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From: merchant@dartvax.UUCP (Peter Merchant)
Newsgroups: net.startrek,net.movies,net.sf-lovers
Subject: THE SEARCH FOR SPOCK (Heavy duty SPOILER!)
Message-ID: <1775@dartvax.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 3-Jun-84 21:51:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: dartvax.1775
Posted: Sun Jun  3 21:51:33 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 5-Jun-84 20:14:34 EDT
Organization: Dartmouth College
Lines: 98

Well, someone said that they wanted to hear a few other comments,
so what the hell.  I'll put in my two cents worth...

I rather enjoyed the movie.  I liked how they managed to bring him
back.  Very clever, indeed.  I would have been thoroughly disgusted
if they landed on the planet to find Spock going "Hey, Jim, what took
you so long?"

I only have one major complaint.  How in the world did the Genesis
effect get into the sealed torpedo?  Possibly it's just ignorance 
on my part, but I don't believe the Genesis effect was caused by
any foofy form of radiation or anything like that, and the thing was
sealed shut.  For that matter, how in the world did the kid get out?
Most coffins that seal shut don't have any way to get out from the
inside.  The theory is, if he's dead, he ain't going to be going
anywhere.  The torpedo HAD to be sealed shut.  If it wasn't, how
did it withstand re-entry?

Of course, the argument can be shot down by saying the torpedo
was damaged on re-entry or something like that.  I don't think my
complaint is a major shortcoming...I just wished they'd explained
it better.
 
Minor complaints:
 
1.  Some scenes smacked a bit too much of Star Wars.  The bar, in
    particular, and the scene where they break McCoy out, in general.
    The Klingon Commander's pet reminded a bit too much of some of
    the beasties that inhabitted Boba-Fett's place.
 
2.  Doesn't it seem like Kirk got away a bit too easy?  I mean, come
    on!  A Starship does have alot of rather interesting things in 
    it's memory banks.  Conceivably, information on the Genesis device.
    The fact that Star Fleet let them, basically, walk away with the
    Enterprise is a bit questionable.

3.  The comment I hear over and over again: How did Kirk notice the
    weirdness of space and the computer didn't.  This one I give a
    half-point.  Basically, nobody asked the computer "Hey, computer,
    analyze what looks like a weirdness in space for me."  Maybe,
    Maybe...                                   

4.  Someone has to tell ILM (Industrial Light & Magic...the people who
    do most of the effects work) to mellow out.  The Transporter is
    far too foofy for my taste.  There is a little twinkle after they
    materialize which reminds me of the pixie dust from Peter Pan.
    (McCoy's latest: "I'm a doctor, not tinkerbell!")
 
5.  Why did the Klingon Ship have both a transporter and a way to land?
    I don't remember seeing the Klingon Transporter Room, so maybe there
    was a logical reason (like the transporter room was too small) but 
    it seems like a waste to me.             

6.  Similar to the Enterprise concept: Why didn't the Federation notice
    this Klingon Battle Cruiser flying around.  Also, if the Federation
    has bases and things like that on Vulcan (Vulcan is supposed to be a
    pretty mainstay part of the Federation), when Kirk zoomed up to
    Vulcan and went to land, I would think that the Federation would have
    kicked Jim's ass, and I don't care how much clout Sarek might have.
    Look at it from their point of view.  Jim steals the Enterprise.  One
    of the Federation's starships is missing.  Jim returns in a Klingon
    Battle Cruiser.  It doesn't take Einstein to figure out that Jim sold
    out to the Klingons.  He's going to take a few potshots at the Federation
    before he goes home to his new buddies.  I'd say Jim should be space
    dust by now.
 
Of course, it's easy to find fault.  Let's look at some good things:
 
1.  Christopher Lloyd, who played the Klingon Commander, was wonderful.
    He played it mean and nasty, but not viciously so.  He was doing 
    what he had been trained to do.  He didn't have a fiendish laugh
    or anything.  He was quietly nasty.  Bravo!

2.  The fight between Kirk and the Klingon Commander was great.  Jim
    got nailed a couple of times.  I don't expect a 50 year old man
    to fight like a twenty year old man.
 
3.  Spock, as I said above, was handled very well.  I think they might
    have rushed it a bit at the end.  Spock seemed a little unsure at
    first, but caught on fast after he remembered Jim's name.  The eyebrow
    at the end was great, though I haven't quite figured out what might
    have caused it.  Fascinating.
 
4.  The execution of the stealing of the Enterprise was great fun.  
    The integrating of each of our favourite members was fun.  Scotty's
    quote will become the concept for computer hackers everywhere.
    I just wish I could remember it.
 
5.  Jim reacted well to the death of his son.  A few moments of anger
    and then back to business.  Just a caustic remark every now and
    then.
 
All in all, a good movie.  I think my complaints are kind of nitpicky.
I will definitely go see it again.
--
"Scotty!  Save my ass!"                          Peter Merchant