Coolest Spock combat ever in STID

[foxmulder710]

I was going back through my personal written review of the film and remembered how freaking awesome two very specific and unique instances of Spock's engaging in combat with Khan were, both in the final sequence of the film where they're above San Francisco:

(1) Spock uses a Vulcan neck-pinch on Khan, and you can SEE that Khan is visibly affected by the attack but also resisting it.

(2) This is my favorite: in a move that I think is entirely and elegantly unique to the way nuSpock has taken a more integrative and permissive approach to his own relationship to his emotions (whereas original Spock was more repressive and avoidant), Spock, feeling extreme pain and sadness from the death of his friend Kirk, uses a MIND MELD to communicate that sadness and pain to Khan. What a brilliant and novel move. To use a MIND MELD as an attack.

I mean, as tactics neither of these was ultimately as effective as ganging up on him with Uhura and hitting him with a metal piece of machinery, but the IDEA of using a mind meld was freaking cool.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I loved Spock's dirty fighting in ID. Using a meld in a fist fight was genius.

I also love the mirror between Spock wailing on a helpless Khan (before Uhura stopped him) and young Spock wailing on the bully in ST'09. And Spock brutally snapping Khan's arm, calling back to Khan's comment in the brig - "You can't even break a rule, how would you be expected to break bone?"

I wonder though, when Spock jumped after Khan between the two garbage trucks, did he crunch the numbers and weigh the odds or was it just rage driving him and luck that he made it?

 

[Melakon]

We always heard about how savage Vulcans were before centering on logic over emotion, and the scene gives a good idea of what the dark ages must have been like.

 

[BillJ]

I still get slightly depressed just at the concept of Vulcan bullies. Then I remember it's fiction.

Gotta pin that one on D.C. Fontana!

 

[Cyke101]

I still get slightly depressed just at the concept of Vulcan bullies. Then I remember it's fiction.

Gotta pin that one on D.C. Fontana!

We know this much for sure, though: a non-Vulcan team has very good odds of getting in at least one run against a team of Vulcan bullies in baseball

 

[xavier]

I liked it as well. the fight scene was great despite some fans criticism that spock uses his brawns and not his brains to take down Khan.

 

[Cyke101]

I liked it as well. the fight scene was great despite dome fans criticism that spock uses his brawns and not his brains to take down Khan.

Well, one would argue that breaking the arm that keeps punching you would be a logical move (though I flinched nonetheless and still refuse to watch that part of the movie. I'm sensitive like that).

Contrary to belief, real fighting isn't like in most movies. Boxing and other combat sports have rules with a referree, so it's not like just a series of hits. Effective martial arts usually involves grappling and disabling the opponent. The fighter who can pin down and tie up the other fighter has a better chance at winning than the fighter who simply punches.

 

[austen_pierce]

I liked it as well. the fight scene was great despite dome fans criticism that spock uses his brawns and not his brains to take down Khan.

Well, in fairness, Spock used his brains to take down Vengeance.

Consider the odds. Ship of the line commanded by first officer against radically advanced prototype commanded by prototype augment human. No way Enterprise wins. But she does, thanks to Spock.

 

[Kevman7987]

I did get excited when "Enforcer Spock" showed up to kick-ass and chew space-bubblegum, and was fresh out of space-bubblegum...

 

[austen_pierce]

Khan's resistance to Spock's neck pinch is a great 'irresistible force meets immovable object' moment. One of those things I didn't know I wanted to see until I saw it.

"No, No, you dummy, you're doing it wrong, that's much too high. You've gotta do it down low, where the shoulder meets the neck." - Spaceballs

 

[Spockkirk]

I think that pure rage and grief is what drove Spock to go after Khan. If that had been me in Spock's place I would've done the same!

 

[xavier]

I think that pure rage and grief is what drove Spock to go after Khan. If that had been me in Spock's place I would've done the same!

No I do not think it was pure rage or grief, considering how spock did not show pure rage or grief over vulcan, 6 billions vilcans dying and his mum dying as well.

JJ wanted another action fight with little story. that was why spock went after khan. when Spock screamed the now infamous and quite awful Khannnnnnnnnnnnnnn, I knew what was coming. fight...fight...fight.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

I think that pure rage and grief is what drove Spock to go after Khan. If that had been me in Spock's place I would've done the same!

No I do not think it was pure rage or grief, considering how spock did not show pure rage or grief over vulcan, 6 billions vilcans dying and his mum dying as well.

JJ wanted another action fight with little story. that was why spock went after khan. when Spock screamed the now infamous and quite awful Khannnnnnnnnnnnnnn, I knew what was coming. fight...fight...fight.

I think the way nuSpock reacted to nuKirk's apparent death was over the top. He wasn't nearly affected as bad by the death of nearly his entire race! He didn't know Kirk for all that long. It is just a plagiarism of Kirk's reaction in the Wrath of Khan and it is just plain wrong!

 

[F. King Daniel]

No I do not think it was pure rage or grief, considering how spock did not show pure rage or grief over vulcan, 6 billions vilcans dying and his mum dying as well.

"I feel anger for the one who took Mother's life. An anger I cannot control."

He didn't know Kirk for all
that long. It is just a plagiarism of Kirk's reaction in the Wrath of Khan and it is just plain wrong!

When you care for someone, it doesn't matter if you've known them one year or 15. When they die horribly in front of you (and this coming just one year after losing his mother and his world, and one day after losing Pike), you're gonna be upset.

 

[xavier]

I think that pure rage and grief is what drove Spock to go after Khan. If that had been me in Spock's place I would've done the same!

No I do not think it was pure rage or grief, considering how spock did not show pure rage or grief over vulcan, 6 billions vilcans dying and his mum dying as well.

JJ wanted another action fight with little story. that was why spock went after khan. when Spock screamed the now infamous and quite awful Khannnnnnnnnnnnnnn, I knew what was coming. fight...fight...fight.

I think the way nuSpock reacted to nuKirk's apparent death was over the top. He wasn't nearly affected as bad by the death of nearly his entire race! He didn't know Kirk for all that long. It is just a plagiarism of Kirk's reaction in the Wrath of Khan and it is just plain wrong!

Only thing is TOS Kirk acted a lot more cool and mature over spock's death in WOK. In fact TOS Kirk acted more vulcan than AOS Spock in Wrath of Khan.

 

[beamMe]

Only thing is TOS Kirk acted a lot more cool and mature over spock's death in WOK. In fact TOS Kirk acted more vulcan than AOS Spock in Wrath of Khan.

Kirk acted neither cool nor Vulcan. He had an understandable emotional breakdown.
Also he was a lot older.

But look at Kirk's reactions in Star Trek III: David's death pushes him to the edge; he destroys the Enterprise, and - not unlike nuSpock - beats the living shit out of Kruge.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Only thing is TOS Kirk acted a lot more cool and mature over spock's death in WOK. In fact TOS Kirk acted more vulcan than AOS Spock in Wrath of Khan.

Kirk acted neither cool nor Vulcan. He had an understandable emotional breakdown.
Also he was a lot older.

But look at Kirk's reactions in Star Trek III: David's death pushes him to the edge; he destroys the Enterprise, and - not unlike nuSpock - beats the living shit out of Kruge.

He also immediately kills the Klingon who killed David. No stun, no call for surrender, he sends him flying with a phaser blast.

 

[beamMe]

Only thing is TOS Kirk acted a lot more cool and mature over spock's death in WOK. In fact TOS Kirk acted more vulcan than AOS Spock in Wrath of Khan.

Kirk acted neither cool nor Vulcan. He had an understandable emotional breakdown.
Also he was a lot older.

But look at Kirk's reactions in Star Trek III: David's death pushes him to the edge; he destroys the Enterprise, and - not unlike nuSpock - beats the living shit out of Kruge.

He also immediately kills the Klingon who killed David. No stun, no call for surrender, he sends him flying with a phaser blast.

Well, that smug son of queen bitch whore had it coming.

 

[Kobayshi Maru]

No I do not think it was pure rage or grief, considering how spock did not show pure rage or grief over vulcan, 6 billions vilcans dying and his mum dying as well.

"I feel anger for the one who took Mother's life. An anger I cannot control."

He didn't know Kirk for all
that long. It is just a plagiarism of Kirk's reaction in the Wrath of Khan and it is just plain wrong!

When you care for someone, it doesn't matter if you've known them one year or 15. When they die horribly in front of you (and this coming just one year after losing his mother and his world, and one day after losing Pike), you're gonna be upset.

I am sorry but I just don't buy it. Spock lost nearly his entire race plus his mother and yet he recovered pretty fast. Here he loses someone he's known for a little over one year, that he even didn't like for part of it. Plus he's a Vulcan for God's sake! That cry was just too much!

 

[F. King Daniel]

I am sorry but I just don't buy it. Spock lost nearly his entire race plus his mother and yet he recovered pretty fast. Here he loses someone he's known for a little over one year, that he even didn't like for part of it. Plus he's a Vulcan for God's sake! That cry was just too much!

Spock never recovered from losing his world and mother. Thinking he got over it is totally misunderstanding his story arc. Listen to what he says on the trip to Kronos and you'll see.

Remember, Vulcans are taught to act unemotionally. They all feel. And the reason they act unemotionally is because beforehand, they very nearly destroyed themselves in nuclear wars. Even Tuvok, the "straightest" regular Vulcan character in Trek, refused to repress his emotions during his childhood and he lost his temper in "Random Thoughts"

All that said, Spock yelling "Khaaaaan!" was cheesy. I'd have preferred a smouldering fury, and the scream as a challenge once he beamed down to San Francisco and laid eyes on Khan.