They probably didn't want to force Sulu to break orders if they could help it. Still the scene where they had to use the Klingon dictionaries didn't make sense, just because they couldn't use the universal translator doesn't mean they couldn't have had the ship just translate the text for them. Also why would they have paper copies of the Klingon dictionary on board, wouldn't it just be electronic? Even so I did enjoy the scene.
I'm just curious, but what's some of the bad logic in TUC? I never really hear much about that in this movie.
There's a whole chapter in the "Nitpicker's Guide". Also check out IMDb: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102975/trivia?tab=gf
Chekov, head of security in The Motion Picture... doesn't know that shooting phasers on a starship will set off the alarm! Bang!
Well, he had bugs crawling around his brain and a massive sub cranial hemorrhage. I think I'll let it slide.
During the Cold War? Probably a few aboard every major ship. If the Federation/Starfleet had enough information on the Klingons to compile translation dictionaries, there should have been personnel aboard the Enterprise who spoke the language. They departed Earth on a diplomatic mission that would meet the Klingons, inspite of the presence of the UT, there should have been a Klingon cultural expert on board who spoke the main Klingon language. And as others have noted, if there were no one aboard who spoke Klingon, the UT could have give a display of the incoming transmission from the Klingons, and provided (again a display) the proper response, plus a correct pronunciation in Uhura little blue-tooth.
TUC is a fun movie. An entertaining movie. And enjoyable movie. And it holds up a lot better if you try not to think too much about it.
...Whereas, say, ST:TMP just holds up a lot better if you try not to think too much about it. Timo Saloniemi
Which is funny because, for all it's flaws, TMP is one of those films that I think holds up better if you put some thought into it. If you just approach it from the mindless entertainment perspective, it can be rather slow and dull. But if you actually think about what's happening and what it is saying, it can become a lot more interesting. IMHO.
Right. The mind meld was used initially to find out who the conspirators are. It was only after they learnt that Valeris didn't know the location that they called Sulu. There'd have been no point asking him about the conspirators as, unless he was part of the conspiracy himself, he wouldn't know anything about it.
It's something of a mystery why even Valeris knew about the conspirators. What was her all-important need to know? She would have been amply motivated if Cartwright told her that firing at Gorkon's ship was for the greater good of the UFP. Cartwright might further tell her that Chang was in on it and helping to assassinate Gorkon (but that Cartwright would eventually backstab this despicable enemy, so no worries). But what would be the point of telling Valeris that the Romulans were involved? I guess it's just a bit too weird for my tastes that an operative very high in the ranks of the conspirators would be sent to Kirk's ship where she could get captured, either by Kirk or (more worryingly) by the Klingons. Goons like Burke and Samno, yes. Their handler, yes. But why would the handler need to be so knowledgeable? Perhaps Cartwright just wanted to limit the number of middlemen... Timo Saloniemi
Kirk likely didn't think to contact Sulu because he had no idea that Sulu had been in touch with the Enterprise while he and McCoy were imprisoned. He likely hadn't time to check the logs; things were moving pretty fast. As for Valeris being so knowledgable -- perhaps she wasn't. Perhaps there were many other conspirators whose names were never revealed. What's-his-name the Romulan (played by Malachi Throne when Spock crossed over to TNG) may have had an idea of it, and he was at Khitomer (according to TNG). Then there was the crew of Chang's ship, too; Valeris never named them. So maybe Valeris was just in the highly-placed Federation/Starfleet group.
The problem I have is that Valeris knows about the Romulan involvement at all, regardless of the exact names or faces. The Romulans appeared to be playing the two sides against the middle, but that wouldn't work too well if both of the sides knew about their involvement! Then again, if the Feds already knowingly cooperate with Klingons in hopes of defeating the Klingons in the endgame, and vice versa, both sides might also accept that they are currently being played by the Romulans but will triumph in the end because of their moral superiority or warrior fierceness or whatnot. Timo Saloniemi