Superman
Fleet Captain
Okay, for years, I've maligned the fact that this movie destroyed Kirk and added a poor coda to the TOS movies.
And also for years, I had scores of other ideas for this film, including a few that hewed closely to the film's story and in some cases, built from it.
But never did it occur to me, until a few days ago, how truly, painfully easy it would have been to make this movie work from the get-go.
First of all, we all know that Nimoy and Kelley wouldn't have anything to do with it because their screentime was next to nil. I don't blame them, esp. when you see the lines and roles they would have played through Scotty and Pavel.
So here's the thing: why in the hell didn't Braga and Moore build on what TNG had established about Spock and McCoy, and used this to make the TNG section of the film a true crossover of the generations?
It's simple: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are on the E-B for her launch. Everything happens as it did in the film, all of this stuff is actually pretty good. Then Kirk "dies," and the 23rd century part ends.
But when we flash forward to the 24th century, the E-D command staff is still celebrating Worf's promotion.
But instead of a communique about the deaths of Renee and Gerard, it's Starfleet Command. Ambassador Spock has requested emergency extraction from Romulus. Knowing his past experience with Spock, SC sends Picard and the Enterprise to Romulus.
Before the E-D can get Spock, SC orders them to DS9 to pick up a special advisor on the mission, a man who has learned through his own connections of Spock's request: Admiral Leonard McCoy. McCoy goes aboard the E-D not so much to help Picard, but "to find out just what the hell that cunning little Vulcan is up to this time." McCoy also demands, in a nice little reversal of a scene in TVH, that his "assistant," one Captain Montgomery Scott, join the mission.
Once on Romulus, the E-D crew extracts Spock. Spock refuses to disclose the nature of his mission, even to McCoy and Scotty. Later, when Spock gives orders for the E-D to proceed to specific coordinates, Picard refuses without further details. Spock ignores Picard and in a homage to his actions in "The Menagerie," hacks the E-D's computer and locks in the course to his coordinates.
Incense, Picard calls a senior staff meeting with Spock under security escort. Spock reveals that he knows Jim Kirk is alive. It turns out that for almost eight centuries, Spock has wrestled with the sense that Kirk is somehow alive, somewhere.
Picard is doubtful, whereas McCoy is outright insensitive, accusing Spock of finally giving in to his human side in his old age. Scotty is torn, but feels that if there is an even a chance, they have to take it. Picard disagrees, but Spock leans on their mind-meld experience years ago.
Picard reluctantly agrees, and they proceed to rendezvous with the Nexus, where Spock believes they will find Kirk.
From here on out, it's very simple. They retrieve Kirk, but the Romulans or some other baddies intervene, there's a big battle, Kirk and his crewmates save the day, there's a truly classic meeting of the generations, and Spock, McCoy, and Scotty leave at the end of the film promising to teach Kirk about the 24th century.
Isn't that easy? Is it just me?
\S/
And also for years, I had scores of other ideas for this film, including a few that hewed closely to the film's story and in some cases, built from it.
But never did it occur to me, until a few days ago, how truly, painfully easy it would have been to make this movie work from the get-go.
First of all, we all know that Nimoy and Kelley wouldn't have anything to do with it because their screentime was next to nil. I don't blame them, esp. when you see the lines and roles they would have played through Scotty and Pavel.
So here's the thing: why in the hell didn't Braga and Moore build on what TNG had established about Spock and McCoy, and used this to make the TNG section of the film a true crossover of the generations?
It's simple: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are on the E-B for her launch. Everything happens as it did in the film, all of this stuff is actually pretty good. Then Kirk "dies," and the 23rd century part ends.
But when we flash forward to the 24th century, the E-D command staff is still celebrating Worf's promotion.
But instead of a communique about the deaths of Renee and Gerard, it's Starfleet Command. Ambassador Spock has requested emergency extraction from Romulus. Knowing his past experience with Spock, SC sends Picard and the Enterprise to Romulus.
Before the E-D can get Spock, SC orders them to DS9 to pick up a special advisor on the mission, a man who has learned through his own connections of Spock's request: Admiral Leonard McCoy. McCoy goes aboard the E-D not so much to help Picard, but "to find out just what the hell that cunning little Vulcan is up to this time." McCoy also demands, in a nice little reversal of a scene in TVH, that his "assistant," one Captain Montgomery Scott, join the mission.
Once on Romulus, the E-D crew extracts Spock. Spock refuses to disclose the nature of his mission, even to McCoy and Scotty. Later, when Spock gives orders for the E-D to proceed to specific coordinates, Picard refuses without further details. Spock ignores Picard and in a homage to his actions in "The Menagerie," hacks the E-D's computer and locks in the course to his coordinates.
Incense, Picard calls a senior staff meeting with Spock under security escort. Spock reveals that he knows Jim Kirk is alive. It turns out that for almost eight centuries, Spock has wrestled with the sense that Kirk is somehow alive, somewhere.
Picard is doubtful, whereas McCoy is outright insensitive, accusing Spock of finally giving in to his human side in his old age. Scotty is torn, but feels that if there is an even a chance, they have to take it. Picard disagrees, but Spock leans on their mind-meld experience years ago.
Picard reluctantly agrees, and they proceed to rendezvous with the Nexus, where Spock believes they will find Kirk.
From here on out, it's very simple. They retrieve Kirk, but the Romulans or some other baddies intervene, there's a big battle, Kirk and his crewmates save the day, there's a truly classic meeting of the generations, and Spock, McCoy, and Scotty leave at the end of the film promising to teach Kirk about the 24th century.
Isn't that easy? Is it just me?
\S/
Sorry...had to.
)
