tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post7159851871109275980..comments2024-03-15T07:28:47.064-05:00Comments on Treknobabble: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered CountryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-53573423977275949572012-01-07T00:51:32.179-06:002012-01-07T00:51:32.179-06:00Watching TMP again. I maintain my opinion of it. T...Watching TMP again. I maintain my opinion of it. TMP is a well-conceived movie that is poorly (almost disastrously) edited. But excising 5 to 10 minutes of effects scenes leaves the viewer with a taut, interesting, if somewhat over-serious sci-fi story with good character development. It also has really superb production values, and good performances.<br /><br />TUC on the other hand is a story that is middling in the quality of its concept, but is very well edited and brisk. The overall idea of the story is a strong political allegory with a good character focus, but the plot itself creaks from point A to B to C, using a lot of unjustifiable leaps to progress. Interesting ideas (expecially the excised conspiracy scenes) are bypassed in favor of broader comedic and action elements. The problem is, you can't really fast forward through the problems as you can with TMP. You need all the dumb elements as well as the smart ones for the story to make sense. The main cast acting is a bit tired, with the guest cast really delivering. Production values are high.<br /><br />So you have two good but flawed movies. The question of rating just hangs on which types of flaws annoy you more.matthewweflenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07540521459703556959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-85811879388089216082012-01-06T01:32:51.584-06:002012-01-06T01:32:51.584-06:00I believe I hung my hat on the internal logic prob...I believe I hung my hat on the internal logic problems with some of the pon farr explanation.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05582237401541322274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-50073394163227340512012-01-06T01:16:33.502-06:002012-01-06T01:16:33.502-06:00Yeah, your Amok Time score was something of a trav...Yeah, your Amok Time score was something of a traveshamockery. I may have to listen to that one again just to hear how you justified it ;-)matthewweflenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07540521459703556959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-8402018693748985252012-01-06T00:45:27.502-06:002012-01-06T00:45:27.502-06:00Well, first, I'm going to avoid retroactively ...Well, first, I'm going to avoid retroactively altering a score, to prevent statistical chaos. And if I were, I'd use it amend my score for Amok Time, which I fully admit was wrong.<br /><br />I would still say that TMP is a 4, though TUC is better overall. I may have been affected by my recent fervor for TOS, but I don't think that's all of it. The flaw in TMP is not that the story got away from them and became somehow unfilmable, it's that they literally didn't edit it right. If you fast forward past three or four sequences and play the wormhole sequence in double time, you get an hour and forty-five minute movie without any major flaws, and a hell of a lot going for it. We tend to award fours to episodes that are average plus something special or awesome minus something critical. In the case of TMP, the "critical" was the pacing.<br /><br />And reviewing my TMP review, I think the only thing that changed was then I said the sequences were "uncomfortably close to unwatchable" and here I called them "flatly unwatchable." That was just my naturally accommodating nature not wanting to say something bad when they were trying so hard, so I was diplomatic. Still, I'm happy with the 4.<br /><br />And, like Matt, I think my reviews are consistent as well. I value entertainment value as a coequal part of other parts of the episode. I will say I think this has gotten moreso over the years. My job is pretty emotionally and mentally draining, and I have found my personal tastes have veered toward the lighter in weight. Don't get me wrong...the synergy of high entertainment value and expertly conceived and plotted storytelling makes me deeply happy, and happier than a merely entertaining episode could. Still...they can't all be WOK, and on a rainy Saturday afternoon with nothing to do and nowhere to go, and a choice between the two, I'm probably gonna pick TUC, and that counts for something.Kevinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05582237401541322274noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-14087836655221553962012-01-05T23:59:18.375-06:002012-01-05T23:59:18.375-06:00I think I have consistently shown more charity to ...I think I have consistently shown more charity to high concept sci-fi that ends up on the boring side of things than to action/thrillers with a case of the dum-dums. It's why I can give "Darmok" a 4 and "Night Terrors" a 2, and it's why I don't feel hypocritical or idiosyncratic for liking TMP over TUC.<br /><br />What I find interesting is that Kevin gave TMP a 4 but now seems to talk about it as if it were a 3. Have you changed your mind on it, Kevin? Were you clouded by my enthusiasm and by a recent viewing of TOS?<br /><br />Maybe you should retroactively change your rating :)matthewweflenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07540521459703556959noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4400152815785368447.post-61921254048273624662012-01-05T22:01:10.620-06:002012-01-05T22:01:10.620-06:00So I have to say while I enjoyed the podcast I was...So I have to say while I enjoyed the podcast I was disappointed that you did not mention my favorite Bones moment when he decries the notion of going back to the surface while he makes the grab for the coffee. I also always like the Holmes reference as well. I had never really thought about the murder mystery plot part being problematic but I have always wondered thought Chekov was such an idiot. I think the idea of the patch is that it is like the capsule bond takes in Thunder Ball. It is not a tracker more of a locator if you have a general idea of where the person is. As for the gravity boots. If we assume they are star fleet issue and no crew members are missing clearly they beamed back to the ship.<br /><br />BTW as I am listen I have no issue with you bashing the prequels they deserve to be so. I am a little mad about this rating lower then Motion Picture but bash episoded 1 especially 2 and 3.sirkatzalothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01196996609340706645noreply@blogger.com