Single worst scene in the first ten movies

[Isolar]

I love STVI except for:
Bones: The good news is they're not going to prosecute.
Uhura: You might as well have prosecuted me. I felt like Lt. Valeris.

Are they really trying to say that someone who murdered two people (assassins or not), committed treason and almost helped cause intergalactic war would not be punished? I never understood that.

 

[eyeresist]

^ Bones isn't saying Valeris isn't going to be prosecuted, he is joking that the Enterprise crew won't be prosecuted for saving civilisation (as their adventures in the films usually involve Starfleet spaceships being blown up, stolen, or at least damaged, and Kirk was in fact busted from admiral down to captain at the end of TVH). Uhura responds to McCoy's joke seriously, as she is pondering broader moral issues. But as McCoy says: "Well, they don't arrest people for having feelings."

Reviewing the transcript of TUC reminds me of one particular moment at the end that makes me cringe - Kirk's final voiceover, where he corrects himself: "boldly going where no man - where no one - has gone before." Why not just read the new words, instead of drawing attention to the fact that it took until 1992 for someone to realise how exclusive the old words were?

 

[Isolar]

So, Bones is talking about Uhura's feelings... Ok, that helps clear that up. Maybe it was the trite tone of that scene, but I always thought they were saying that Valeris was off the hook. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[JWPlatt]

...I don't think a fictional mind rape (a mental invasion, not an actual rape) is a big deal...

Yeah. So it was all in her head?

 

[Cyke101]

^ Bones isn't saying Valeris isn't going to be prosecuted, he is joking that the Enterprise crew won't be prosecuted for saving civilisation (as their adventures in the films usually involve Starfleet spaceships being blown up, stolen, or at least damaged, and Kirk was in fact busted from admiral down to captain at the end of TVH). Uhura responds to McCoy's joke seriously, as she is pondering broader moral issues. But as McCoy says: "Well, they don't arrest people for having feelings."

One other thing to add: McCoy was already prosecuted once in that movie. I doubt he'd want to go through that again so soon!

...I don't think a fictional mind rape (a mental invasion, not an actual rape) is a big deal...

Yeah. So it was all in her head?

That's the thing that gets to me. It's an imaginary form of rape, yes, but it's still rape - it's an assault via force with no consent, for the sake of violent dominance over that person. Our minds and private thoughts are among the most secure parts of our identities as humans. Take that security away, and what do we have left, exactly?

The closest to mind rape in the real world that we have is brainwashing, especially under enemy forces, and that's considered to be exceptionally traumatic and heinous already, with years of therapy and mental health care involved for recovery. Throw in a fictional form of invasion with virtually no defense whatsoever and it's probably worse.

 

[eyeresist]

CONTEXT.

You're reading it right: I don't think a fictional mind rape (a mental invasion, not an actual rape) is a big deal, as it serves the story by showing how evil the villain is, and the heroine gets pay-back in the end.

As far as "disturbing and unnecessary" goes, how is it worse that the much larger number of people who have actually been killed in all the ST films?

In this day and age, no-one should believe that rape is actually "a fate worse than death". Given the choice between Troi's experience and, say, being blown out the side of a starship to suffocate and feel one's body rupture in the vacuum of space, who would choose the second option?

 

[eyeresist]

One other thing to add: McCoy was already prosecuted once in that movie. I doubt he'd want to go through that again so soon!

Aha! I didn't think of that one.

 

[Cyke101]

CONTEXT.

You're reading it right: I don't think a fictional mind rape (a mental invasion, not an actual rape) is a big deal, as it serves the story by showing how evil the villain is, and the heroine gets pay-back in the end.

As far as "disturbing and unnecessary" goes, how is it worse that the much larger number of people who have actually been killed in all the ST films?

In this day and age, no-one should believe that rape is actually "a fate worse than death". Given the choice between Troi's experience and, say, being blown out the side of a starship to suffocate and feel one's body rupture in the vacuum of space, who would choose the second option?

Rape vs. death is a false comparison -- they shouldn't even be in competition as if they're some sort of Suffering Olympics. For one, rape victims suffer from PTSD. So unlike people who are killed, rape victims have to live with what happened and then try to cope within their communities and families in an ongoing battle. Additionally, suicide attempts by rape victims is 13x greater than non-victims. So there's a good chance that they'll *still* get killed by the action anyway, without proper help and assistance. So rape can indeed lead to death; also, comparing the two misses the point that rape and death can often be intertwined. And just as how a murder victim can't be resurrected, a rape victim can't ever be un-raped. It's a luxury that they'll never, ever have again.

In any case, it's a serious threat that can't be trivialized or minimized. If we want to talk about death as an issue, Trek has episodes that have dealt with euthanasia, genocide, the ethics of murder, and devoted entire plots to that conversation. Trek can do that with rape too, but that's an intentional move. What we saw in Nemesis was merely spectacle and handled in pretty juvenile manner. (I feel like L&O: SVU does a fairly good job of talking about the impact of rape on victims and communities just as well as it covers murder cases. I've no doubt that Trek can handle it too; Nemesis just didn't do it.)

 

[eyeresist]

People who suffer from PTSD include combat veterans, survivors of child, domestic and other physical abuse, mugging victims, prisoners, people who've survived natural disasters or suffered traumatic injuries. In First Contact, Picard suffered PTSD in relation to the Borg. For some reason, probably because he is a man, "mind rape" is rarely used to describe his experience, though it was surely worse than what Troi went through. Both he and Troi got resolution in the end. And remember, we are not talking about actual rape, and it confuses the issue to pretend that we are.

 

[JWPlatt]

...we are not talking about actual rape, and it confuses the issue to pretend that we are.

The meaning here is ambiguous. Does it mean "actual" as in real world? Or "actual" as in there was no physicality of it for the character?

Tread carefully - you're approaching "legitimate rape" territory.

 

[Vger23]

Insurrection is chock full of cringeworthy scenes, but the entire space battle between the Enterprise and the Son'a battlecruisers is the worst.

- "The Riker Maneuver" that Geordi --in full ass-kissing for a promotion mode-- says that history will possibly record is essentially the Enterprise lighting its own farts. Really. Riker learned this "maneuver" after a drunken frat party at the Academy methinks. Besides, we know the real Riker Maneuver is the weird way Riker sits down by swinging his leg over the chair like a dog marking his territory.

- The "come hither" stare the Trill operations officer gives Riker when he gives his terrible Horatio Caine dialogue about ramming things down the Son'a's throats makes it come off like a bad double entendre.

- The manual steering column is a metaphorical representation of Riker steering the ship and destroying the enemy with his warrior penis. And who designed the thing to stand free in the middle of the bridge while you have to kneel down to handle it and look like you're taking a dump? Has no one heard of ergonomics in the 24th century? The knee and back stress from having to steer his manhood and support his massive ego must be enormous.

- Geordi makes a major tactical decision to eject the warp core on his own before being given the order. Now obviously he knew Riker was going to do it anyway, but you still don't make a decision like that before the captain gives the order, especially when the decision so significantly affects their power supply, propulsion, and their position relative to the explosion.

- They give a treatise on subspace weapons accords while being chased through space from the tear created by one. The bridge chatter during a crisis has always been a bit much, but is someone really going to question the legality of the weapons as they're being shot at by them? It seems rather a moot point at that stage. The whole purpose is to of course inform us in the audience that these are REALLY bad WMDs, but it wasn't really necessary and just made for more clunky expository dialogue in an already poorly written series of scenes.

- The effect of the Enterprise being slapped to the side by the warp core explosion was poorly done.

- "Time to use the Briar Patch like Br'er Rabbit did." What, locked in a vault for decades out of sheer embarrassment and never seen again? Yes, please. HBO Family seems to only own the rights to this one ST film, and runs it about 700 times a year. I'm afraid children are being indoctrinated to like substandard Trek through repetition.

I agree. The Insurrection space battle was so filled with cheese and so badly conceived and executed that there really isn't one part of it that feels right. It was the writers trying WAY too hard to have a cool action sequence and it came off like garbage.

 

[Marsden]

- The "come hither" stare the Trill operations officer gives Riker when he gives his terrible Horatio Caine dialogue about ramming things down the Son'a's throats makes it come off like a bad double entendre.

I really like that, I never noticed the look, probably because I can't remember that much of this terrible movie.

3. It hurt the whole damn concept of Star Trek as a whole because tell me when they don't use a transporter.

I don't see how? We've had cars and planes for nearly a century and still have some damned ugly accidents with them. This just shows the transporter is still a dangerous piece of tech.

.

Quoted and bolded for frakking TRUTH!


Also, there was at least one occasion in TOS when they could not use the transporter. When Sulu and a landing party were trapped on a planet, freezing almost to death.

And in TFF the transporters were down when everyone was on leave. Had to send shuttles.

And in Nemesis, they could not use transporters at Kolaran IV.

You bold something that disagrees but list three points in support of what I said, as those three occasions are plot points where they can't use the transporter, but in TMP they causually kill two people in a disgusting matter because.

 

[BK613]

^^ Yea the transporter accident in TMP was a WTF moment before the acronym existed. Kirk beams up to the office because Ent's transporter isn't working, we get the best starship pr0n because of it, after a visit to the bridge, Kirk pops down to Engineering where they are working on the transporter. Kirk kick's Decker out of the center seat and 30 seconds later they are beaming up people.

What? They fixed it? When did that happen? They went from "We think we've found the problem" to people beaming? No QA? No testing?
Ridiculous.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

You're reading it right: I don't think a fictional mind rape (a mental invasion, not an actual rape) is a big deal, as it serves the story by showing how evil the villain is, and the heroine gets pay-back in the end.

As far as "disturbing and unnecessary" goes, how is it worse that the much larger number of people who have actually been killed in all the ST films?

If you are a species who has empathetic abilities that strongly control the way you think and act, how can you say with such conviction that being raped mentally wouldn't be every bit as traumatic as if it physically happened.

It happens to real humans for crying out loud. Some people return from war having been physically injured in such a way that it is traumatic and basically ruins the rest of their lives.

Other soldiers return from combat not having suffered so much as a scratch and maybe not have even fired a shot. Yet because of the things they saw they are so mentally and emotionally messed up for the rest of their lives that it's basically the same as suffering physical injury.

Something doesn't always have to physically happen to you to screw you up. And when your a creature whose telepathic abilities are basically like another sense to them.....hell yeah a mental rape could be devestating.

And I'm not saying other things haven't been disturbing and unnecessary but to make the argument that they fried two people on the transporter in TMP for no real reason, it makes Troi getting sexually assaulted OK too is ridiculous. That's the same as the "If everyone in a group you were in jumped off the Empire State Building would you do it too?" argument.

And I think they had already established that Shinzon and his friend were already pretty damn evil by this point in the film with all the things they'd done. I don't think we needed to see them having their way with Troi to go "Man they are REALLY evil....glad they included that scene to drive the point home."

We learned within the first 5 minutes of Star Wars that Darth Vader was a bad ass who would mess you up without any hesitation. They didn't include a scene an hour into the film of him taking Leia by force in her cell to make sure we TOTALLY understood how bad he was.

 

[enterprisecvn65]

Also you seem to be of the mind set ST films were just filled with dark and disturbing scenes of violence. There are different ways of showing violence that vary in intensity and/or emotionally disturbing content.

Let's look at TOS films:

TMP: I'll give you the transporter accident was kind of disturbing and pretty pointless......other than that nothing.

TWOK: The Ceti Eels weren't pleasant, but at least it served the plot. What was Khan going to do say "Will you guys please help me take revenge on James Kirk"

The bodies on Regula I were graphic and maybe a little too much, but other than that the killing was all pretty clean. Yeah Khan was all bloody and shit at the end, but he wasn't screaming in agony. In fact he was using the last of his strength to still "win" the game.

Spock's death was sad because it was Spock, but it wasn't like Spock's was ripped open and bleeding out with his organs exposed.

So 1 in TWOK

TSFS: Nothing really. David killed was sad but the knife blow was hidden and he died quickly. In fact the most disturbing thing in the film didn't even involve a person, it was watching the Enterprise melt and explode. No nothing in TFSF

TVH- Nothing even close

TFF- Nothing the violence they did have was too corny to be disturbed about.

TUC: Could argue the Gorkon assisnation scene was graphic but the use of pink blood negated a lot of that. Other than that nothing.

So you have 2 I'd give you for sure: Transporter pad and Regula I. And a few maybes, all of which served the plot and weren't just added for extra shock value over 6 films.

Nemesis alone had more parts of graphic and/or dark violence. Why was it necessary for the people making ST to feel that they needed to make the films a lot more violent in order for them to work. The first 6 did just fine for the most part without resorting to mind rape, seeing someone impaled on a pipe and pulling himself through, watching the Romulans dissolve before our eyes, seeing Shinzon look like he was dying from the black death.

I see and hear enough senseless violence when I turn on the radio and TV everyday. I don't really want it in my escapist entertainment, especially when it's supposed to be a thrilling and fun sci-fi romp and not have more in common with "Alien" than TOS films.

 

[EnriqueH]

I can't think of anything for Treks I-IV, but here are some I haven't seen mentioned yet:

1) TFF: God, I liked him better before he died.
2) TFF: "Enterprise this is Kirk. We have aaaaaa...(pan to McCoy)." What the hell was that about??? Just as awkward as some of the stuff in TUC.
3) TFF: Sybok, perhaps...(shrug)
4) TUC: Klingon translation scene with Uhura, Scotty and the crew.

Worst scenes in Star Trek movie history, ranked:


10. Kirk and Crew Pose for a Picture (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
7. Scotty Knocks Himself Out (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
6. Data's Jokes (Star Trek: Generations)
4. Colonel West Scooby-Doo Reveal (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)

Hear, hear on these. They ALL occurred to me. I took out a lot of the TNG ones because I didn't remember them. I haven't seen Insurrection since 1998 and Nemesis since 2002.

Worst scenes in Star Trek movie history, ranked:


10. Kirk and Crew Pose for a Picture (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
9. Absent Friends / Data Memorial (Star Trek: Nemesis)
8. Worf's Promotion (Star Trek: Generations)
7. Scotty Knocks Himself Out (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
6. Data's Jokes (Star Trek: Generations)
5. Engage Manual Steering Column (Star Trek: Insurrection)
4. Colonel West Scooby-Doo Reveal (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
3. Uhura Seduces the Natives (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
2. Picard, Data and Worf sing "A British Tar" (Star Trek: Insurrection)
1. Picard dances the Mambo (Star Trek: Insurrection)

I simultaneously applaud your work and sympathize that you had to relive them all to make that list.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[enterprisecvn65]

I can't think of anything for Treks I-IV, but here are some I haven't seen mentioned yet:

1) TFF: God, I liked him better before he died.
2) TFF: "Enterprise this is Kirk. We have aaaaaa...(pan to McCoy)." What the hell was that about??? Just as awkward as some of the stuff in TUC.
3) TFF: Sybok, perhaps...(shrug)
4) TUC: Klingon translation scene with Uhura, Scotty and the crew.

Worst scenes in Star Trek movie history, ranked:


10. Kirk and Crew Pose for a Picture (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
7. Scotty Knocks Himself Out (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
6. Data's Jokes (Star Trek: Generations)
4. Colonel West Scooby-Doo Reveal (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)

Hear, hear on these. They ALL occurred to me. I took out a lot of the TNG ones because I didn't remember them. I haven't seen Insurrection since 1998 and Nemesis since 2002.

Worst scenes in Star Trek movie history, ranked:


10. Kirk and Crew Pose for a Picture (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
9. Absent Friends / Data Memorial (Star Trek: Nemesis)
8. Worf's Promotion (Star Trek: Generations)
7. Scotty Knocks Himself Out (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
6. Data's Jokes (Star Trek: Generations)
5. Engage Manual Steering Column (Star Trek: Insurrection)
4. Colonel West Scooby-Doo Reveal (Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country)
3. Uhura Seduces the Natives (Star Trek V- The Final Frontier)
2. Picard, Data and Worf sing "A British Tar" (Star Trek: Insurrection)
1. Picard dances the Mambo (Star Trek: Insurrection)

I simultaneously applaud your work and sympathize that you had to relive them all to make that list.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU for throwing the Enterprise this is Kirk uhhhhhhhhhh........

I've always that was possibly the single dumbest line in all the films. There are other lines I think are dumb but people have argued otherwise and explained why they liked them and even though I may not agree, I see their point.

That line though I consider to be pretty much unexplainable and indefensible......it seemed like a take where Shatner literally forgot his next line and they just left it in. Which isn't too far of a reach considering they passed the decks WITH HUGE NUMBERS ON THEM out of order on the rocket boots and none caught that in post production.

But of course someone out there is always ready to defend the indefensible...So I've heard:

1. He was too shocked to speak. No he wasn't. He thought Sybok was nuts from the start and even after they read some power source down there he still seemed pretty skeptical they were about to find God. So this wasn't some great letdown to him.

2. He felt sorry for Sybok and didn't want to rub it in. No he thought Sybok was a nut who had hijacked the Enterprise, brainwashed his crew and were putting them in great danger for some crackpot notion. I don't think he gave a shit about "hurting his feelings" now that apparently all his beliefs about Sybok were correct.

3. McCoy gave him a look like "What are you doing?" and Kirk realized it wasn't the right time to call the ship. Then when would be the right time 5 minutes later? an hour? a day? Kirk obviously thought "Well this turned out pretty much like I expected it to" Whether he was calling the Enterprise to tell them they had discovered nothing and to stand by or he was going to ordered them beamed up right away isn't clear. But what was clear is in the past when Kirk whipped the communicator to call the ship he had instructions or commands already decided and ready to go. Makes sense that when he pulled it out (the communicator that is) here he had something ready to say to Enterprise.....but then it seemed like he just opened the channel before he really thought about what to say and just ended up sounding like a guy on prom night asking the girl if she wanted to go park somewhere.

Stupid line. Period.

 

[MANT!]

Star Trek V..the fart joke..
"Bourbon and Beans, an explosive combination.." for Gods sake!! a fart joke in Star Trek!!

Man it burst my bubble..

 

[fireproof78]

Because Star Trek V needs more love (read sarcasm here please) that I have to repeat the rocket boots. Spock's bit saving Kirk was dumb but passable.

The flying up the shaft? No. Since when does the Enterprise have 72 decks?

 

[EnriqueH]

I recently rediscovered TFF, so I feel slightly guilty for citing it here, but yes. Some scenes I mentioned absolutely deserve to be here.

However, I think TUC deserves to be here more than some people want to admit.