What If: Star Trek (TMP)
- Thread starter CuttingEdge100
- Start date
Sorry to repeat, but i believe the missing "Nogura" scene, which we see discussed before and after, could have gone a long, long way to explaining Kirk's evolution from assmiral to captain. AND set up why the "E" was sent out (other ships were being drawn in for protection or evac). AND set up the "draft" McCoy mentioned.
TMP should definitely had more character bits.
I would have had a scene in the rec-deck before the Enterprise reaches V'Ger, where Sulu, Chekov and Uhura are discussing the mission. In the background Ilia would be beeting all-comers at that game "she nearly always won".
None of which would have made the film more entertaining. Exposition is generally boring. First, any questions about Kirk's reasons could have been better served by coming out on the Enterprise in arguments with Decker and Bones, etc., which makes better use of the cast. Why waste time on a big scene with a character we'd see once? And why in heaven's name would anyone want to set up McCoy's "draft"? It's nice and concise as it is.
The film didn't need more scenes, it needed the scenes it had to do more.
trevanian
Rear Admiral
You know, the more I read different people's versions of what they think would improve The Motion Picture, the more I like the movie as it stands...
Yeah, but if you read the thread a few dozen times, their versions would start to look better, just like TMP seems better once you've gotten all the disappointment out of your system (took me a lotta years.)
You know, the more I read different people's versions of what they think would improve The Motion Picture, the more I like the movie as it stands...
Yeah, but if you read the thread a few dozen times, their versions would start to look better, just like TMP seems better once you've gotten all the disappointment out of your system (took me a lotta years.)
I never understood the disappointment with TMP, myself. Then again I watched it after I watched reruns of TOS and saw treks II and III as a kid (the parents rented them backword by accident), so my perception of it may have be different.
Then again, I have no problem with "slower" paced, more visual perception, movies. So that may have been it too.
trevanian
Rear Admiral
There is a difference between slowly or stately paced movies and movies that aren't paced well. I mean, 2001 and most David Lynch would be slow paced, but not boring at all. But TMP ... lack of contrast, lack of urgency, lack of ... well, it lacked alot.
Even so, I still like it much more than SFS, TVH, and TUC-NEM.
Paraphrasing DUNE:
It tried and failed? No, it tried and died.
Even so, I still like it much more than SFS, TVH, and TUC-NEM.
Paraphrasing DUNE:
It tried and failed? No, it tried and died.
A lot of people have said a lot of the things I would do already, so I'll leave that alone. However, I got an interesting idea.
Dump the Enterprise flyover with the travel pod. Well, don't dump it entirely, but,
-Make the drydock a far more concealing structure
-Place the ship in darkness
Have the transit between office and ship take like a minute at most, without showing much of the Enterprise herself. Then have the big visual unveiling later when the ship leaves with the lights popping on and everything. I think it would have been a much more dynamic unveiling.
Dump the Enterprise flyover with the travel pod. Well, don't dump it entirely, but,
-Make the drydock a far more concealing structure
-Place the ship in darkness
Have the transit between office and ship take like a minute at most, without showing much of the Enterprise herself. Then have the big visual unveiling later when the ship leaves with the lights popping on and everything. I think it would have been a much more dynamic unveiling.
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You know, honestly I think TMP would have been way better if they took the Genesis plot from ST:II, but rather than have Kahn and the Reliant you'd have Romulan or Klingons getting involved in the plot, possibly stealing the genesis torpedo, a nice huge series of fights and ultimately the thing gets detonated or something and a planet gets created.
It would be better than the V'Ger idea...
It would be better than the V'Ger idea...
In other words, you think they shouldn't have made TMP.
Frankly, most of the ideas proposed in this thread illustrate why most people aren't screenwriters, any more than most people aren't artists. It looks easy, but it's very very hard work to do it even passably.
DS9Sega,
I did not say that. I said that I think it would have been better if it was more like TWOK/TSFS.
I never said I was a screen-writer... I am simply expressing an opinion.
CuttingEdge100
I did not say that. I said that I think it would have been better if it was more like TWOK/TSFS.
I never said I was a screen-writer... I am simply expressing an opinion.
CuttingEdge100
No, that's exactly what you're saying. The elements you described would have been a totally different film...thus not TMP.
And so am I...and my opinion is that most of the ideas presented here illustrate why most people aren't qualified to be screenwriters.
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Well, you obviously have an opinion on the ideas, why don't you critique them for us. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the ideas so far.
I've already critiqued some of them upthread.
Well, you obviously have an opinion on the ideas, why don't you critique them for us. I'd be interested in your thoughts on the ideas so far.
DS9Sega,
Well, I didn't have a problem with them making a movie in 1979, or that it was called "The Motion Picture" -- However you are correct that I really do not like the plot and did propose elements hypothetically that would be a completely different film...
I should mention that I did ask people what they would have changed, and did even ask people if anybody wanted to completely overhaul the plot, completely change it and everything...
CuttingEdge100
Well, I didn't have a problem with them making a movie in 1979, or that it was called "The Motion Picture" -- However you are correct that I really do not like the plot and did propose elements hypothetically that would be a completely different film...
I should mention that I did ask people what they would have changed, and did even ask people if anybody wanted to completely overhaul the plot, completely change it and everything...
CuttingEdge100
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Anybody else, in a "what if" scenario -- who would have made huge changes to the TMP plot, if not completely altered the whole thing if they were the Executive Producer or Director?
CuttingEdge100
CuttingEdge100
You know, honestly
I'm wondering if the NCC-1701 Refit really needed those large spot lights just above the nav-dome, first of all, spot lights are not all that efficient -- LED's are.
I mean the lights could have been fitted on the structure just above the dome (the dome is mounted below a rim). It would have given the Enterprise a simpler look but simpler in a more advanced way (many advanced designs often have a clean cut simpleness about them)
I'm wondering if the NCC-1701 Refit really needed those large spot lights just above the nav-dome, first of all, spot lights are not all that efficient -- LED's are.
I mean the lights could have been fitted on the structure just above the dome (the dome is mounted below a rim). It would have given the Enterprise a simpler look but simpler in a more advanced way (many advanced designs often have a clean cut simpleness about them)
trevanian
Rear Admiral
Wouldn't play to the specular qualities of the new paint job with LED type lighting. The 'splash' of light IS the look.
I think those are the sensor arrays. They glowed white because... surprise, the sensor arrays glowed white in TOS. The spotlights happened to be in similar locations (this is how I understand it, though perhaps summoning The God Thing or Probert would be of benefit for clarification.
