Was it purely for dramatic effect? Or were some saying they wanted to introduce a new ship in the later films?
Why did they destroy the Enterprise in ST3?
- Thread starter ConRefit79
- Start date
If that is the case, I guess the fan reaction to Excelsior was so bad, they went back to Connie Refit. Best decision they could have made. That or build a new model that fans would like as a successor.
The people who wrote the comic books during this period DID put Kirk and Co. on the Excelsior, after getting the inside word on those plans. Then they had to write themselves into contortions to get them off that ship and back onto another Enterprise.
I'm not sure of the reasons but it did make for a rather dramatic moment in Trek movie history. The only other thing quite as knee jerk, imo, was Spock's death in TWOK.
Fans apparently went batshit crazy at the idea of the Enterprise dying. Kirk's flesh-and-blood son? No one cared 
I'm almost 100% certain it was for dramatic effect and no other reason. The filmmakers probably just assumed that there'd be a replacement ship, but they didn't have specific ideas about it. And since the Enterprise-A looked exactly like the original, it obviously wasn't that they were tired of the old design.
Personally, at the end of TVH, I would have had the Enterprise-A be a second Excelsior class ship instead of going back to the original model, if only to justify the cost of the new model.
Fans apparently went batshit crazy at the idea of the Enterprise dying. Kirk's flesh-and-blood son? No one cared
Well, I thought it sucked...easier to replace a ship than a person. Glad the novelizations covered this a bit more, and of course David's death is directly referenced in TUC.
At the time, I had thought that was what was going to happen too. Or, perhaps the Excelsior would be renamed the Enterprise, I had thought... kinda wish they had done that!
I think one of the reasons the writeres went with the Enterprise was destroyed because it was becoming redundant as the "Flagship", they had screentested the Excelsior in TSFS and realising the reception for the ship wasn't exactly "enthusiastic" they simply decided to update the Connie Refit and run with that for TVH
TBH, the Excelsior would have probably proved more popular had:
Scotty not made negative (yet hilarious) remarks about it
The initial Captain had not been a tool
The original Bridge had not been on "taste par" with the TMP uniforms
The Transwarp Drive element been withheld from the film (it really sucked)
Essentially the film crew themselves, ruined the option of having Excelsior replace the Enterprise (whether they renamed the Excelsior, Enterprise or not)
TBH, the Excelsior would have probably proved more popular had:
Scotty not made negative (yet hilarious) remarks about it
The initial Captain had not been a tool
The original Bridge had not been on "taste par" with the TMP uniforms
The Transwarp Drive element been withheld from the film (it really sucked)
Essentially the film crew themselves, ruined the option of having Excelsior replace the Enterprise (whether they renamed the Excelsior, Enterprise or not)
No, ILM is on record as having hated the TMP filming model. It was incredibly heavy, hard to light, hard to place on stands, hard to film, and very hard to bluescreen - especially when compared to the Reliant, Grissom, and then Excelsior.
However, fan anger re the "pregnant guppy" (Excelsior) seemed to cause the backtrack to reintroduce the TMP filming model as the "1701-A" in ST IV.
Fans apparently went batshit crazy at the idea of the Enterprise dying. Kirk's flesh-and-blood son? No one cared
After ST II, a friend of mine (who was a big Shatner fan) hated David Marcus with a passion, calling him an upstart wannabe and was totally underwhelmed by the actor. She was lucky enough to get an invitation to the Paramount set the day Saavik and David opened Spock's coffin (in ST III). She came back to Australia insisting that Merritt Butrick was "dreamy" and was devastated on opening night when David was killed.
I felt bad for Kirk. Some of Shatners best work. After reading the novils, I felt bad for Saavik to. But lets be honest, we did not know the character that well. He was almost another redshirt.Fans apparently went batshit crazy at the idea of the Enterprise dying. Kirk's flesh-and-blood son? No one cared
I was very happy when they did the Connie reveal. It was as closed to home as they could get to getting the original back.
^ That scene got a standing ovation when I first saw TVH in the movie theater. Talk about an awesome moment!
Cheers,
-CM-
Cheers,
-CM-
To turn death into a fighting chance.
Either of those scenarios would have worked for me.
I stand corrected. However, I'm curious as to why a new, easier-to-film model was never built for the Ent-A. No money in the budget? Because the new model would have had only 10 seconds of screen time? Or just that sentimentality trumps filming woes?
I love this whole section of the movie - one of the best of all eleven Trek films (and probably makes top 5 of ALL TREK). Kirk's sacrifice is compelling, Shatner's acting terrific, and Bones' response to Kirk's "What have I done?" so perfect: "What you had to do. What you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance for life."
The Enteprrise had to go. As Harve Bennett explained, he believed if Kirk was going to get Spock back, there had to be a payment, a sacrifice: David and the Enterprise were it.
The Enteprrise had to go. As Harve Bennett explained, he believed if Kirk was going to get Spock back, there had to be a payment, a sacrifice: David and the Enterprise were it.
It kinda prompts the question; if some all-powerful being had actually given Kirk that choice directly, to trade the Enterprise for Spock's life, I wonder how he would've reacted? (He probably would've taken it eventually, but he might've thought about it a little while.)
Kirk certainly wouldn't trade David's life for Spock's, given the option.
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