William Shatner Apologizes For Star Trek V
- Thread starter Philip Guyott
- Start date
It's not.... in fact, the most whole-hearted apology 
(and indeed is based on a claim that if he'd have been given more money we'd have a better movie, which maybe true but maybe also false, but in either case is still basically Shatner "passing the buck" onto other people/factors 
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(and indeed is based on a claim that if he'd have been given more money we'd have a better movie, which maybe true but maybe also false, but in either case is still basically Shatner "passing the buck" onto other people/factors )
That was an apology? He blamed other people for the films problems, not the script, and then apologized for us not getting those Godawful rock monsters we all acknowledge was a terrible, horrible, no good rotten idea? He's hopped up on Shatballs!
If everything else had been right the sub-standard f/x wouldn't have stood out so much.
A lot of what was wrong with TFF was in the script. I actually don't mind the basic story idea, but I can think of a number of things that could/should have been changed.
TOS covered a lot of ground in 79 episodes so it would be a challenge to not reuse an idea. TFF is somewhat similar to "The Way To Eden" except TWTE was a more tightly told story, and without the ridiculous forced humour.
A lot of what was wrong with TFF was in the script. I actually don't mind the basic story idea, but I can think of a number of things that could/should have been changed.
TOS covered a lot of ground in 79 episodes so it would be a challenge to not reuse an idea. TFF is somewhat similar to "The Way To Eden" except TWTE was a more tightly told story, and without the ridiculous forced humour.
This is probably the closest we are ever going to get to a real apology from Shatner about anything, so I'm prepared to accept it.
Besides, from the general thrust of the gist, Shatner was actually a pretty good director on the set. His costars all said that being directed by him was much easier than being his costar. Even the ones who normally hate him (like Takei) praised his work in the director's chair, they said he was a total professional at all times and treated all his actors with respect, even going out of his way to give all of them a decent amount of screen time.
I can't remember which one of the actors said this, but it was generally agreed that when Shatner was unquestionably in charge - as director - there was no baggage, he had nothing to prove, so that's why he was a better director than a costar.
Besides, from the general thrust of the gist, Shatner was actually a pretty good director on the set. His costars all said that being directed by him was much easier than being his costar. Even the ones who normally hate him (like Takei) praised his work in the director's chair, they said he was a total professional at all times and treated all his actors with respect, even going out of his way to give all of them a decent amount of screen time.
I can't remember which one of the actors said this, but it was generally agreed that when Shatner was unquestionably in charge - as director - there was no baggage, he had nothing to prove, so that's why he was a better director than a costar.
The ship as lemon idea always pissed me off and it was totally pointless. That and the opening scenes of the crew on leave with Shatner showing off how macho Kirk supposedly is was wasted screen time.
Start the film with them "out there" on a mission again like what we have been hoping for since the end of TMP.
Jettison the forced humour. Also forget about the Uhura/Scotty thing.
Rethink the time frame so things fit together better. Make the events happen two or three years or so after TVH. That also makes it easier to swallow the Nimbus III idea. The Enterprise being disaptched to get to Nimbus II before the Klingons also works better.
Hire some damned extras so the ship doesn't look practically empty. We're not doing Season 3 TOS anymore.
Contract a better f/x house for the f/x work.
Go over the script again!!! Tighten it up. I don't care if your film runs only ninety minutes--thats better than two hours of padded by extraneous footage.
The Klingon angle could have been completely rethought. How about they manage to have John Colicos or Michael Ansara return to reprise their role? Kor or Kang is the one representing the Klingon response to what is happening on Nimbus III. Kor (or Kang) thinks the Enterprise has abducted their Ambassador--not knowing it is Sybok's doing--and they chase the Enterprise all the way to Sha-ka-ree (or whatever the hell it's called).
Forget the galactic barrier nonsense (that at least fans know is at the galaxy edge). Just put the planet in an unknown and supposedly hostile area of space, like maybe in the Romulan or Gorn (or somebody's) backyard.
Start the film with them "out there" on a mission again like what we have been hoping for since the end of TMP.
Jettison the forced humour. Also forget about the Uhura/Scotty thing.
Rethink the time frame so things fit together better. Make the events happen two or three years or so after TVH. That also makes it easier to swallow the Nimbus III idea. The Enterprise being disaptched to get to Nimbus II before the Klingons also works better.
Hire some damned extras so the ship doesn't look practically empty. We're not doing Season 3 TOS anymore.
Contract a better f/x house for the f/x work.
Go over the script again!!! Tighten it up. I don't care if your film runs only ninety minutes--thats better than two hours of padded by extraneous footage.
The Klingon angle could have been completely rethought. How about they manage to have John Colicos or Michael Ansara return to reprise their role? Kor or Kang is the one representing the Klingon response to what is happening on Nimbus III. Kor (or Kang) thinks the Enterprise has abducted their Ambassador--not knowing it is Sybok's doing--and they chase the Enterprise all the way to Sha-ka-ree (or whatever the hell it's called).
Forget the galactic barrier nonsense (that at least fans know is at the galaxy edge). Just put the planet in an unknown and supposedly hostile area of space, like maybe in the Romulan or Gorn (or somebody's) backyard.
Well at least it was a better film than the Motion Picture 
"I don’t agree that Paramount short-changed the movie. They didn’t give [Shatner] as much money for the story that he wanted to tell, but remember Star Trek II was done for $12 Million, and III was done for just under $16 Million, and IV came in a million under budget at $21 Million – I have a letter at home from the president of the studio that shows that. And I think we did the fifth movie at around or just under $30 Million, so it was more. But what he wanted to do was a big grander thing. But I don’t think more money would have made the movie better."
Oh wait, wrong picture, you mean this:
Ralph Winter, the producer of Star Trek V, has responded previously to Shatner’s claims that the film would have been better if Paramount had given them more money:It's not.... in fact, the most whole-hearted apology
"I don’t agree that Paramount short-changed the movie. They didn’t give [Shatner] as much money for the story that he wanted to tell, but remember Star Trek II was done for $12 Million, and III was done for just under $16 Million, and IV came in a million under budget at $21 Million – I have a letter at home from the president of the studio that shows that. And I think we did the fifth movie at around or just under $30 Million, so it was more. But what he wanted to do was a big grander thing. But I don’t think more money would have made the movie better."
I love the rock monster concept for in Star Trek V:
Oh wait, wrong picture, you mean this:
Classic bullshat from Shat.
No no no, rock monsters are supposed to look like this! 
That's not an apology. The film stank not for a lack of FX but because of a bad script. I don't see how allocating more money to that dud would have made it any more palatable.
What if they'd gotten their original choice for Sybok - Sean Connery?
It would still be the same script, wouldn't it?
Actually I think it was pig vagina
See the video at the bottom of this page: Link
No no no, rock monsters are supposed to look like this!
^ I have that video, and it's hilarious 
Seems to have worked for the Transformers series? Well, maybe not "palatable", but people sure paid a lot of money to see them...
As is TFF, I still would have loved Sean Connery as Sybok instead.
This film is bashed a bit too much IMO because it is a frustrating film for this reason I think: Shatners directing and acting goes from the sublime to the ridiculous and back again. Shatner's best and his worst shares this one film. Shatner delivers incredible performances in the Observation deck scenes and uses his rapport with his friends superbly but then we get idiotic scenes where he ultimately loses a phaser battle with some goofballs with rocks and Spock does the Vulcan neck pinch with a horse. I'm not sure there's an excuse for that kinda a messin' around.
The script is quite dog-eared but it isn't the fundamental issue at hand and it could be salvaged and tidied up. In fact, I rather liked the way they went a little off the reservation with this film and some of the acting is genuinely on par with anything we get with these films. .
He doesn't need to apolgise for the problems, this was a long time ago and, well. Shat Happens as they say, eh?
The script is quite dog-eared but it isn't the fundamental issue at hand and it could be salvaged and tidied up. In fact, I rather liked the way they went a little off the reservation with this film and some of the acting is genuinely on par with anything we get with these films. .
He doesn't need to apolgise for the problems, this was a long time ago and, well. Shat Happens as they say, eh?
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