To me, one real plot hole in the movie was when Kirk and Spock acted completely out of character in finishing off a helpless Nero. It bothered the hell out of me. Kirk didn't seem all that serious about rescuing Nero. And Spock's response was almost flippant. No debate.
-- OK, Nero destroyed Spock's planet of six billion people. So, does that mean Spock is entitled to go "thumbs up or thumbs down" on Nero's life? No rescue attempt. Instead, let him die. In fact, kill him. Spock is exacting his own kind of revenge on Nero. But is that in character? Even for the Spock in this movie? Revenge is not logical. Killing Nero does not bring Vulcan back. Spock, any Spock, knows that.
-- Even Kirk knows that. Instead it's Kirk as executioner. What will he say in his log? That they decided not to try to save Nero and his crew? Instead, they actually opened fire on his ship as it fell into the black hole? Kirk was a warrior, and he killed, but he had no bloodlust. He didn't kill if he didn't have to. He never destroyed a helpless enemy. Apparently, like the Klingons, this young Kirk doesn't take prisoners.
Think of it this way, would this cavalier killing had been accepted as in-character in a TOS episode? I don't think so.
If Kirk and Spock had acted in character, they would've decided they had to try to save Nero and his crew. Naturally, it endangers the Enterprise. (It's a better reason for it getting caught by black hole than the one in the movie.)
Of course, to keep up the action, Nero could've fought the attempt, and Kirk finally has to decide to get the Enterprise out of there before it's destroyed, too. In other words, little in the story had to change. Scotty still has to save the Enterprise as the Narada is swallowed by the black hole.
When it was over, maybe McCoy could've asked why Kirk endangered his ship and crew to save Nero. There could've followed a short discussion among McCoy, Kirk, and Spock aboout the senselessness of seeking revenge and the need to show mercy. "I will not kill, today," something like that. Very much in line with the sensibilities that made TOS stand out. Instead, the opposite occurred. Kirk and Spock exacted Old West justice with no questions asked.
-- OK, Nero destroyed Spock's planet of six billion people. So, does that mean Spock is entitled to go "thumbs up or thumbs down" on Nero's life? No rescue attempt. Instead, let him die. In fact, kill him. Spock is exacting his own kind of revenge on Nero. But is that in character? Even for the Spock in this movie? Revenge is not logical. Killing Nero does not bring Vulcan back. Spock, any Spock, knows that.
-- Even Kirk knows that. Instead it's Kirk as executioner. What will he say in his log? That they decided not to try to save Nero and his crew? Instead, they actually opened fire on his ship as it fell into the black hole? Kirk was a warrior, and he killed, but he had no bloodlust. He didn't kill if he didn't have to. He never destroyed a helpless enemy. Apparently, like the Klingons, this young Kirk doesn't take prisoners.
Think of it this way, would this cavalier killing had been accepted as in-character in a TOS episode? I don't think so.
If Kirk and Spock had acted in character, they would've decided they had to try to save Nero and his crew. Naturally, it endangers the Enterprise. (It's a better reason for it getting caught by black hole than the one in the movie.)
Of course, to keep up the action, Nero could've fought the attempt, and Kirk finally has to decide to get the Enterprise out of there before it's destroyed, too. In other words, little in the story had to change. Scotty still has to save the Enterprise as the Narada is swallowed by the black hole.
When it was over, maybe McCoy could've asked why Kirk endangered his ship and crew to save Nero. There could've followed a short discussion among McCoy, Kirk, and Spock aboout the senselessness of seeking revenge and the need to show mercy. "I will not kill, today," something like that. Very much in line with the sensibilities that made TOS stand out. Instead, the opposite occurred. Kirk and Spock exacted Old West justice with no questions asked.
