The opening of ST XI had the Kelvin being pwned and Captain Robau getting killed only to placate the Romulans in the audience. What actually happened when the Narada came through the lightning storm and Nero saw the Kelvin was:
Nero: Oh, Shit! That's Captain Robau's ship! Turn us around quickly. Maybe we can escape by going back through this thing.
As the Narada attempted to flee back through the lightning storm, Robau leapt through the bridge window and flew across space Data-in-Nemesis style, latched onto the Narada's hull and began punching his way through.
The Romulans started running around in panic in a vain attempt to escape, the sound of Robau pounding on the hull with his fists driving them mad. Suddenly, Robau was standing before them, stoic and calm. An erie quiet settled over the ship as the Romulans all stared blankly at the sight of Robau, their minds numbed at the knowledge of their imminent demise.
What happened next is why the real sequence of events can never be shown to the public...