Do you wish TNG had been better with the action scenes?

[Jayson1]

I'm not talking about change the general tone of the show or characters. The spirit of the show would be the same. Do you wish though when the crew got into a fight with aliens if would have been more compelling with the fights better staged and the spaceship battles a little bit more than two ships just standing still shooting weapons at each other?

I kind of wish the show had delivered better in this department. Relied to much on technobabble for "action." and it was a poor substitute. At the same time I wouldn't want the show to be a dumbed down action show either. Like I said the show would still have same tone and everything.


Jason

 

[Kilana2]

Not really. You can have tons of action scenes in the Kelvin movies. That's why I never got into them. DS9 did better with battle scenes, but they were never overused. TNG had unfortunately dumb episodes in the first two seasons, but improved over time.

 

[at Quark's]

Not for me, TNG was more of a cerebral than an action series in my book. At best, better action scenes would have been a nice added bonus, but no more than that. As long as the action series aren't as bad as to stick out like a sore thumb, it never would bother me... but that's probably just my set of preferences. Also, I think it was part of the 'message' of TNG: brains over brawl. Fight if it cannot be avoided, but even then look for the smartest ('technobabble') solution instead of punching your way through. (That's not to say there wasn't any 'bad' technobabble, a lot of times it was used to create the illusion of cleverness without any actually being shown, of course ).

(Also, I'm not implying good action scenes are never important for a series. I just think TNG was the kind of series that wouldn't have drawn that much benefit from it).

 

[Elephant999]

I think TNG had the right balance between their normal missions and action scenes. Although I know it was meant to be more cerebral than TOS, my only slight gripe was the overuse of the observation lounge and discussions about tackling an issue, which often became lengthy debates. However, that was the pacing of programmes in the 80’s so is to be expected. I don’t feel cheated by not enough action.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

They didn't necessarily need expensive special effects but they could have choreographed the fight scenes better. Besides a few of the bat'leth scenes, most of the fight scenes were choreographed poorly.

 

[Sareesataka]

I think TNG did a good enough job with the action. Sure, it might have been more entertaining if it had more action, but it had the virtue of always leaving the audience wanting a little more rather than going overboard to the point of nauseatingly mindless. They showed enough action to get the point across and to serve the plot.

In terms of space battles, they might have been limited by 2 factors: the technology at the time...CGI was still in its infancy; and budget...it's pretty expensive depicting prolonged space battles. You could see the progression of the FX/CGI technology in DS9. As the seasons went on, the complexity of the space battles greatly improved.

 

[Jayson1]

I will say one problem is making phaser fights super exciting. I was thinking of a example of what I am going for and here is one. In "Ensign Ro" when Picard and the team beam down to the caves to find Ro maybe make the search feel more intense but within the same amount of time so you don't take anything away from the drama. Perhaps make the caves really dark and maybe instead of giving up instantly the Bajorans take out the away team one by one until it's just Picard against the Bajorans.

Jason

 

[JirinPanthosa]

My problem with the phaser scenes is how rigid they are. Maybe it's harder for the actors cause the phasers have no kickback. I saw Jeri Ryan appearing on the Daily Show where she basically said how firing the phaser was less satisfying than firing modern weapons in action scenes. Everyone is kind of standing still and pointing the phaser, not moving around or using cover. Compare that to the kind of ground battles they achieved on Stargate SG1.

Fistfight scenes felt equally rigid. They had a real 'gingerbread men' quality to the way they were standing and moving.

 

[Elephant999]

In terms of space battles, they might have been limited by 2 factors: the technology at the time...CGI was still in its infancy; and budget...it's pretty expensive depicting prolonged space battles. You could see the progression of the FX/CGI technology in DS9. As the seasons went on, the complexity of the space battles greatly improved.

Definitely a major reason why, as there were 12 years between the beginning of TNG and the end of DS9. The space battles in S6/7 of DS9 were excellent.

 

[CommanderRaytas]

I don't mind either way. TNG was fine with few action scenes; the Kelvin films were fine including them.

 

[Qonundrum]

I'm not talking about change the general tone of the show or characters. The spirit of the show would be the same. Do you wish though when the crew got into a fight with aliens if would have been more compelling with the fights better staged and the spaceship battles a little bit more than two ships just standing still shooting weapons at each other?

I kind of wish the show had delivered better in this department. Relied to much on technobabble for "action." and it was a poor substitute. At the same time I wouldn't want the show to be a dumbed down action show either. Like I said the show would still have same tone and everything.


Jason

Like in TOS (1960s)? At times, yes. As a young teen that grew up with TOS, early TNG felt different at times as it was more cerebral drama than action and had felt boring. Even "When the Bough Breaks", if the goal was for young teens like me to identify with Wesley because he's a young teen because that's what we were apparently supposed to do.

At the time. I didn't know it then but after seeing 'the unmade pilot, The Cage" in the 90s, I quickly made the connection that Gene got his initial cerebral style put into the syndicated sequel more than he ever could for the NBC original. There's no way Picard's era has the same feel and style of Pike's, but the influence is certainly present. They took it in a different, but still largely satisfying, direction.

Have to admit, TNG season 1 was all over the map, but at the same time it was chock full of variety - although little did anybody know that "Haven" and the drama within would be come a staple in TNG's latter years. Just without Yar's atrocious hairdo, which was thankfully limited to that episode. Probably so they could let the gaping ozone hole heal... but I still watch earlier episodes like "The Arsenal of Freedom". TNG was its own show and couldn't just be a rehash of TOS's style. TNG made its own balance, for a while, which was also good. And as an adult, I found things to appreciate about "When the Bough Breaks" as well. But the latter seasons are often so dreary - the technobabble, the soap opera, the change in incidental music from excitement into brown noise. The show completely changed. Seasons 1-4 of TNG had more action adventure than the soapy, technodrivel-laden, psychology lecture-themed 5-7 often had.

It's even more amazing, as DS9 started during TNG's big change and eventually had all the action returned - and it had action that was cinematic as well as deeper, if not more intimate in the Trek universe. The movies were good, but the best Trek has always been on TV. IMHO.

Phaser battles - JirinPanthosa said it best. Even "Conspiracy" has people sauntering to the side to let the phaser beam through as if it was a ballet dancer holding a VIP bus pass or something. And that was not an enlightening metaphor.

 

[Jayson1]

Like in TOS (1960s)? At times, yes. As a young teen that grew up with TOS, early TNG felt different at times as it was more cerebral drama than action and had felt boring. Even "When the Bough Breaks", if the goal was for young teens like me to identify with Wesley because he's a young teen because that's what we were apparently supposed to do.

At the time. I didn't know it then but after seeing 'the unmade pilot, The Cage" in the 90s, I quickly made the connection that Gene got his initial cerebral style put into the syndicated sequel more than he ever could for the NBC original. There's no way Picard's era has the same feel and style of Pike's, but the influence is certainly present. They took it in a different, but still largely satisfying, direction.

Have to admit, TNG season 1 was all over the map, but at the same time it was chock full of variety - although little did anybody know that "Haven" and the drama within would be come a staple in TNG's latter years. Just without Yar's atrocious hairdo, which was thankfully limited to that episode. Probably so they could let the gaping ozone hole heal... but I still watch earlier episodes like "The Arsenal of Freedom". TNG was its own show and couldn't just be a rehash of TOS's style. TNG made its own balance, for a while, which was also good. And as an adult, I found things to appreciate about "When the Bough Breaks" as well. But the latter seasons are often so dreary - the technobabble, the soap opera, the change in incidental music from excitement into brown noise. The show completely changed. Seasons 1-4 of TNG had more action adventure than the soapy, technodrivel-laden, psychology lecture-themed 5-7 often had.

It's even more amazing, as DS9 started during TNG's big change and eventually had all the action returned - and it had action that was cinematic as well as deeper, if not more intimate in the Trek universe. The movies were good, but the best Trek has always been on TV. IMHO.

Phaser battles - JirinPanthosa said it best. Even "Conspiracy" has people sauntering to the side to let the phaser beam through as if it was a ballet dancer holding a VIP bus pass or something. And that was not an enlightening metaphor.

I wasn't thinking so much about "TOS" but actually modern "Doctor Who" Like TNG that is a show were your not really doing a pew pew pew action show but it was also able I feel to make it's usually non-lethal action moments a little more exciting. I was thinking about not even altering most scenes or any in most of the shows except for the action scenes and basically keeping it the same. Like in my "Ensign Ro" example the episode stays the same except the part when they beam down to the caves to meet Orta. Instead of a strow through the cave set you make it a little more exciting.

Jason

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

Not really.

What hand/phaser fights they had were over swiftly because these are trained professionals dealing with dangerous situations, using force like a scalpel as a last resort. Whilst space battles were staged in such a way as to show the power of the Galaxy-Class, she relied on the power of her shields and weapons array to engage targets, she isn't as manoeuvrable as the Defiant- or Intrepid-Classes. Besides, given how advanced the E-D was at the time of her launch there aren't many that would willingly take her on. So in the context of the show it makes sense.

 

[Herbert]

I think TNG did action scenes just fine. What I would have preferred was a few more action episodes replacing some of the snoozer blah, blah episodes. A few more pure exploratory episodes (like TOS) would have been great too. Bring back that wonder of exploring unknown space. Remember when Picard at the end of Farpoint says "Let's see what's out there" Yeah! More of that. Some of you will read this and start listing episodes that fit that criteria. I know that. I just wanted more.

 

[Armus]

I'm not talking about change the general tone of the show or characters. The spirit of the show would be the same. Do you wish though when the crew got into a fight with aliens if would have been more compelling with the fights better staged and the spaceship battles a little bit more than two ships just standing still shooting weapons at each other?

I kind of wish the show had delivered better in this department. Relied to much on technobabble for "action." and it was a poor substitute. At the same time I wouldn't want the show to be a dumbed down action show either. Like I said the show would still have same tone and everything.


Jason

I would have liked more episodes like "Heart of Glory", "Conspiracy", "A Matter of Honor", "Q Who", and "The High Ground". The action in those episodes had plenty of energy. TNG did some action episides in the later seasons, but you can't make action and suspense work when you don't have music that supports it. Thats why I prefer the first 4 or 5 seasons over the last few seasons. "Power Play" was the last truly edge-of-your-seat TNG episode for me.

Here is one of my favorite action scenes from "The High Ground", an example of TNG at its best, full of tension and twists.

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[Jayson1]

I would have liked more episodes like "Heart of Glory", "Conspiracy", "A Matter of Honor", "Q Who", and "The High Ground". The action in those episodes had plenty of energy. TNG did some action episides in the later seasons, but you can't make action and suspense work when you don't have music that supports it. Thats why I prefer the first 4 or 5 seasons over the last few seasons. "Power Play" was the last truly edge-of-your-seat TNG episode for me.

Here is one of my favorite action scenes from "The High Ground", an example of TNG at its best, full of tension and twists.

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I agree Ron Jones was great with the music. He did make things more exciting just with his music. Naturally Berman hated it and fired him.


Jason

 

[Ragitsu]

If our fair moderator will indulge me a bump of an old thread , I'd like to say something about the action in Star Trek.

One of the reasons I enjoy this franchise in general is because it focuses on journeying and interaction with alien cultures over raw action (especially when placed alongside its contemporaries). Despite what people like to assert, Starfleet is more of an exploratory/diplomatic body with broad police powers than a simple military; Starfleet takes on a military role only as a last resort (by the way, ranks aren't unique to the military: firefighters have ranks and the US Surgeon General isn't an actual General in a military capacity). In addition to The Next Generation, I enjoy Voyager precisely because both shows were about braving a frontier. Deep Space Nine is my least favorite Trek series for many reasons...the Dominion War chief among them.

Still, I do appreciate a thrilling action scene. However, my preference is to have any action compliment an episode rather than dominate an episode; episodes centered around action/battles (e.g., Yesterday's Enterprise) ought to be exceptions to the rule.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Agreed that the action could’ve been better. The show relied too much on “tech-the-tech” after season 3.

The first season is probably the most action packed season.

Also, we needed more Geordi stop-drop-and-roll scenes.

 

[Ragitsu]

Also, we needed more Geordi stop-drop-and-roll scenes.

I'm surprised Engineering didn't feature its own dedicated transporter system to beam personnel five or so feet beyond the door.

 

[dupersuper]

I'm surprised Engineering didn't feature its own dedicated transporter system to beam personnel five or so feet beyond the door.

In times when it would be needed it may be hard to get a lock...