon!

[Niemz]

I think that was the Klingon attempt at humor.