TWOK Phasers: Visceral... and Rare?

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies I-X' started by austen_pierce, Dec 28, 2013.

  1. Shat Happens

    Shat Happens Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Sorry for not reading all the posts above, but I have this to say about phasers:

    1- there was a phaser shot in IV. Kirk soldered a dook knob with a phaser. Chekov broke his and it was funny. Poor stupid Chekov.

    2- In a certain episode of TOS, Scotty uses a phaser as a blowtorch to cut a wall and unlock a door. in TOS-remastered, they put a visible beam there. That was the most unnecessary thing I ever saw in the world of film and remasters. I hate that.
     
  2. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    It really pissed me off that they did that! :scream:
     
  3. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    Marc Cushman claims the effect was left out due to the rush to get the episode to air. I suspect that's just speculation on his part, though.

    In any event, the Blu-Rays have both versions, and as far as changes go, adding a beam to Scotty's phaser doesn't bother me all that much. The phasers have beams in every other case (well, unless they obviously forgot to put them in; see McCoy just standing there with a phaser drawn in "Return of the Archons" while Spock and Kirk do all the shooting).
     
  4. Robert Comsol

    Robert Comsol Commodore Commodore

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    I could believe that. What actually irks me more is the fact that Scotty shows Kirk the exact position where he needs to cut through the door mechanism of the Engineering Control Room.

    But when he actually starts it's right below the room sign. :rolleyes:

    It's interesting that in "Way to Eden" (same procedure) they posted the camera in an angle which made it difficult or impossible to see whether the beam was invisible or simply not visible: http://tos.trekcore.com/hd/albums/3x20hd/thewaytoedenhd1194.jpg ;)

    Bob
     
  5. Shat Happens

    Shat Happens Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Apparently only Chekov knows how to fire the Enterprise's torpedoes.

    Or he, being a moron, forgot the keys to that little door with the firing button in his pocket when he left for Reliant between I and II.
     
  6. anh165

    anh165 Commander Red Shirt

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    There are 2 valid reasons about not firing torpedoes in that situation.

    1 - Not a good idea to fire them at close range when your shields are down!

    2 - If the torpedoes hit the reliant and did not bring down her warp drive and ability to fire, then any retaliation from the Reliant would mean destruction of the Enterprise. With the Phasers, Kirk was able to take down the key systems that would not allow the Reliant to hit back.
     
  7. Robert Comsol

    Robert Comsol Commodore Commodore

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    ^^ Good points. It would almost seem that a photon torpedo is a good choice of weapon when you want to hit something and have a large area of damage opposite to a precision slicing phaser beam.

    With the torpedo bay gunners disabled or killed Chekov aimed for Reliant's hard-to-miss weapons' pod but destroying the port warp nacelle required precision firing, hence phasers?

    Bob
     
  8. Shat Happens

    Shat Happens Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    ^^ I seem to recall, the Enterprise shot Reliant's nacelle with both weapons.
     
  9. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Yep.
     
  10. trevanian

    trevanian Rear Admiral

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    Would be true in TOS series era, but in the movies, the torps sometimes seem little more powerful than a cannonball. The ones in SFS are fired at extremely close range and there's still no blowback on the party doing the shooting (and the shields are down throughout.)
     
  11. austen_pierce

    austen_pierce Captain Captain

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    I've always wondered why they felt the need to torpedo that nacelle (other than to look freaking awesome!!!). The phasers fried the nacelle... it's useless. Given that torpedoes are in limited supply, why not hit an undamaged section of the ship... heck maybe sever the OTHER nacelle to show you mean business. Of course then we wouldn't get the subsequent equally awesome footage of Reliant listing starboard.
     
  12. LMFAOschwarz

    LMFAOschwarz Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Yeah...that, and the burning steel wool sparkly effects from the damage. Good stuff!
     
  13. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Maybe the torpedo was just "fired" at Reliant and just happened to hit the Nacelle?

    It's pretty much the way naval torpedoes work - give them a bearing and fire them and they run in the direction of the target with little differentiation between amidships or the propellers for example.
     
  14. Richard Baker

    Richard Baker Commodore Commodore

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    The steerable target seeking Torpedos were apparently not issued until ST6
     
  15. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    And then only because it was modified.
     
  16. DonIago

    DonIago Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Or the torpedo guidance systems were damaged at some point and/or compromised by virtue of being in the nebula at the time.
     
  17. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

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    If Khan had defeated the Enterprise in battle, Khan then would have a repairable, warp capable ship and genesis.

    By depriving the Reliant of one of her engines, Kirk could have marooned Khan in that area, he'd only have sublight speeds. Kirk in torpedoing that engine was looking at his fall back position.

    That's assuming Reliant needed both engines to achieve warp.

    :)
     
  18. Shat Happens

    Shat Happens Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Boy, would Khan be pissed
     
  19. Marc

    Marc Fleet Admiral Premium Member

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    Very much doubt the damage done to the Nacelle by the phaser shot could have been repaired by Khan and his crew without access to starbase or similar.

    The damage to the field coils would have been catastrophic an irreparable.
     
  20. austen_pierce

    austen_pierce Captain Captain

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    Agreed. The phaser shot gut-fried that nacelle. IMO the torpedo should have severed the other one.

    But don't get me wrong... I LOVE this scene.