Would TMP have been better had they used the TOS uniforms?

[CaptainMurdock]

I think one thing we can agree on for TMP that was bad was the bland pajama uniforms that showed off everyone's junk.

Would it have been an improvement to just use the TOS/Phase II uniforms one last time, then transition to the Crimson militaristic uniforms we see from WOK to TUC?

What are your thoughts?

 

[Harvey]

I do dislike the movie's heavy use of pastels, but I don't think changing the uniforms would improve my opinion of the movie much. The movie's real problems -- pace and story -- would remain the same.

This is similar to my feelings about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The movie's visual effects are for the most part embarassingly bad. But replacing them still won't solve the movie's fundamental story flaws.

 

[CaptainMurdock]

I do dislike the movie's heavy use of pastels, but I don't think changing the uniforms would improve my opinion of the movie much. The movie's real problems -- pace and story -- would remain the same.

This is similar to my feelings about Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. The movie's visual effects are for the most part embarassingly bad. But replacing them still won't solve the movie's fundamental story flaws.

Hmmm good point. Would have made it more watchable to you?

 

[BillJ]

Keep the uniforms but use the TOS color scheme.

 

[Cinema Geekly]

Been better? No. Looked Better? YES!

 

[Mage]

I actually liked Kirk's admiral uniform he wears in the beginning of the movie. The other uniforms were kinda odd though...

But TOS uniforms? No.

 

[RandyS]

I do dislike the movie's heavy use of pastels, but I don't think changing the uniforms would improve my opinion of the movie much. The movie's real problems -- pace and story -- would remain the same.

Agreed. But, even in that case, the only real problem is the final hour where they take that 6,000 year ride through VGER, and there's nothing but reaction shots of the crew. Cut that down to say, two minutes or so, and the rest of the movie is fine.

I admit the jammies the crew wore in the movie were stupid, but it was the least of the film's problems.

 

[Maurice]

You people are seeing underwear lines and thinking you're seeing "junk". In the book Chekov's Enterprise author Walter Koeing states that the costume came with a company issued jockstrap. The trouble with smooth tight costumes like those in TMP is that every pucker and wrinkle really stands out because they don't exhibit the folds and wrinkles which we're used to seeing on most clothes.

 

[C.E. Evans]

The uniforms were the least of TMP's problems.

I actually like the TMP uniforms, and do consider them the most "realistic" for a futuristic starship navy. That being said, I probably would have simplified the color scheme for them (the one devised for the film by Robert Fletcher isn't easy follow unless you've got his notes). Olive-green uniforms would be for command personnel; the bluish-gray ones seen in the movie would have been for sciences personnel; and the beige ones would have been for operations personnel.

 

[CaptainMurdock]

I only liked Kirk's Admiral uniform, Spock's black cloak and Scottie's engineering bio suit also seen in TWOK. Everything else was bland, Some color would have brightened it out a bit. Also black slacks would have helped.

 

[CorporalClegg]

I actually liked Kirk's admiral uniform he wears in the beginning of the movie.

Me too. In fact I think it's the best uniform Trek never did--never really cared for Mounties in space myself.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I think the TOS uniforms would have looked better - but with full-length pants, please! And proper badges instead of sewn-on patches.

In unrelated news, did I mention how I really liked the uniforms in the last movie?

 

[Therin of Andor]

I think one thing we can agree on for TMP that was bad was the bland pajama uniforms

No, you do not speak for us all. The uniforms of TMP were one of the things that attracted my eye to the movie in the first place. I loved them, wanted one of my own. Loved the boots fitting into the pants, love the Perscan device buckles.

The pastel colours and uniform styles were a conscious decision by Robert Wise and reflected the 70s' concept of "the future". The colours of the costumes and sets are reminiscent of Wise's own "The Andromeda Strain", also the space station uniforms shown at Disney's then-new EPCOT Center, and even the aliens of "The Last Starfighter".

 

[Admiral_Sisko]

You people are seeing underwear lines and thinking you're seeing "junk". In the book Chekov's Enterprise author Walter Koeing states that the costume came with a company issued jockstrap. The trouble with smooth tight costumes like those in TMP is that every pucker and wrinkle really stands out because they don't exhibit the folds and wrinkles which we're used to seeing on most clothes.

http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tmp/themotionpicture0286.jpg
Indeed.

ETA by the moderator: No hotlinking, folks. Thanks.

 

[CaptainMurdock]

You people are seeing underwear lines and thinking you're seeing "junk". In the book Chekov's Enterprise author Walter Koeing states that the costume came with a company issued jockstrap. The trouble with smooth tight costumes like those in TMP is that every pucker and wrinkle really stands out because they don't exhibit the folds and wrinkles which we're used to seeing on most clothes.

It still doesn't make it a better uniform.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Changing the uniforms wouldn't have helped the film, but the uniforms were indicative of a deeper problem: they were overthinking technical aspects of the production while neglecting the things needed to make a good movie.

But along with others, I loved the Admiral Kirk's uniform, and also Spock's robe and the engineering radiation suits. Ilia's bathrobe wasn't too bad either.

 

[Lance]

Didn't somebody on here a while back do a photoshop showing what the TMP uniforms might have looked like if they'd used TOS's color scheme instead of the dull pastels? I thought those photoshops looked amazing. So I don't object to the design of the uniforms, just with the colors that were used.

I think Bob Wise or somebody else later justified the decision by saying the TOS color sceme wouldn't have photographed well on the big screen, but Trek 2009 seems to have proven that wrong...

 

[Unicron]

Hmmm good point. Would have made it more watchable to you?

For myself, I think Kirk's admiralty uniform had a nice color scheme but the others could have been improved. For TMP as a whole, I think it could have used a stronger script and better development instead of using too many SFX shots. There were elements in the story that were really interesting, like V'Ger's quest to reach a new stage of evolution and the Decker/Ilia relationship, but I feel these weren't fleshed out very well.

 

[Lance]

Maybe the rest of the uniforms should have taken a leaf out of Kirk's uniform, and been two-tone in color? White up the middle, with divisional colors on the sides, arms and pants. One of the things that I think torpedoes the TMP uniforms is that most of them are one colour from head to toe.

I totally get what people are saying about them in some ways feeling like the most 'real' of the uniforms (certainly more than the TWOK ones, which are arguably over-dressed). But it's fiction, and the costumes need to be designed to be visually pleasing to the viewer, not necessarily with 'reality' or 'functionality' in mind. The TWOK uniforms have that eye-catching factor.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Maybe the rest of the uniforms should have taken a leaf out of Kirk's uniform, and been two-tone in color? White up the middle, with divisional colors on the sides, arms and pants.

Kirk's uniform was supposedly the dress uniform for that era, with the greyish-green representing planet-bound personnel. Everyone else's dress uniform would have been identical with the white up the middle, but the rest would have been in the respective service colors of their standard duty uniforms.