Poll STAR TREK CONTINUES: "To Boldly Go (Parts I & II)" - Grading & Discussion Thread

[Firebird]

Alright everyone, since my previous discussion thread was locked, and we never had the chance to do a proper episode poll thread as Warped9 usually does, I decided to go ahead and create a new one. I just ask that everyone please keep it civil this time around, to avoid another thread closure.

Part One (Youtube):

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Part Two (Youtube):

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The only thing I have to add to my previous thoughts on the finale is how much I'm loving Andy Farber's score for the second part. It's easily become one of my all-time favorite Trek scores.

 

[9gs]

I went back and watched part II again with some of the critique I have seen in mind. I have to say I just don't get it. Hats off to Vic and his team for a mission accomplished with little to no funds, super hard work, dedication, and a love of all things Star Trek. I think part II is one of their top 3 episodes and a fitting end to TOS.

 

[FredH]

I certainly enjoyed it, warts and all (there are always warts). Smith's story brings some of the themes of "Where No Man Has Gone Before" full circle, showing what an individual difference Kirk's five years as Captain made; maybe Gary would have made different choices after five years of Kirk's example? And the very final scene, wordless, brings a powerful sense of closure to TOS (and continuity with TMP).

And say what you want, but I loved the line of models -- NX-01, Kelvin, Discovery, 1701 & the planned refit -- bringing everything together.

(Tangential thought: It was never going to happen, but I admit to some vague disappointment that Continues and Phase II's takes on the refit make the two series impossible to reconcile as a single head-continuity.)

 

[Warped9]

I thought “The White Iris” was STC’s nadir, but this two-part finale eclipses that.

This was such a TNG style story in TOS garb and flavoured liberally with extraneous fanservice. It wasn’t about anything and all the characters except Smith are poorly served. Smith, for me, was the only redeeming element of this entire exercise, and even she could have been served better.

After a good number of good moments throughout STC this finale was hugely disappointing.

 

[Maurice]

I thought “The White Iris” was STC’s nadir, but this two-part finale eclipses that.

This was such a TNG style story in TOS garb and flavoured liberally with extraneous fanservice. It wasn’t about anything and all the characters except Smith are poorly served. Smith, for me, was the only redeeming element of this entire exercise, and even she could have been served better.

After a good number of good moments throughout STC this finale was hugely disappointing.

Gotta agree with this assessment. Far too much fan service and way too many extraneous elements and plot contrivances. It's more a checklist than an actual story.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, STC's achilles heel (as is with most fanfilms) is their scripts. I'd love the show if the quality of their scripts had ever approached the bar height they achieved in most other capacities. "Lolanii" remains their strongest script, and the only one I'd revisit.

 

[Firebird]

Yes, the script wasn't perfect (and I do have problems with the characterizations of Kirk and Spock here), and there was liberal seasonings of fanservice all over the place, but ultimately I had a helluva good time watching the finale, and still do on each revisit. That's really what matters in the end for me.

 

[9gs]

Yes, the script wasn't perfect (and I do have problems with the characterizations of Kirk and Spock here), and there was liberal seasonings of fanservice all over the place, but ultimately I had a helluva good time watching the finale, and still do on each revisit. That's really what matters in the end for me.

Absolutely. If you have been to any of the screenings at conventions or kept up with their FB posts you would know the nay sayers are in the super tiny small minority. Not saying they don't have some valid points, but the fans really like STC and for me it's like long lost TOS episodes. There are some TOS episodes that are just awful. I can't say that about any STC episodes. Not even close. I have 5 TOS episodes on my IPAD and when all is said and done I will have about 6 of the 11 STC episodes. Pretty good average I think.

 

[Warped9]

Lets be clear. If you are anything but gushing on the STC FB page you are ostracized or even outright locked out. Not much dissent allowed there.

 

[Reanok]

I voted 5 foe excellent. I really liked both parts 1&2 of To boldly got. It was a really great way to wrap up this series.

 

[Bixby]

Boys ( and ladies) by now we all know who worships and who somewhat disfavours STC's episodes and all the flavours inbetween. Can we actually fill up one page with actual film discussion about the episode? Like no one has dwelled on the FX at all, and this is the first time they surprisingly have more than a handful of CG shots, for example. I'm getting pretty bored with all the yard fighting...

 

[Firebird]

Boys ( and ladies) by now we all know who worships and who somewhat disfavours STC's episodes and all the flavours inbetween. Can we actually fill up one page with actual film discussion about the episode? Like no one has actually dwelled on the FX at all, and this is the first time they actually have more than a handful of shots, for example. I'm getting pretty bored with all the yard fighting...

I'd love to talk about the VFX shots as well. I was quite impressed with the starship CGI in the second part particularly - there were a few shots where the Enterprise looked like a physical model. Probably my favorite was the last closeup of the Enterprise pulling into drydock. There's a slight gravitation shift backwards the Enterprise makes as it stops, almost like it was on a dolly that stopped a little too quickly. It was a nice touch, I thought.

On the flip side, some of the greenscreen compositing in the Earth scenes were a little wonky, especially during Kirk's speech. The crowd shots had an odd perspective, and the live action portions of the shots of Vic making his speech looked washed out compared to the background.

 

[alensatemybuick1]

Well, when people offer the same criticisms over and over again, it does get pretty boring (ON EDIT: so does making the criticism all about you).

Regarding the effects, I thought they were superb. I esp, liked how the Kongo was shown to veer to port as shown from behind and between the nacelles after Lara ordered to disengage the two Enterprise parts and the Romulan ship in Part II, a copy of a stock Enterprise library shot from TOS. I also liked the large interior hall shots at Starfleet HQ, which evoked the rec deck in TMP. The spacedock scene was well done in my opinion, and I really like how the Earth was depicted "color-wise", which looked very much like it did in TMP. The guy in the spacesuit was another TMP call-out of course, which I had no problem with.

Overall, I really liked the blending of effects, uniforms and interiors between the TOS and TMP eras. The difference in production design between the two era was jarring in 1979, but somehow the finale was able to blend components of each in a way that made the transition seem plausible. Arguably, it is the more modern overall CGI effects aesthetic in STC that allowed for that.

As for script contrivances, I pointed out one that really bothered me in the now locked thread. But what else is new? In TMP, the only Starship in interception range of an intruder cloud threatening Earth was a ship undergoing refit in orbit?! In STIV, how convenient was it that Kirk and crew would be given a chance to save the world on their way back to face the music over their actions in the previous film? And as for Kirk not acting like himself...which self? There's the hardass "not on my ship, mister" Kirk, the melancholy WOK Kirk, the insubordinate rules breaking caricature Kirk in STIII, etc. etc.

I don't hold a fan production to any higher standard than I hold "cannon" Trek. Sure, it wasn't perfect, but the conclusion of STC was engaging and emotional and just plain fun, and that's enough for me to appreciate it for what is.

That's all I have to say about that.

 

[Bixby]

Tell me something, if this was a website dedicated to Michael Bay's Transformers would you get annoyed at the people who every film bring up that Bay overuses nausea-inducing camera moves, casual racism, paper-thin characters, and loves explosions more than actual character development each and every time? Yet there are still millions of fans around the world for these films since that franchise is possibly the biggest money-making series ever...

I'm active at two other film discussion websites, and I love discussing Alfred Hitchcock films and could write pages and pages discussing his films. Yet even i know the dude overused the same basic setup for a number of his films as if he couldn`t think of another (it`s ''innocent man who gets somehow accused of a crime and runs for his life from the law, then recruits pretty spunky sceptical young woman who helps save him'')

 

[Warped9]

Well, when people offer the same criticisms over and over again, it does get pretty boring.

It’s pretty annoying when the same mistakes and problems keep re-occuring.

 

[omnirad]

If you can't get 'fan service' from a fan film, then where can you? Some STC episodes have had better, more professional scripts, but this was the "Love Letter" that B&B effed up for Enterprise's finale.

I'm gonna watch both parts again together, with a glass of Tranya and a smile on my face.

 

[Warped9]

If you can't get 'fan service' from a fan film, then where can you?

When a group asserts to make productions like the original then you don’t expect to see bucketloads of overt, unnecessary and extraneous fanservice.

If you want continuity porn then read fanfic...or any number of novels from Pocket Books.

 

[USS Intrepid]

I don’t really understand the need to shoot someone down simply because they have a different reaction to a piece of art than you do. Just because someone likes or dislikes different things to you doesn’t make them your enemy, or some sort of moustache-twirling internet villain. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from the fanfilm community, it’s to grow a thick skin and learn to take criticism, the good and the bad, without (generally) complaining about it. Yes, sometimes it stings but that’s part of art, and it’s part of learning from your mistakes.

 

[Warped9]

A question was asked. I answered it

 

[Tosk]

I'm gonna watch both parts again together, with a glass of Tranya and a smile on my face.

I hope you relish it as much as I.

 

[Firebird]

So, can we perhaps discuss the good aspects of the episode, like the visual effects or the score? I think we've hammered on the discord over the script and characterizations far more than is necessary.