We have a production designer, and Bad Robot may be involved

[Oso Blanco]

They handled the Klingons much better in the 2009 movie than they did in STID. In 2009 they had Klingon looking ships and Klingons with helmets, and I was perfectly happy with that.

In STID on the other hand, they had some Klingon ships that didn't look anything like Klingon ships, and Klingons that didn't look anything like Klingons. What a mess!

 

[Nerys Myk]

They handled the Klingons much better in the 2009 movie than they did in STID. In 2009 they had Klingon looking ships and Klingons with helmets, and I was perfectly happy with that.

In STID on the other hand, they had some Klingon ships that didn't look anything like Klingon ships, and Klingons that didn't look anything like Klingons. What a mess!

So, you're saying this guy:

has nothing in common with these guys?:

I'm going to ask you to cover your left eye and read line four

 

[Rahul]

So, you're saying this guy:

has nothing in common with these guys?:

To be fair, the criticism was about the weird contact lenses and the complete lack of any kind of hair or beard. Which indeed makes him look a bit weird (although this picture here is indeed very flattering with shadows obscuring the weak parts). But that was apparently a make-up issue, as his fake-facial hair got repeatedly ripped off when he tried to remove his mask. But the contact lenses really looked weird and fake-y in motion....

Personally I thought the facial make-up was pretty spot-on. But the new klingon rubber armor looked like shit. And I wasn't a fan of the general re-design of the klingon homeworld architecture style or the weird looking new klingon D4-TIE-fighter Ersatz ship during the trench run in STID.

Likewise for Star Trek 2009 - I really wish we could see more of this, instead of brief Kobayashi Maru simulations:

The basic shape from Matt Jefferies is iconic. But modern production designers seem to have a faible for "busy-ing up" everything. This one was only barely visibly in Trek09, because honestly, it's not a very good re-design.

This design was always very interesting - very clean and Trek-like, whilst looking cutting edge:

Damn! I love this design!
Turns out I really love clean and basic shapes!
In all honesty though: That is perfect! It retains the iconic look, and it has very much detail, sense of scale, functionaliy, without seeming "busy". I love it!

Where is that from? Is there more?

 

[INACTIVEUSS Einstein]

Damn! I love this design!
Turns out I really love clean and basic shapes!
In all honesty though: That is perfect! It retains the iconic look, and it has very much detail, sense of scale, functionaliy, without seeming "busy". I love it!

Where is that from? Is there more?

She really is a beauty isn't she?

I forgot where I originally saw it - on some sort of Trek model forum I think - by Richard Long

But here is a link with more:

http://www.modelermagic.com/?p=31712

 

[Nerys Myk]

To be fair, the criticism was about the weird contact lenses and the complete lack of any kind of hair or beard.

I don't believe any of the comments I read mentioned the contacts. Mostly it was "OMG rings in the ridges!!!!!" "Blingons!!!" The first time we saw Klingons, many were beardless.

So I salute the return to tradition.

 

[shapeshifter]

^

To be fair, the criticism was about the weird contact lenses and the complete lack of any kind of hair or beard. Which indeed makes him look a bit weird

You think that is weird, imaging original fans being greeted to the nuKlingons of TMP.

Then this happened, same character from TOS and DS9
https://vulcanstev.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/klingons.jpg

If you truly are a fan of Trek you'll not sweat the small stuff.

 

[Nerys Myk]

^


You think that is weird, imaging original fans being greeted to the nuKlingons of TMP.

Then this happened, same character from TOS and DS9
https://vulcanstev.files.wordpress.com/2010/04/klingons.jpg

If you truly are a fan of Trek you'll not sweat the small stuff.

But that leaves us with NOTHING!!!!!

 

[Rahul]

I don't believe any of the comments I read mentioned the contacts. Mostly it was "OMG rings in the ridges!!!!!" "Blingons!!!" The first time we saw Klingons, many were beardless.

So I salute the return to tradition.

Don't mistake extras in the background of a 60's show with a main protagonist from a movie from 2013!
But indeed, "Blingons" was a thing, even though it was so stupid I erased it already from my memory...
I think the klingons in Into Darkness were especially prone to criticism since they didn't actually played any part in the story. They were just presented as "oh look, Klingons!" during the hunt for Khan, and to give Uhura a (rather pointless) strong moment. But if you don't like the general presentation of something, it's much easier to see all the little flaws with it, compared to accepting mistakes in stuff you like (Trek09 was WAY better received than "nto Darkness, and this is not the first time I heard "The Trek09 klingons were better", even though they were practically identical in both movies...)

If I got a penny everyone complained about make-up changes in Star Trek... But seriously, I think every new Iteration of Trek should feel free to introduce changes and progression in make-up. Without that we would have never gotten Andorians with moving antennas, or the "Xindi" from Enterprise. And I'm actually hoping for (minor) re-designs of ALL known species in the new series as well!

 

[Nerys Myk]

Don't mistake extras in the background of a 60's show with a main protagonist from a movie from 2013!

I dunno. A couple of those beardless Klingons had as much to do in "Errand of Mercy" as The Blingon did in STID.

 

[Rahul]

Right, I should have said "speaking role" instead of "protagonist"

 

[jamestyler]

I really liked the different look - close enough to the last make up tweak to seem in line, and different enough to show that not everybody looks the same.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Right, I should have said "speaking role" instead of "protagonist"

"Errand of Mercy" gives us such scintillating beardless dialog as:
"Out of the way, Organian"
and
"Next time, keep your eyes open, or I'll shut them permanently"

 

[Oso Blanco]

So, you're saying this guy:

has nothing in common with these guys?:

That's exactly what I'm saying. Every single Klingon from TMP forward was easily recognisable as a Klingon. The STID Klingons could have been any other alien ... out of context there was no way to tell if they were Klingon or some new alien race no one had ever heard before.

 

[Dukhat]

That's exactly what I'm saying. Every single Klingon from TMP forward was easily recognisable as a Klingon. The STID Klingons could have been any other alien ... out of context there was no way to tell if they were Klingon or some new alien race no one had ever heard before.

Speak for yourself. I had no problem with their depiction. You might as well be arguing that you couldn't recognize the TMP Klingons as Klingons because they looked nothing like the TOS Klingons. Or that ST'09 Romulans looked nothing like TNG Romulans just because they have bald heads and tattoos.

 

[Oso Blanco]

Or that ST'09 Romulans looked nothing like TNG Romulans just because they have bald heads and tattoos.

That's true, although it had been explained in the Countdown comics.

 

[Dukhat]

That's true, although it had been explained in the Countdown comics.

Actually, the comic's explanation was wrong. It said that the Narada crew shaved their heads and got the tattoos in honor of Romulus's destruction. However, the film itself shows a hologram of Nero's dead wife (from before the planet was destroyed) , and she had tattoos too.

 

[Nerys Myk]

That's exactly what I'm saying. Every single Klingon from TMP forward was easily recognisable as a Klingon. The STID Klingons could have been any other alien ... out of context there was no way to tell if they were Klingon or some new alien race no one had ever heard before.

I'm going to ask you to cover your left eye and read line two. While reading, think of the words "cranial ridges".

 

[Tyr]

I'm going to ask you to cover your left eye and read line two. While reading, think of the words "cranial ridges".

And I'm going to ask you to cover your left eye and read line four. While reading, think of the words "pointed ears". Because until Into Darkness no Klingon ever had pointed ears...

 

[Nerys Myk]

And I'm going to ask you to cover your left eye and read line four. While reading, think of the words "pointed ears". Because until Into Darkness no Klingon ever had pointed ears...

Romulan in the woodpile somewhere. Cranial ridges are still the key feature. Of course until TMP they didn't have those either. The make up is always evolving.

 

[jamestyler]

Actually, the comic's explanation was wrong. It said that the Narada crew shaved their heads and got the tattoos in honor of Romulus's destruction. However, the film itself shows a hologram of Nero's dead wife (from before the planet was destroyed) , and she had tattoos too.

My wife's got tattoos. Me and her are going to have to have a frank discussion about her heritage....