ST VI if it were made in 2007?

[Lord Garth]

Star Trek has never strayed from parallels. Parallels work, it gives the audience something to relate to by seeing something they understand. Bearing that in mind, there was usually a sense that Star Trek wanted to show a possible future, though some things might be similar, it was a different time.

Star Trek VI takes a whole different approach. It's not a future time somewhat similar to ours, it's the 20th Century transplanted with an additional 300 years. Take the year, replace the "19" with a "22", change from international to interplanetary, and you're set.

"But ST VI was only made 16 years ago! What can be different?" It's not the quantity of time so much as the shift in events. ST VI was released during a sensitive time, it came out at the end of one major period, then we went into whatever you want to call the next 10 years, and now we're in the period we've been living in for the past six. So, yes, I think asking about how ST VI would be different if it were made today is valid.

 

[SmoothieX]

I think it would be a lot different. The parallel then was the ending of the Cold War and coming to grips with the fact that the Soviets weren't the enemy anymore.

The issue now is radical religious fundamentalists, a lousy foeign image, and an administration that is divisive and generally unpopular at this point.

I could see the adversary resembling something more like the Ori and their followers in the Stargate franchise.

 

[Campe]

The assassination attempt would have been a suicide bomber as opposed to a sniper having Kirk have to mark him and Scotty beam him into space as opposed to Scotty just shooting him. Perhaps religious differences between the Empire and the Federation would have been brought up. The Federation president would have been a moron who can't pronounce "strategy."

 

[Candlelight]

Chang would be reciting Harry Potter.

 

[WalkinMan]

It's a very interesting question, what if TUC were made for 2007. Ultimately I think that the seeds for the cold war-ish Klingon/Federation conflict were laid throughout the Trek franchise up to TUC, plus shown as an aftermath in TNG. So I think the Cold War element would have stayed the same, so far as glasnost--peace--etc.

However, in the modern era, perhaps the extremists who wanted to derail the peace process would have been more fanatical? Perhaps Klingon attackers would be a lot more nasty, trying to incite a war between the Federation and Klingons.

In some ways, the explosion of Praxis, then thought to be like Chernobyl (it seemed), might instead be thought of as a rogue nation's accident like say Iran or North Korea were to have a nuclear plant disaster. So perhaps Praxis could be the explosion of a Klingon "Genesis" weapon attempt.

And the inciting of war, could follow with perhaps terrorist attacks on the Federation, making it very hard to push for peace when Starfleet admirals want to fight back.

 

[Plum]

It is very informative to watch the special features included in the remastered DVD set, which I picked up from a cheap bin sometime ago. The interviews with Nick Meyer and the rest give wonderful insight to their inspirations and origins of the story.

The explosion of Praxis, the Klingon moon, was indeed a Chernobyl event. Right down to the denials from the Soviets, er, Klingons. It was this event that allowed Gorbachev, the last Soviet Premier, the leeway to end the Cold War. He was Gorkon.

Kirk was the bigot, as much as Valaris and Chang were frightened of 'change', so was Kirk. It never occurred to Kirk to take Gorkon at his word.

And the dinner scene is filled with dialog and opinions that stand out to someone my age. Such as the "you've never really heard Shakespeare unless you've heard him in the original Klingon" line. Just like the Nazi's used to do, cultural imperialism.

Kirk goes through a journey from hatred and bigotry, mirroring the deep divisions internationally, er, galactically, between competing empires, and comes through with the realization that change is enviable. Those who don't change destroy themselves (and sometimes take a few starships with 'em).

For me, this was the last really terrific, world class, Star Trek movie. A movie that was smart, relevant, and kicked ass. Later Treks could only dream of being this good. When you watch the special features on the DVD you can see that, despite Gene Roddenberry's dislike for the militarism of Nick's Trek, ST:VI was put together by some world class artists from Shatner, Nimoy, Plumer, to all the rest. Man, I miss the treks with all this talent around.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Kirk and crew would've lost their Social Security by now.

 

[Computer]

1. Dukat leads Cardassian forces on an attack on Earth.

2. The Federation invades Cardassia and overthrows the Obsidian Order.

3. Starfleet fails to find Dukat.

4. Friends in the Dytalix Mining Corporation need a favor so the Fed President directs Starfleet Intel. to find/produce evidence that the Klingons are developing a Genesis device.

5. Starfleet intercepts a ship carrying toothpicks and claims they will be used as part of the internal genesis casing.

6. The Federation invades the Klingon homeworld but without a plan the former Empire separates into factions and cause a civil war.

7. Reelection time in the Federation, the President uses the fear card like its going out of style and scares everyone into reelecting him claiming that voting for an Andorian or Vulcan is a vote for Dukat.

8. 4 Years later the Federation is still stuck in the former Klingon Empire while the Romulans are remilitarizing the NZ. But thats someone elses problem since the Fed President is leaving office anyways.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

You can bet the scene revealing the shooter was a Federation officer would be kept.

The entire Klingon moon blowing up would turn out to the result of Starfleet sabotage.

Basically, the Federation would have corrupt leaders and be utterly villified, while the Klingons' innate hositility would dismissed as cultural differences and legit grievances.

At one point the Federation president would boast that the UFP was founded as a great coalition of planets, and a Romulan ambassador would say "...there were three planets: Andoria, Tellar and Earth. That's not a grand coalition. We can do better."

To which the Federation president would respond "He forgot Vulcan!"

 

[RookieBatman]

Computer said:
1. Dukat leads Cardassian forces on an attack on Earth.

2. The Federation invades Cardassia and overthrows the Obsidian Order.

3. Starfleet fails to find Dukat.

4. Friends in the Dytalix Mining Corporation need a favor so the Fed President directs Starfleet Intel. to find/produce evidence that the Klingons are developing a Genesis device.

5. Starfleet intercepts a ship carrying toothpicks and claims they will be used as part of the internal genesis casing.

6. The Federation invades the Klingon homeworld but without a plan the former Empire separates into factions and cause a civil war.

7. Reelection time in the Federation, the President uses the fear card like its going out of style and scares everyone into reelecting him claiming that voting for an Andorian or Vulcan is a vote for Dukat.

8. 4 Years later the Federation is still stuck in the former Klingon Empire while the Romulans are remilitarizing the NZ. But thats someone elses problem since the Fed President is leaving office anyways.

Well, that post certainly wasn't politically biased.

 

[Sci]

RookieBatman said:

Computer said:
1. Dukat leads Cardassian forces on an attack on Earth.

2. The Federation invades Cardassia and overthrows the Obsidian Order.

3. Starfleet fails to find Dukat.

4. Friends in the Dytalix Mining Corporation need a favor so the Fed President directs Starfleet Intel. to find/produce evidence that the Klingons are developing a Genesis device.

5. Starfleet intercepts a ship carrying toothpicks and claims they will be used as part of the internal genesis casing.

6. The Federation invades the Klingon homeworld but without a plan the former Empire separates into factions and cause a civil war.

7. Reelection time in the Federation, the President uses the fear card like its going out of style and scares everyone into reelecting him claiming that voting for an Andorian or Vulcan is a vote for Dukat.

8. 4 Years later the Federation is still stuck in the former Klingon Empire while the Romulans are remilitarizing the NZ. But thats someone elses problem since the Fed President is leaving office anyways.

Well, that post certainly wasn't politically biased.

But completely accurate.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Sci said:

RookieBatman said:

Computer said:
1. Dukat leads Cardassian forces on an attack on Earth.

2. The Federation invades Cardassia and overthrows the Obsidian Order.

3. Starfleet fails to find Dukat.

4. Friends in the Dytalix Mining Corporation need a favor so the Fed President directs Starfleet Intel. to find/produce evidence that the Klingons are developing a Genesis device.

5. Starfleet intercepts a ship carrying toothpicks and claims they will be used as part of the internal genesis casing.

6. The Federation invades the Klingon homeworld but without a plan the former Empire separates into factions and cause a civil war.

7. Reelection time in the Federation, the President uses the fear card like its going out of style and scares everyone into reelecting him claiming that voting for an Andorian or Vulcan is a vote for Dukat.

8. 4 Years later the Federation is still stuck in the former Klingon Empire while the Romulans are remilitarizing the NZ. But thats someone elses problem since the Fed President is leaving office anyways.

Well, that post certainly wasn't politically biased.

But completely accurate.

That is accurate because that is what Hollywood would choose to do.

 

[Computer]

^^ Hey I answered the question using parallels.

We can also create such popular plots as:

"Federation President ignores the warning of Ambassador Gorekon, refuses to acknowledge the threat of warp drive to galactic evironmental stability repealing a treaty signed by almost all other warp capable civilizations which places limits on warp speed."

or

"A scandle that rocks the very foundations of the Federation when the President fires 29 sector JAG officials all of non-earth orgin in an attempt to cover up a plot to replace every important Judicial position in the Federation with Humans. But with an interesting turn of events when the Packleds gain a majority influence in the Federation Council and claim that they will "fix the problems in the Federation because they are broken" operating on a platform of "We look for things, things that make us elected, will they accomplish anything? the outlook is grim but they are anything if not persistent.

 

[Tomalak]

Maybe something along the lines of DS9's Homefront/Paradise Lost. The issues of Changeling terrorists infiltrating Earth, leading to a massive security clampdown from overly 'patriotic' officers is quite prescient.

 

[SmoothieX]

^ Oooh, you nailed it right there.

A panicky society on edge and at odds with each other, where personal liberties are compromised in the interest of internal security.

 

[Tomalak]

Maybe a sort of 24-type thing, only less reactionary and jingoistic, with the villain turning out to be admiral Cartwright all along, with Chang as his helper. You could adapt the characters and situations fairly easily.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Kirk as Jack Bauer...
"Drop... the gun... Drop it... NOW!"

 

[MyCylon]

I think probably one of the major differences would have been that the initial trigger which took place externally in TUC - the explosion happened in Klingon territory - would take place internally if the movie took place today. It would be something striking the very heart of the Federation itself that would set everything in motion, I think.
Obviously, this would have led to a very different film but then, I think these are very different times.