Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Other mistake: When Sulu tells Kirk he is coming to help, he states the Excelsior is currently in the Alpha Quadrant. The problem is the the Alpha Quadrant in the Star Trek universe is one quarter of the total Milky Way Galaxy. While technically correct, Sulu giving his position as in the Alpha Quadrant is useless to Kirk in terms of knowing when to expect help. It doesn't matter where Khitomer is in the galaxy. Sulu saying he is in the Alpha Quadrant gives Kirk absolutely no idea of when he will arrive. He could be anywhere from 5 minutes away to 5 weeks away or even further. Remember, it was originally projected to take Voyager 70 years to go from the Delta Quadrant back to the Federation in the Alpha Quadrant.

Guy

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Suggested correction: The implication is that Excelsior has only very recently crossed the border from the Beta Quadrant to the Alpha Quadrant.

TonyPH

Even if that "implication" were true (and there's nothing dialogue-wise to indicate such) it's still useless to Kirk as to when the expect help. The dividing line between the Alpha and Beta is fully half the width of the galaxy.

Guy

Sulu doesn't expect Kirk to deduce where the Excelsior is, he tells him directly that they're unlikely to make it in time, and the reason is that they are "now in Alpha Quadrant" i.e. they were previously not in the Alpha Quadrant, i.e. they're far enough away that recently they were in a whole other quadrant of the galaxy. (I agree it's an awkward line, but it makes sense if you think of it like "I'm now in the U.S." if it's known you already live there - it means you've just returned).

TonyPH

Continuity mistake: After the trial, Colonel West and others discuss plans on how to rescue them. The president rejects the plans, which are then left by the group in the president's office. Then a little later the president talks with Gorkon's daughter via view screen and the plans are still there in full view in the background.

wizard_of_gore

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Suggested correction: Why is this a mistake?

Guy

Other mistake: It was shown that whatever form Martia was in, whether it be the attractive semi-human form, the Sasquatch form, or the little girl form, her voice always remained the same. Why didn't her voice remain when she morphed into Kirk?

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Suggested correction: Clearly she has the ability to control when and how her voice changes in the same way she controls her physical form.

Character mistake: At the trial, the witness said that "With the first shot, we lost our gravitational field. I found myself weightless, and unable to function." However, the first shot caused the ship to start listing to port. It was the second shot that caused the gravitational failure.

Movie Nut

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Suggested correction: People misremember events all the time, especially if the events are unexpected and chaotic. At best a character mistake.

I called it a character mistake.

Movie Nut

He could also simply be lying in order to explain why he did not do whatever he should have after the 1st shot, since he was an easy target for the intruders and did not die in battle, which would have been honorable. Klingons are not the most honest of people.

It's also important to remember this was a "show" trial, where many things were manipulated to make Kirk and McCoy look guilty. Everything the Klingon witnesses say is suspect.

That I will agree with.

Movie Nut

Continuity mistake: At the beginning, the USS Excelsior detects an approaching shockwave. One of the bridge officers is standing next to Sulu, delivering a report. When the camera angle changes, the same officer is seated at a console behind two standing crewmen. When the camera cuts again, he's between Sulu and that console, then sits to operate it.

More mistakes in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Spock: The lieutenant was the first Vulcan to be graduated at the top of her class.
Kirk: You must be very proud.
Lieutenant Valeris: I don't believe so.
Bones: She's a Vulcan all right.

More quotes from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Trivia: Originally, this movie was going to be a prequel about when Kirk and Spock first met at Starfleet Academy.

More trivia for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Question: Is it my imagination, or does the opening theme sound similar to the classical piece "The Planets - Mars" by Holst?

StevenJ

Chosen answer: There are certain similarities, yes. Whether any specific aspects of the piece were deliberately incorporated into the film's opening theme is an open question, but the overall feel is undoubtedly very similar.

Tailkinker

Answer: At one point Nicholas Meyer did indeed have the idea to incorporate "The Planets" into the score, but apparently the rights proved too expensive. I have no doubt Meyer asked composer Cliff Eidelmann to give the score a similar sound.

TonyPH

More questions & answers from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

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