I think it was so cool that the codes were exactly the same as they were in the original series. Just hearing the familiar codes gave all Trek fans goose bumps when seeing this film.
And that scene with Kirk, Spock, and Scotty giving the codes to activate the destruct sequence was chilling. You could also see all the crewmembers looks of fear when they were reading the codes. Great acting! "From 5 to 0 no command in the universe can stop the computer from carrying out its instructions."
"My God Bones. What have I done?" "What you had to do. What you always do...Destroy an entire starship just to kill a few Klingons. . . . " Okay, that was bad. Sorry.
Instead of being unceremoniously de-commisioned, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 fought like a warrior in its last battle and died a beautiful death in space. I'll miss this ship like everyone else of course, but at least she died the way a historic Federation Starship like that was supposed to - giving everything it had right up to the last second. QUOTE: "Turning death into a fighting chance to live!"
Luna Rose Of course, I wouldn't call the Klingons in this film "The Bad Guys"... From Kruge's point of view, the Federation had been testing a weapon, not a terraforming tool, one that would completely change the balance of power, and could potentially be used on them. Kruge sacrificed a lot for the Klingon Empire, including his wife and his crew, and he lost only because Kirk tricked him, which is absolutely humiliating for a Klingon. It's one of the things that makes this film so underrated... The Klingons are antagonists, but certainly not Villains. As far as they knew, everything they were doing was just and honorable.
Yeah, at least her death wasn't like that of the Enterprise-D in Generations where Deanna Troi crashed the saucer section on the planet after the stardrive section blew up.
Exactly, he was a hero in the "Klingon" perspective. Choosing to disobey orders to preserve the Empire, justr as Kirk disobeyed orders to get Spock and saves Earth later on in ST IV.
That wasn't fair. She did report the helm controls were offline! There was no one, no system other than maneuvering thrusters controlling the D in the final moments.
Episode 70: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Codes were given by Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Scotty. Both he and Mr. Chekov remembered those codes pretty well when they had to give out destruct sequences 2 and 3.
The acting in the scene is amazing. The way Scotty and Chekov jump in surprise when Kirk gives the first sequence, Scotty's determination when he gives his sequence, and Checkov's hesitation when he gives his as if thinking "are we really doing this?" Brilliantly done!
If you ask me, that scene where the front saucer explodes remains one of the more spectacular special effects shots. It was off-the-charts in its day, and is still quite impressive to witness even now.
That's what you get when you put a lot of work into the scene and it still gives me chills watching the enterprise go out like that but she went out like a champion
it was a practical effect. That's what makes it spectacular. Not some computerized animation or simulation, but a real destruction, of a model to be sure, but very real.
Interesting Factoid: According to Leonard Nimoy’s commentary on the blu ray disc, it was necessary to create two versions of the destruction of the Enterprise. Apparently the original sequence looked too much like the Death Star explosion from Return of the Jedi, so Nimoy had Industrial Light and Magic go back and create a new, more unique destruction scene for the Enterprise.
The audience in the theater was dead silent as they did the self destruction sequence. You could have cut the air with a knife. The only other time I felt that much tension in a movie theater was when Darth Vader told Luke that he was his father.
I never got to watch it at cinema as it was 5 years before my time but when I first saw it, I was gobsmacked but at the same time I knew it was coming based on the way they were trying to say she's done throughout the movie, still it was emotional all the same
I remember seeing this in a theater. When the Enterprise began to explode, people were actually crying. It has always stuck with me, how deeply the show was loved and the connection people still have to it.
And again after seeing the replay...from the Enterprise getting heavily damaged in ST2, then no refit, to when she leaves spacedock the people in the theater were cheering, then "my God Bones what have I done"... it's "These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise", not about who's Captain.
Many in the audience probably remember the first time this was *almost* used ... and were believing they would pull the same rabbit out of the hat again. And it was a horrible shock when they realized that, this time, it wasn't going to happen. This scene still gives me chills.
The scene with David's death is one of Shatner's finest performances as James T. Kirk, but I'll put this one right up there. Kirk said in "Court Martial" that "nothing is more important than my ship." He also said in "The Naked Time" that he would "never lose you ... never" to the Enterprise. But we see now that there IS something more important than his ship: saving the lives of his friends who'd sacrificed so much. When Kirk finds out David is dead, he does something he's never done before: he stumbles on the bridge of the Enterprise. He takes a moment to lose himself in grief: to be Jim Kirk, a father who lost the son he'd just started to get to know ... just a brief moment. Then he becomes James T. Kirk, galactic hero, once more. James Doohan and Walter Koenig also deserve a great deal of credit for how they played the destruct sequence. When Kirk requests security access, Scotty has a curious look on his face: "What rabbit is he pulling out of his hat now?" When Kirk says, "Destruct sequence one", Scotty has a look of shock and Chekov has one of stunned disbelief as he turns to his captain. After Kirk enters the first sequence, he gives an expectant look to Scott, who has a look of "Are we really doing this?" for a brief moment. Then he does his duty for Jim Kirk, as he has for so many years, by entering in the second sequence; he has faith in whatever Kirk has planned. Chekov is still wearing an expression of disbelief. Then, while Chekov slowly (and still with a look of disbelief) speaks the third sequence, Scott keeps looking between the computer and Kirk ... still quietly gauging his captain. His face gets more emotional as the scene goes on. It's a mix of resignation to the inevitable combined with a sick horror. Chekov just stares straight ahead. And Kirk's face never once wavers from a look of steady resolve, even after he all but whispers the final code. Again, expertly played by Shatner, Doohan, and Koenig. Only actors who are intimately familiar with their characters and understand just how important the Enterprise is to Star Trek could play that scene with such emotion, even with such minimal dialogue. And Nimoy's choice to slowly zoom in until we are right in Kirk's face at the end was perfect. And then, there's the scene on the Genesis Planet as the five men watch the Enterprise, the ship that has been their professional home for years on and off, burns to cinders in the atmosphere. The music combined with the camera movement across the actors' and their expressions are gut wrenching: Sulu's and Chekov's looks of quiet sadness are upsetting, but then the camera pans to Scotty: he has naked pain all over his face. And finally we see Kirk and McCoy. Kirk's expression is the hardest to read: pain, sorrow, disbelief ... and somehow McCoy puts it in perspective. They only have a moment to grieve, and then the magnitude of their situation sinks in: they still have a mission to carry out, and they need to get off this planet.
This, just this. Shatner's stumble onto the floor wasn't planned, it was a flub that was so impactful they kept that version. All three men, the characters and the actors, know they are sending a fourth to her death, and it's the hardest decision the characters ever make. Throughout history, ships have been given names and pronouns, which differ among cultures but not in importance. The name can be one of many things: a memorial for a fallen officer of the past, a continued legacy of a previous ship, or a wet behind the ears newcomer. None of that matters, as that ship becomes its own person. It has its quirks, its flaws, its own distinct personality which the crew will know over time and adapt to it. The ship *IS* a part of the crew. The only modern equivalent is the order to abandon ship and then order the ship scuttled. What is done here is worse, as it's more like taking the family dog, with all the familial connections that can imply, to the vet to have them put down. Anyone who has been through that will know the pain of seeing a family member pass before their eyes and know that they are ending suffering. The "death" of U.S.S. Enterprise N.C.C.-1701 is that but worse, as she is more than a pet, more than family, and more than home. She is all that and more. She is a character a generation grew up with, a home the crew fought to protect and preserve, and a dream generations beyond Roddenberry's vision look upon. Enterprise-C was an episode, Enterprise-D was a movie, but Enterprise, no bloody A, B, C, D, or E, was a character. We may mourn for her, but we will still salute her passing.
@@Name-ps9fx I understand that but that was written from the book. The book's perspective however, I don't believe it that way she never crashed or burned up. yes i know that it is a damn movie but i still believe shes floating out there somewhere in the mutara sector
I agree. The biggest problem with it IMO is that it tends to be pretty slow in parts, but C. Lloyd portrayal of the klingon Captain is outstanding & I think its the benchmark for the way to portray Klingons.
for me personally, this is the hardest death scene in all of Star Trek. it still hurts watching her go out. even if it was in a blaze of glory. but yeah i agree, it is better than having her decommissioned.
I saw this movie during an evening performance (think 7:30PM showing) with my Dad on it's Opening Weekend. We stood in line for a couple of hours to get the tickets, and sat crammed at the far edge of the auditorium rows in a sold-out showing. I remember very well the audible gasp from the audience when the countdown reached zero and the first detonations took place. Many outcries of "No"...! And genuine weeping/crying/tears and general disbelief from many of the audience members, myself included. I am a female, then twelve years old at the time, and will never forget the overwhelming, palpable *distress* that emitted from the audience. Absolutely surreal...! #NerdPride
Adorable times with your dad ! you should get him a USS Enterprise model....I had a similar crammed to the brim movie theater experience with my father, he took me to see Superman 3 but my mother did not go and when we got home she was sitting there cutting a large red cloth for me already....
The Enterprise was such a major character in this movie, probably more so than any of the other films. As when she docks in after returning from her battle with Khan and everybody on the space port looked at her and her battle scars and were shocked to see the damage she took like a broken soldier that will never be the same again. Or how she was going to be decommissioned "Put down" like a lame horse who just ran the greatest race of her life but was too broken to ever win again. It was a bitter sweet ending for her, but she went out on the field in battle like all great warriors should go. Not in a dock or a dark room, but on the field of honor where she dominated and made herself the legend she was.
I think that's what JJ doesn't "get" in his reboots. The Enterprise is a character as important as the rest. JJ blows it up and throws it away without a thought, as if it was no more important than a phaser pistol. Sailors bond with their ships.
I read somewhere that when they decided to bring Spock back from the dead, they had to find a way to do it without cheapening the ending of Wrath if Khan. They decided the only way to do that was to have Kirk face equal or greater losses to get Spock back, so his son and the Enterprise had to go
Oh my goodness, really this is Shatner at his very best what a marvelous job he did in these scenes. You could almost feel the punch in the gut he went through when he lost David. And yet... his Kirk rose above his personal pain to do exactly what was needed to bring about the good. To do, as Bones says, “what you always do, turn earth into a fighting chance for life” . There’s a reason why Kirk is an international heroic icon. As far as I’m concerned the “best Kirk moments” are all 79 episodes of TOS and all 6 movies.
Kirk: What have I done. Bones: Doing what you've always done, turn death into a fighting chance for life. Very inspirational words that have echoed in my mind since seeing this movie for the first time.
"My God, Bones... what have I done?" Such a poignant question... it carries with it all the sorrow of losing the only woman that stayed with him. The Enterprise. But she went down like a champ. A true hero ship to the end, taking down a whole crew of enemies!
The line also shows his realisation of how much trouble they're in - out of the frying pan into the fire as they say - he's stranded his crew (his friends) on what he knows is an unstable world, with an unknown amount of time until its destruction, and an unknown number of pissed off Kligons their only chance of escape / rescue because he just blew up their ship - the only other ship within range belongs to said pissed off Kligons.
This quote reminds me of The City on the Edge of Forever. Specifically, when Kirk let's Edith Keeler get hit by the car. MCCOY: "You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did?" SPOCK: "He knows, Doctor. He knows." As with Edith, Kirk knows what he had done. It's just overwhelming for him.
I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek (Original Series) with my Dad as a kid. When I first saw this scene, I felt like someone had killed a lifelong friend.
This is how you create characters that force the audience to get emotionally invested. Kirk is now officially a survivor. His only son and child brutally murdered. That arm on bones tells us that he has broken down for a moment or two, but he quickly gathers himself, spins around in the Captain's chair, and he's back: Captain Kirk Machine, all systems back online. "I swear to you, we're not finished yet." The Enterprise is completely paralyzed, the Klingon Bastards still have Spock and Savik at knifepoint, but so long as he's alive, Kirk is going to keep the Dice🎲Rolling no matter what. Those are universal human virtues that people the world over will cheer for.
Totally agree. Something I've always loved about this scene is the way Kirk is mentally on the ropes for only a few seconds before he has another idea, one that shows just how far he's willing to go to save his crew and his friends. Kirk is very much a hero in the classical Western sense of the word, IMO; he's like the Odysseus of the Trek universe. :)
John Wallace agreed. I love the way bones steps in to console him & he pushes him back imo saying "no time for comfort , time to step up". That's why he's the best.
3 is the only good odd numbered film in the first 10 movies. 1 is boring because it's so slow. 5 is bad, but not the worst in the franchise. 7 is sort of so-so, probably second best of the TNG films. 9 was a sh**show. Pretty much after First Contact, the rules were out the door. 10 was bad, better than 9, but still bad. 11, while not my favorite film, is better than half of the first 10 films and both of its sequels. 12 was "Oh My God what are we doing here" and 13 was a slight improvement
Love this scene. Kirk, as he always does, puts his pain and grief aside, then comes up with a plan to kick Kruge's dishonourable ass! The lesson in this scene? Never, ever piss Kirk off! lol
May Kruge ride the Barge of the Dead to Gre'thor May Fek'lhr eat the flesh and drink the blood of that dishonorable dog. May Gre'thor be paved with his ashes!
@@mikegallant811 Worf said he was a warrior not a murderer. I think if Kruge had only tried to get Genesis to save his people( mutually assured destruction) then he would go to Sto Vo Kor,(even when the Grissom was destroy- Kruge did NOT want that to happen) but ordering the killing of Kirks son- an unarmed man, was extremely dishonorable.
It's clear that you are a REAL fan. You knew where to start the clip and where to end it. A truly profound moment in Star Trek history. For me that scene captures so much, as do the words of Dr Mc Coy who puts in all in context. Thank You.
@Bobbie Charles The planet was still in the process of completing its transformation when Spock was placed there. By the time they returned, that had been completed. It was too far along to have helped David.
The onscreen emotional bond between these characters is amazing, no need for words, a simple touch, a stare and you know exactly what's going on. Those subtle parts of the original Star Trek is what i miss in the new ones. That theater stage feel on the big screen. I will never, ever get tired of watching them, yes even the fifth, it has it's great moments. You also have to give it up to Christopher Lloyd, from Taxi to Star Trek bad ass Klingon to Doc Brown. What range.
By the way, the destruct sequence codes entered are all from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"--very symbolic and appropriate, though maybe a bit outdated.
This scene is so perfect, music score, dialogue, emotion, and the cinematography is just spot on. The start of the destruct sequence and the shot from the mountain gets me everytime.
It was at this point where you as an audience member wonders, "Jeez, how much punishment can one man take?" Kirk lost his best friend, his son, his career, and his ship all in the span of 2 movies. I don't know if any hero in any franchise has ever been at such a low point. And yet he still gave everyone "a fighting chance to live."
@@marcusjustice6165 The first of her name, and the greatest. The shuttle Enterprise was named after this fine lady, and should we one day create a true starship bearing the name, she can trace her heritage back here. The ship that defined and inspired three generations to look forward to tomorrow, the crew that told them they could be more than what society told them they could ever be, and the unending dream of humanity united.
Nah, before the countdown could complete itself, they'd have to wait for a dozen or so Microsoft updates to install. By that time, the Klingons would control the Enterprise, and probably one or two starbases as well.
Christopher .. Say what? What in the hell does politics ("Hillary Clinton") have to Microsoft updates, Star Trek, and/or the Klingons? You need to see a psychiatrist, man. As soon as possible.
I remember when first seeing this scene in theaters, my Dad reminded me that Kirk threatened to do this throughout the books and original series. He finally did it and took out six Klingons in the process.
The reason they will never compare is because moviegoing audiences and film production studios have also changed in the 30 years since. There is no way to make a movie of this type today and have it sell,... in fact, it would bomb so hard in the box office, Paramount would likely throw the whole franchise in the vault, never to be seen again. A movie MUST guarantee box office return, or it is deemed a failure, if even green-lighted for production at all. That is a FACT. And another fact is that Star Trek was completely out of steam in 2008, and needed a dumbed down blockbuster just to regain traction. There is greater interest in TOS now than there ever was in the decade before 2009, if not two.
@1977Melville The new movies were basically just appetizer to get a new audience interested in watching the old show they hadn't originally considered watching. And in that, it succeeded. I cannot count how many people I've met who became fans of the show that they never thought they'd like because the movie got them curious enough to watch. AS for "Fast and Furious in space" I honestly do not understand that comparison. What, because there was a car in the first one, and a motorcycle in the third? If you really want to go there, it had been that way already with the dune buggy in Nemesis. Other sci-fi movies have had vehicle chase scenes as well, even on the other side of the millennium. They are just much easier to visualize with today's filmmaking technology
Ya they destroy the Enterprise literally the first chance they get, before it's had a chance to really matter to them or be home. Just like bringing Khan in, there was zero drama between him and Kirk when he said his name.
@@k1productions87 That's bullshit. Nothing is more box office Guarantee than this. Star Trek didn't need to be dumbed down. it just was because JJ Abrahams can't do anything that isn't dumb.
Man, what a scene. I remember the previews for this showing the initial destruction but I had no idea that it would mean her end. Yeah, never thought a ship going out in a blaze of glory the way she did would bring a tear to my eye but it was such a beutifully executed scene. Thanks for posting!
All of Spock's belongings in his quarters just went up in flames. Admiral Kirk replays Spock with a heroic rescue." I'm sorry. Spock, we had to steal the ship and run. No body thought of cleaning your quarters."
***** "CGI seems very effortless to me" It's anything but effortless, actually. It takes a huge amount of skill in order to get even half decent CGI results ( just as it does to get half decent non-CGI models ).
The story goes that the Enterprise they blew up was the original model, built for the first film. It was a huge, heavy, fragile thing that the SFX department hated working with because it kept breaking on them. They therefore took particularly sadistic pleasure in blowing the crap out of it in ST3.
ScootsMcGirk Really? I heard they blew apart a four-foot model, and preserved the original six-foot model to remake it into the Enterprise-A. Now I'm wondering...
ScootsMcGirk Really? I understood that they just used another model for the destruction scene and that they kept the original model... just made a few adjustments to it and re-decaled it as the Enterprise-A.
I... think so? I remember it being discussed on one of the making-of features on the ST3 DVD, but I haven't watched it in years. Heck, maybe I just hallucinated it.
Actually, he was an imbecile. Firing a disruptor on disintegrate on the bridge of his own ship in a disciplinary matter was just plain stupid. Getting caught up in his own schemes so much that he didn't know when to withdraw was a major failing. He got exactly what he deserved when Kirk kicked his stupid a$$ into that fissure.
The Enterprise gets blown up every other week nowadays (or so it seems) but back then it was unthinkable that it would ever happen. As a lifelong Star Trek fan I can say that this scene was as shocking to me as the death of Spock; maybe even a little more so.
This film gets a bit of a hard time from some, but for me it’s classic Trek and gave us three of the most outstanding Trek movie scenes of all. The docking scene & the stealing scene (take a bow the great Mr Horner), and this. Great story telling!
So agree! This is one of my favorites of all the films! One of my favorite lines of all the films, was at the end of this scene. Kirk: My God Bones, what have I done? McCoy: What you had to do. What you always do, turn death into a fighting chance to live. Pure Epic!
I say that same thing when Kelvin era Enterprise goes down too. I grew up with the original Trek films yes and will forever love them but Beyond is the best film of the Kelvin era
Awesome Kirk moments? This was a heart breaking Kirk moment. I remember watching this scene in the theaters and it twisting my gut. The Enterprise was and still is just as much an important character as Kirk, Bones and Spock were.
Always liked that the 1701 was given a "Viking's Funeral" rather than being taken out with a sucker punch like her fourth successor was. The mighty -D deserved so much better. I always found this movie to be quite underrated.
This is such a classic scene. It's sad to see the Enterprise "die", but I've always loved how ILM put together the SFX for the death of the Enterprise.
Horner's music as they're triggering the self-destruct sequence is incredible. It restates the main theme, but interweaves this strange, meandering, string melody that conveys the profoundly disturbing mix of emotions that you know these characters are feeling: desperation at their situation, heartbreak at what they're about to do, and determination to survive and rescue their friend.
I remember watching this as a kid, and being both awed and incredibly saddened at the same time. I have probably watched this scene over 100 times over the years, and it still gives me shivers. One of the most spectacular "death" scenes in Sci-Fi movie history.
"No tricks, Kirk! You have one minute!" Unfortunately, no one told Kruge that Kirk only needs one minute to come up with a Plan to fuck his shit up. Khan already went through that in the last film!
+Schwatvogel Love the way that in this scene there is a visual and musical callback to Wrath of Khan when they're running down from the bridge to the transporter room: it's almost exactly the same as when Kirk runs down to engineering at the end of WoK when he realizes that Spock is in mortal danger. This parallels the thematic reversal of WoK/SfS: in Wrath of Khan Spock sacrifices himself to save the Enterprise. In Search for Spock Kirk sacrifices the Enterprise as part of his mission to save Spock. And, of course, sometimes the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many... SfS is underrated.
The return "No tricks" line said with subtle venom by Kirk, reveals the hidden vengeful monster within Kirk, that Kruge awakened. Did he really think that he could kill Kirk's son on the Genesis planet and get away with it?
the music to the scene when the klingons board too the enterprise is incredible and also the part where kirk initiates the self destruct sequence.brilliant
I'll add that the scene at 4:22 is so burned in my brain as one of the most iconic movie moments of my life. I'm looking at making a print of that scene to hang on the wall of my man cave.
For me, the scene that is burnt into my brain the most, as silly as it sounds, is seeing "NCC-1701" slowly getting incinerated, as if to say "yes, we're really doing it".
@@WaterCranegreat point. I still had this glimmer of hope that somehow the Enterprise would make it through but my goodness, what a gloriously epic, elegant, and ultimately bittersweet scene this was.
I'll bet when this movie played at every theatre when it first came out and this scene came up as everyone in the theatre watched the destruction of the Enterprise I'll bet there wasn't a single dry eye in the whole theatre as to a lot of people the Enterprise was a very much loved icon from when she first zoomed across t.v. screens in the 60's to her return to the big screen in Star Trek The Motion Picture.
In the days before CGI, the effort put into the special effects for the Enterprise's death scene is no less that masterful. Through the holes blown in the ship's circular disk section, there is a subtle effect observable of the internal structure of the ship that conveys depth as the ship rotates in respect to the viewer. Apart from the expert and moving character acting of Kirk and his crew, it's just amazing how much effort (read love) was put into this pivotal scene.
I disagree with that he wanted vengance for the murder of his son David, look his face Kirk wanted the Klingons to pay with their lives, and only way to do that destroy the ENTERPRISE
Julien Stewart I believe it was a combination of both true he wanted the Klingons to die but they were going to capture the Enterprise anyway and he didn't want to think of the enterprise as a klingon trophy
The weekend this premiered, the theaters were full, and people seriously SCREAMED when the Enterprise went up, then fell into a hushed silence during the scene when the crew watches it burn up in the atmosphere. I will always be awed by the talents of Leonard Nimoy, who directed this movie.
This sequence is moving mostly because if one has watched the TOS in detail and realizes how much the Enterprise meant to Kirk; in the episode "The Naked Time" alone in a room Kirk actually speaks to the Enterprise and says "Never lose you... never". Also when Sarek reminds Kirk of what he sacrificed he says "But at what cost? Your ship. Your son" - notice that he mentions the ship before his son. Also in Star Trek The Motion Picture, we also see the lengths Kirk goes to re-gain command of the Enterprise. The depths of his feelings for the ship is also reflected in how much he sacrificed personally for it, as also referenced in "The Naked Time" when Kirk says: "this vessel... I give, she takes... She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers."
Kirk never really sacrificed David, he gave his life away to save Saavik and Spock from the armed Kingon. As Spock put it, " The good of the many, outweighs the good of the one". David did what Kirk would have done if it was Kirk in that situation.
It's also a bit of consistency with the destruct authentication codes. The codes are from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" when Kirk was willing to destruct the _Enterprise_ to oppose Commissioner Bele trying to force them to go to Cheron instead of Ariannus.
I think it was so cool that the codes were exactly the same as they were in the original series. Just hearing the familiar codes gave all Trek fans goose bumps when seeing this film.
yup by far
The original epi it is from is one of my fav epis. Let that be your last battlefield doesn’t get the love it deserves
And that scene with Kirk, Spock, and Scotty giving the codes to activate the destruct sequence was chilling. You could also see all the crewmembers looks of fear when they were reading the codes. Great acting! "From 5 to 0 no command in the universe can stop the computer from carrying out its instructions."
You'd think they would have changed the code every so often for security reasons.
@@MrUmakemelaff The computer recognized the speaker, so the code in this case was just to make sure they weren't mis-speaking.
"My God Bones. What have I done?"
"What you had to do. What you always do...turn death into a fighting chance to live. "
Great quote!
"My God Bones. What have I done?"
"What you had to do. What you always do...Destroy an entire starship just to kill a few Klingons. . . . "
Okay, that was bad. Sorry.
@@johnarmenta2199, you just trod on my poxy foot again!
#TRUMP2020
4:36
Instead of being unceremoniously de-commisioned, the USS Enterprise NCC-1701 fought like a warrior in its last battle and died a beautiful death in space. I'll miss this ship like everyone else of course, but at least she died the way a historic Federation Starship like that was supposed to - giving everything it had right up to the last second. QUOTE: "Turning death into a fighting chance to live!"
Agreed, the Enterprise was too amazing to be decommissioned, better it go out in a blaze of glory and take the bad guys with it.
Luna Rose Of course, I wouldn't call the Klingons in this film "The Bad Guys"... From Kruge's point of view, the Federation had been testing a weapon, not a terraforming tool, one that would completely change the balance of power, and could potentially be used on them.
Kruge sacrificed a lot for the Klingon Empire, including his wife and his crew, and he lost only because Kirk tricked him, which is absolutely humiliating for a Klingon.
It's one of the things that makes this film so underrated... The Klingons are antagonists, but certainly not Villains. As far as they knew, everything they were doing was just and honorable.
Yeah, at least her death wasn't like that of the Enterprise-D in Generations where Deanna Troi crashed the saucer section on the planet after the stardrive section blew up.
Exactly, he was a hero in the "Klingon" perspective. Choosing to disobey orders to preserve the Empire, justr as Kirk disobeyed orders to get Spock and saves Earth later on in ST IV.
That wasn't fair. She did report the helm controls were offline! There was no one, no system other than maneuvering thrusters controlling the D in the final moments.
I think it's awesome that the writers remembered the self destruct code from the original series.
I had no idea, had to search it. Now that I see it, I thought *I* was bad for not changing my passwords in a timely manner.
Well, Harve Bennett did see all 79 of the original episodes.
harve bennett slavishly followed the established lore
Episode 70: Let That Be Your Last Battlefield. Codes were given by Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, and Scotty. Both he and Mr. Chekov remembered those codes pretty well when they had to give out destruct sequences 2 and 3.
I use the same code: 0000 for my suitcase too.
Christopher Lloyd speaking Klingon is the best thing ever.
DXKramer what’s 1.21 gigawatts in Klingon?
This is one of his roles that keeps getting forgotten. In my opinion he played an awesome Klingon.
Admiral Kirk traveled to the past in Star Trek IV... in a "time machine" he took from Christopher Lloyd.
@@varianschirmer9375 he also traveled back to the future with it.
Casting LLoyd, who was mostly known for comedy, was a risky choice that paid off big.
The acting in the scene is amazing. The way Scotty and Chekov jump in surprise when Kirk gives the first sequence, Scotty's determination when he gives his sequence, and Checkov's hesitation when he gives his as if thinking "are we really doing this?" Brilliantly done!
If you ask me, that scene where the front saucer explodes remains one of the more spectacular special effects shots. It was off-the-charts in its day, and is still quite impressive to witness even now.
That's what you get when you put a lot of work into the scene and it still gives me chills watching the enterprise go out like that but she went out like a champion
it was a practical effect. That's what makes it spectacular. Not some computerized animation or simulation, but a real destruction, of a model to be sure, but very real.
Interesting Factoid: According to Leonard Nimoy’s commentary on the blu ray disc, it was necessary to create two versions of the destruction of the Enterprise. Apparently the original sequence looked too much like the Death Star explosion from Return of the Jedi, so Nimoy had Industrial Light and Magic go back and create a new, more unique destruction scene for the Enterprise.
It was all that C-4 in the consoles.
@@robertmorris8997 Right?!!!! Star Trek consoles were responsible for more casualties than the klingons, romulans, borg and Wesly Crusher combined.
I was crying with tears when I saw this scene while at the movie theatre in June 1984.
Me too! And I'm not one to cry.
The audience in the theater was dead silent as they did the self destruction sequence. You could have cut the air with a knife. The only other time I felt that much tension in a movie theater was when Darth Vader told Luke that he was his father.
She was as much a character as any of the crew. RIP Enterprise.
I never got to watch it at cinema as it was 5 years before my time but when I first saw it, I was gobsmacked but at the same time I knew it was coming based on the way they were trying to say she's done throughout the movie, still it was emotional all the same
So was I 😢
I remember seeing this in a theater. When the Enterprise began to explode, people were actually crying. It has always stuck with me, how deeply the show was loved and the connection people still have to it.
Without the enterprise, the star trek wouldn't exist .
And again after seeing the replay...from the Enterprise getting heavily damaged in ST2, then no refit, to when she leaves spacedock the people in the theater were cheering, then "my God Bones what have I done"... it's "These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise", not about who's Captain.
What?? Give me a break.. people were not complete pussies in the 80s like they are today
Many in the audience probably remember the first time this was *almost* used ... and were believing they would pull the same rabbit out of the hat again. And it was a horrible shock when they realized that, this time, it wasn't going to happen.
This scene still gives me chills.
@@mnirwin5112 "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"...excellent episode!
The scene with David's death is one of Shatner's finest performances as James T. Kirk, but I'll put this one right up there. Kirk said in "Court Martial" that "nothing is more important than my ship." He also said in "The Naked Time" that he would "never lose you ... never" to the Enterprise. But we see now that there IS something more important than his ship: saving the lives of his friends who'd sacrificed so much. When Kirk finds out David is dead, he does something he's never done before: he stumbles on the bridge of the Enterprise. He takes a moment to lose himself in grief: to be Jim Kirk, a father who lost the son he'd just started to get to know ... just a brief moment. Then he becomes James T. Kirk, galactic hero, once more.
James Doohan and Walter Koenig also deserve a great deal of credit for how they played the destruct sequence. When Kirk requests security access, Scotty has a curious look on his face: "What rabbit is he pulling out of his hat now?" When Kirk says, "Destruct sequence one", Scotty has a look of shock and Chekov has one of stunned disbelief as he turns to his captain. After Kirk enters the first sequence, he gives an expectant look to Scott, who has a look of "Are we really doing this?" for a brief moment. Then he does his duty for Jim Kirk, as he has for so many years, by entering in the second sequence; he has faith in whatever Kirk has planned. Chekov is still wearing an expression of disbelief.
Then, while Chekov slowly (and still with a look of disbelief) speaks the third sequence, Scott keeps looking between the computer and Kirk ... still quietly gauging his captain. His face gets more emotional as the scene goes on. It's a mix of resignation to the inevitable combined with a sick horror. Chekov just stares straight ahead. And Kirk's face never once wavers from a look of steady resolve, even after he all but whispers the final code. Again, expertly played by Shatner, Doohan, and Koenig. Only actors who are intimately familiar with their characters and understand just how important the Enterprise is to Star Trek could play that scene with such emotion, even with such minimal dialogue. And Nimoy's choice to slowly zoom in until we are right in Kirk's face at the end was perfect.
And then, there's the scene on the Genesis Planet as the five men watch the Enterprise, the ship that has been their professional home for years on and off, burns to cinders in the atmosphere. The music combined with the camera movement across the actors' and their expressions are gut wrenching: Sulu's and Chekov's looks of quiet sadness are upsetting, but then the camera pans to Scotty: he has naked pain all over his face. And finally we see Kirk and McCoy. Kirk's expression is the hardest to read: pain, sorrow, disbelief ... and somehow McCoy puts it in perspective. They only have a moment to grieve, and then the magnitude of their situation sinks in: they still have a mission to carry out, and they need to get off this planet.
I
We saw it streak in the atmosphere never burned up or crashed
This, just this.
Shatner's stumble onto the floor wasn't planned, it was a flub that was so impactful they kept that version.
All three men, the characters and the actors, know they are sending a fourth to her death, and it's the hardest decision the characters ever make. Throughout history, ships have been given names and pronouns, which differ among cultures but not in importance.
The name can be one of many things: a memorial for a fallen officer of the past, a continued legacy of a previous ship, or a wet behind the ears newcomer. None of that matters, as that ship becomes its own person. It has its quirks, its flaws, its own distinct personality which the crew will know over time and adapt to it. The ship *IS* a part of the crew. The only modern equivalent is the order to abandon ship and then order the ship scuttled. What is done here is worse, as it's more like taking the family dog, with all the familial connections that can imply, to the vet to have them put down. Anyone who has been through that will know the pain of seeing a family member pass before their eyes and know that they are ending suffering.
The "death" of U.S.S. Enterprise N.C.C.-1701 is that but worse, as she is more than a pet, more than family, and more than home. She is all that and more. She is a character a generation grew up with, a home the crew fought to protect and preserve, and a dream generations beyond Roddenberry's vision look upon.
Enterprise-C was an episode, Enterprise-D was a movie, but Enterprise, no bloody A, B, C, D, or E, was a character. We may mourn for her, but we will still salute her passing.
The Specter
Gives the Enterprise a final bit of dignity, likely impacting on the other side of Genesis.
@@Name-ps9fx I understand that but that was written from the book. The book's perspective however, I don't believe it that way she never crashed or burned up. yes i know that it is a damn movie but i still believe shes floating out there somewhere in the mutara sector
Star Trek III was definitely underrated.
*All* of Star Trek is underrated. *\V/_*
The more I've watched it over the years, the more I appreciate it.
Stealing the Enterprise. One of my favorite ST movie scenes.
I agree. The biggest problem with it IMO is that it tends to be pretty slow in parts, but C. Lloyd portrayal of the klingon Captain is outstanding & I think its the benchmark for the way to portray Klingons.
I absolutely agree Patrick! The scene itself and the music by James Horner accompanying it, all made it one of the best scenes in ST! @@PatrickLorenz
for me personally, this is the hardest death scene in all of Star Trek. it still hurts watching her go out. even if it was in a blaze of glory. but yeah i agree, it is better than having her decommissioned.
Or captured. 😊
@@survivingbehindliberallines yeah that woulda been completely unacceptable
I saw this movie during an evening performance (think 7:30PM showing) with my Dad on it's Opening Weekend. We stood in line for a couple of hours to get the tickets, and sat crammed at the far edge of the auditorium rows in a sold-out showing.
I remember very well the audible gasp from the audience when the countdown reached zero and the first detonations took place. Many outcries of "No"...! And genuine weeping/crying/tears and general disbelief from many of the audience members, myself included. I am a female, then twelve years old at the time, and will never forget the overwhelming, palpable *distress* that emitted from the audience. Absolutely surreal...! #NerdPride
Adorable times with your dad ! you should get him a USS Enterprise model....I had a similar crammed to the brim movie theater experience with my father, he took me to see Superman 3 but my mother did not go and when we got home she was sitting there cutting a large red cloth for me already....
yep, i was in shock and just kept saying to my friend, "they destroyed the enterprise..."
The Enterprise was such a major character in this movie, probably more so than any of the other films. As when she docks in after returning from her battle with Khan and everybody on the space port looked at her and her battle scars and were shocked to see the damage she took like a broken soldier that will never be the same again. Or how she was going to be decommissioned "Put down" like a lame horse who just ran the greatest race of her life but was too broken to ever win again. It was a bitter sweet ending for her, but she went out on the field in battle like all great warriors should go. Not in a dock or a dark room, but on the field of honor where she dominated and made herself the legend she was.
Good analogy. Just like Eight Belles.
I think that's what JJ doesn't "get" in his reboots. The Enterprise is a character as important as the rest. JJ blows it up and throws it away without a thought, as if it was no more important than a phaser pistol.
Sailors bond with their ships.
As Scotty would say, "She's not for the scrap heap. This one will go down fighting."
No as McCoy said: "She's a good ship with a good name. Treat her like a lady and she'll always bring you home."
I read somewhere that when they decided to bring Spock back from the dead, they had to find a way to do it without cheapening the ending of Wrath if Khan. They decided the only way to do that was to have Kirk face equal or greater losses to get Spock back, so his son and the Enterprise had to go
Oh my goodness, really this is Shatner at his very best what a marvelous job he did in these scenes. You could almost feel the punch in the gut he went through when he lost David. And yet... his Kirk rose above his personal pain to do exactly what was needed to bring about the good. To do, as Bones says, “what you always do, turn earth into a fighting chance for life” . There’s a reason why Kirk is an international heroic icon.
As far as I’m concerned the “best Kirk moments” are all 79 episodes of TOS and all 6 movies.
Let's also remember the 22 Animated Series episodes.
"As far as I’m concerned the “best Kirk moments” are all 79 episodes of TOS and all 6 movies."
Damn right. Kirk is the GOAT.
Don't forget that Kirk saved Picard. Could have just sat back and did nothing, but he stepped up to the plate once again. 😊
Kirk: What have I done.
Bones: Doing what you've always done, turn death into a fighting chance for life.
Very inspirational words that have echoed in my mind since seeing this movie for the first time.
In 1984. when I saw this movie, that scene brought tears to my eyes. I felt like I had lost an old best friend.
I absolutely love that last line. "What have I done?" "What you had to do. What you always do. Turned death into a fighting chance to live."
Me too
Me three
I've used this line when I was down... it's an incredible line!!!
You have to love the reactions from Checkov and Scotty when Kirk begins the destruct sequence. "Is he going to do what I think he's going to do?" .
"My God, Bones... what have I done?"
Such a poignant question... it carries with it all the sorrow of losing the only woman that stayed with him. The Enterprise. But she went down like a champ. A true hero ship to the end, taking down a whole crew of enemies!
The line also shows his realisation of how much trouble they're in - out of the frying pan into the fire as they say - he's stranded his crew (his friends) on what he knows is an unstable world, with an unknown amount of time until its destruction, and an unknown number of pissed off Kligons their only chance of escape / rescue because he just blew up their ship - the only other ship within range belongs to said pissed off Kligons.
@@M-E_123 But as we know, they all managed to escape Genesis. Kirk banked on Kruge's obsession with the Genesis torpedo and it paid off.
This quote reminds me of The City on the Edge of Forever. Specifically, when Kirk let's Edith Keeler get hit by the car.
MCCOY: "You deliberately stopped me, Jim. I could have saved her. Do you know what you just did?"
SPOCK: "He knows, Doctor. He knows."
As with Edith, Kirk knows what he had done. It's just overwhelming for him.
@@KnowYoutheDukeofArgyll1841 Used what he wanted against him. Just like what Spock did with Khan in the reboot series with the torpedoes.
Possibly my favourite Star Trek clip. Tragedy, emotion, guile, then hope. And the picture quality is excellent to boot. Thanks up-loader.
I grew up watching reruns of Star Trek (Original Series) with my Dad as a kid. When I first saw this scene, I felt like someone had killed a lifelong friend.
Yes it was
Seeing this scene first time in the theater, I seriously lost my s**t!
I do believe this is THE best scene in Star Trek, where the crew all watch in unison something they’d never ever imagined would ever happen.
This is how you create characters that force the audience to get emotionally invested. Kirk is now officially a survivor. His only son and child brutally murdered. That arm on bones tells us that he has broken down for a moment or two, but he quickly gathers himself, spins around in the Captain's chair, and he's back: Captain Kirk Machine, all systems back online. "I swear to you, we're not finished yet." The Enterprise is completely paralyzed, the Klingon Bastards still have Spock and Savik at knifepoint, but so long as he's alive, Kirk is going to keep the Dice🎲Rolling no matter what. Those are universal human virtues that people the world over will cheer for.
Totally agree. Something I've always loved about this scene is the way Kirk is mentally on the ropes for only a few seconds before he has another idea, one that shows just how far he's willing to go to save his crew and his friends. Kirk is very much a hero in the classical Western sense of the word, IMO; he's like the Odysseus of the Trek universe. :)
Excellent comments, gentlemen. Well-done.
John Wallace agreed. I love the way bones steps in to console him & he pushes him back imo saying "no time for comfort , time to step up". That's why he's the best.
Kirk knew the time was for fighting, not crying. Crying wasn't going to get him any where. He can cry later.
I love that moment, he is broken but pushes McCoy gently away because he knows his friends are depending on him.
Growing up with the original series and now 64 years old and seen every movie at least 50 times this scene still brings a tear to my eye
I don't know why people bash the odd numbered Star Trek films so much, i love them all and this film is one of my favourite ones :)
1 and 5 were not very good but 3 is really really good.
3 is the only good odd numbered film in the first 10 movies. 1 is boring because it's so slow. 5 is bad, but not the worst in the franchise. 7 is sort of so-so, probably second best of the TNG films. 9 was a sh**show. Pretty much after First Contact, the rules were out the door. 10 was bad, better than 9, but still bad. 11, while not my favorite film, is better than half of the first 10 films and both of its sequels. 12 was "Oh My God what are we doing here" and 13 was a slight improvement
@@curtyeomans8446 - 5 is by far the worst movie in the franchise.
I never got into #4, either. 😆😆😆
@@bladactania 5 is better than anything that comes after 6.
Love this scene. Kirk, as he always does, puts his pain and grief aside, then comes up with a plan to kick Kruge's dishonourable ass! The lesson in this scene? Never, ever piss Kirk off! lol
May Kruge ride the Barge of the Dead to Gre'thor
May Fek'lhr eat the flesh and drink the blood of that dishonorable dog.
May Gre'thor be paved with his ashes!
@@mikegallant811 Worf said he was a warrior not a murderer. I think if Kruge had only tried to get Genesis to save his people( mutually assured destruction) then he would go to Sto Vo Kor,(even when the Grissom was destroy- Kruge did NOT want that to happen) but ordering the killing of Kirks son- an unarmed man, was extremely dishonorable.
@@candyevans4524 like I said, Kruge is bound for Gre'thor.
Kirk always find a solution, never selfish.
I was a kid when we saw this in the theater and I can still remember the shock and sorrow we all felt. It was a surreal moment for Trek fans
It's clear that you are a REAL fan. You knew where to start the clip and where to end it. A truly profound moment in Star Trek history. For me that scene captures so much, as do the words of Dr Mc Coy who puts in all in context. Thank You.
"Nothing is more important than my ship"
*blows it up for Spock*
NICE
Blows it up because to do otherwise would put Genesis into the hands of the Klingons. Kobyashi Maru time.
@@PrimarchX That's right.
In effect this was the first time Kirk tried the real Kobayashi Maru test with no tricks.
SPIRK lives on
@@beepthemeep12 "FEAR ME. I'M SPIRK."
@Bobbie Charles The planet was still in the process of completing its transformation when Spock was placed there. By the time they returned, that had been completed. It was too far along to have helped David.
The onscreen emotional bond between these characters is amazing, no need for words, a simple touch, a stare and you know exactly what's going on. Those subtle parts of the original Star Trek is what i miss in the new ones. That theater stage feel on the big screen. I will never, ever get tired of watching them, yes even the fifth, it has it's great moments. You also have to give it up to Christopher Lloyd, from Taxi to Star Trek bad ass Klingon to Doc Brown. What range.
"I swear to you, we're not finished yet."
Kirk lost his son and his ship in the span of 5 minutes. An epic beat down was forthcoming!
New Port "I! Have Had! Enough of YOU!"
@@Smeginator After he sent Klingon Commander Kruge to his death, he should have said "THAT WAS FOR DAVID!"
By the way, the destruct sequence codes entered are all from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"--very symbolic and appropriate, though maybe a bit outdated.
The shot of them on the cliff while the ship burns up in the distance is an awesome shot in cinematic history.. sad
This scene is so perfect, music score, dialogue, emotion, and the cinematography is just spot on. The start of the destruct sequence and the shot from the mountain gets me everytime.
At 1:12 the look Scotty and Chekov give Kirk like wtf is he doing. Shit just got real.
Like they only just realise how off the deep end they are - backed against the wall but Kirk still desperately fighting back.
but have you noticed that their personal destruction code hasnt changed from the original to this!
EXACTLY
It was at this point where you as an audience member wonders, "Jeez, how much punishment can one man take?" Kirk lost his best friend, his son, his career, and his ship all in the span of 2 movies. I don't know if any hero in any franchise has ever been at such a low point. And yet he still gave everyone "a fighting chance to live."
Thing i didn't like about 4, while good, is that he instantly got everything he wanted back. Only thing he lost was the son he never knew.
***** That why STAR TREK 2 and 3 are great movies.
el kiote he lost his son in 3 not 4
star trek He didn't say he did.
+Neal X I was mostly thinking 'bloody hell, this is the longest minute I;ve ever seen'
Rest in peace USS Enterprise.
N C C - 1701. No bloody A, B, C or D.
rest in pieces
Like Riker says in Generations "I'm going to miss this ship. She went before her time."
@@anihtgenga4096 or E Nor The Prequel NX 01.
@@marcusjustice6165 The first of her name, and the greatest. The shuttle Enterprise was named after this fine lady, and should we one day create a true starship bearing the name, she can trace her heritage back here. The ship that defined and inspired three generations to look forward to tomorrow, the crew that told them they could be more than what society told them they could ever be, and the unending dream of humanity united.
3, 2, 1, We're sorry, Windows has encountered an error and is forced to shut down. If the problem persists, please contact Starfleet Command.
Nah, before the countdown could complete itself, they'd have to wait for a dozen or so Microsoft updates to install. By that time, the Klingons would control the Enterprise, and probably one or two starbases as well.
@@dwightstewart7181 Really? Okay Hillary Clinton
Christopher .. Say what? What in the hell does politics ("Hillary Clinton") have to Microsoft updates, Star Trek, and/or the Klingons? You need to see a psychiatrist, man. As soon as possible.
I'm sorry kirk....im afraid I can't do that...
@Ryan Rose
The Yamato literally caught a computer virus which lead to it's destruction, same could have happened to the Ent-D and the Romulan warbird.
I remember when first seeing this scene in theaters, my Dad reminded me that Kirk threatened to do this throughout the books and original series. He finally did it and took out six Klingons in the process.
And lava bbqed Kruge too!
This is the reason why the new Star Trek movies will never compare to the original ones or the cast. I'll always be a TOS fan for that
The reason they will never compare is because moviegoing audiences and film production studios have also changed in the 30 years since. There is no way to make a movie of this type today and have it sell,... in fact, it would bomb so hard in the box office, Paramount would likely throw the whole franchise in the vault, never to be seen again.
A movie MUST guarantee box office return, or it is deemed a failure, if even green-lighted for production at all. That is a FACT. And another fact is that Star Trek was completely out of steam in 2008, and needed a dumbed down blockbuster just to regain traction. There is greater interest in TOS now than there ever was in the decade before 2009, if not two.
@1977Melville The new movies were basically just appetizer to get a new audience interested in watching the old show they hadn't originally considered watching. And in that, it succeeded. I cannot count how many people I've met who became fans of the show that they never thought they'd like because the movie got them curious enough to watch.
AS for "Fast and Furious in space" I honestly do not understand that comparison. What, because there was a car in the first one, and a motorcycle in the third? If you really want to go there, it had been that way already with the dune buggy in Nemesis. Other sci-fi movies have had vehicle chase scenes as well, even on the other side of the millennium. They are just much easier to visualize with today's filmmaking technology
Ya they destroy the Enterprise literally the first chance they get, before it's had a chance to really matter to them or be home. Just like bringing Khan in, there was zero drama between him and Kirk when he said his name.
@@k1productions87 exactly
@@k1productions87 That's bullshit. Nothing is more box office Guarantee than this. Star Trek didn't need to be dumbed down. it just was because JJ Abrahams can't do anything that isn't dumb.
The Enterprise herself just went to Valhalla to be with the many low-ranking red shirts that were killed during the original mission.
It passed with honour into Sto'Vo'Kor. Its boarders looked upon it with shame as they rode the Barge of the Dead into Gre'thor.
When it passed in Sto'Vo'Kor, every warrior who ever died turned to her and saluted.
@@221b it was their ticket to the barge of the dead
@@221b they're food for Fek'lhr now!
It disintegrated in the planets atmosphere. Returning to base elements and fragments.
Man, what a scene. I remember the previews for this showing the initial destruction but I had no idea that it would mean her end. Yeah, never thought a ship going out in a blaze of glory the way she did would bring a tear to my eye but it was such a beutifully executed scene. Thanks for posting!
All of Spock's belongings in his quarters just went up in flames. Admiral Kirk replays Spock with a heroic rescue." I'm sorry. Spock, we had to steal the ship and run. No body thought of cleaning your quarters."
Was not easy seeing this the 1st time, watching the old girl go out like that.
This was my least favorite Star Trek film for a while after watching this scene. It sucked watching her go down like that.
She went out like a boss.
Why it's just a movie it's fake not real at all
If Kirk can't have her no one can
yes it's true but , like what great warriors always say it is a great and honorable end ! rip. enterprise 🙏😢
I almost cried first time I saw this :( seeing the old Enterprise get destroyed.
The destruction of the Enterprise is very well done considering the time and lack of CGI!
***** "CGI seems very effortless to me"
It's anything but effortless, actually. It takes a huge amount of skill in order to get even half decent CGI results ( just as it does to get half decent non-CGI models ).
The story goes that the Enterprise they blew up was the original model, built for the first film. It was a huge, heavy, fragile thing that the SFX department hated working with because it kept breaking on them. They therefore took particularly sadistic pleasure in blowing the crap out of it in ST3.
ScootsMcGirk Really? I heard they blew apart a four-foot model, and preserved the original six-foot model to remake it into the Enterprise-A. Now I'm wondering...
ScootsMcGirk
Really? I understood that they just used another model for the destruction scene and that they kept the original model... just made a few adjustments to it and re-decaled it as the Enterprise-A.
I... think so? I remember it being discussed on one of the making-of features on the ST3 DVD, but I haven't watched it in years. Heck, maybe I just hallucinated it.
Christopher Llyod doesn't get enough credit. One of the best villains in the series
I love how his character reacts upon realizing that the ship is in self destruct mode. Telling his crew to get out! Get out of there! Too late.
Actually, he was an imbecile. Firing a disruptor on disintegrate on the bridge of his own ship in a disciplinary matter was just plain stupid. Getting caught up in his own schemes so much that he didn't know when to withdraw was a major failing. He got exactly what he deserved when Kirk kicked his stupid a$$ into that fissure.
The Enterprise gets blown up every other week nowadays (or so it seems) but back then it was unthinkable that it would ever happen. As a lifelong Star Trek fan I can say that this scene was as shocking to me as the death of Spock; maybe even a little more so.
This film gets a bit of a hard time from some, but for me it’s classic Trek and gave us three of the most outstanding Trek movie scenes of all. The docking scene & the stealing scene (take a bow the great Mr Horner), and this. Great story telling!
Star Trek III was SO underrated.
So agree! This is one of my favorites of all the films! One of my favorite lines of all the films, was at the end of this scene.
Kirk: My God Bones, what have I done? McCoy: What you had to do. What you always do, turn death into a fighting chance to live. Pure Epic!
Damn straight!! Give this movie some love! 🖖🏼
I say that same thing when Kelvin era Enterprise goes down too. I grew up with the original Trek films yes and will forever love them but Beyond is the best film of the Kelvin era
@@dancastro4732 agreed 100%I felt like they were finding their stride in Beyond and then they put the movies on life support.🙁
Awesome Kirk moments? This was a heart breaking Kirk moment. I remember watching this scene in the theaters and it twisting my gut. The Enterprise was and still is just as much an important character as Kirk, Bones and Spock were.
she saved captain and crew finally for the last time
Kirk is just PURE bad ass!
"... what you always do. Turn death into a fighting chance to live" In my opinion this is one of the great lines in cinema history.
"MY GOD Bones... What have I done" Love that line.
Always liked that the 1701 was given a "Viking's Funeral" rather than being taken out with a sucker punch like her fourth successor was. The mighty -D deserved so much better.
I always found this movie to be quite underrated.
well the d is back
@@thespecter5164 And she returned from the grave with a vengeance!
@captainpharaoh one last fight with the borg .
Well the dramatic death had "already been done" so they had to do something else for the -D.
@@xheralt I do not recall where, but the death of D was written in as an excuse to get rid of the cumbersome but highly detailed 6 foot filming model.
What Abrams never got, the Enterprise was not just a conveyance to get from adventure to adventure. She was as beloved a character as the actual crew
Amen brother.
Picard last season bringing back the old tng girl was a scene of beauty too
Yes totally there was no love there in Abrahams
I agree %100
The ship is as much a character of Star Trek as the crews
Underrated score by the late, great James Horner.
This is such a classic scene. It's sad to see the Enterprise "die", but I've always loved how ILM put together the SFX for the death of the Enterprise.
The look on Scotty’s face, the Enterprise meant most to him.
Horner's music as they're triggering the self-destruct sequence is incredible. It restates the main theme, but interweaves this strange, meandering, string melody that conveys the profoundly disturbing mix of emotions that you know these characters are feeling: desperation at their situation, heartbreak at what they're about to do, and determination to survive and rescue their friend.
When I first seen this I didn't process that the fact that even though the ship had a refit it was still the old USS ENTERPRISE.
I remember watching this as a kid, and being both awed and incredibly saddened at the same time. I have probably watched this scene over 100 times over the years, and it still gives me shivers. One of the most spectacular "death" scenes in Sci-Fi movie history.
Sad but Glorious Moment !!!!
I will never forget Bones words !!!
What you had to do, what you always do !!!!
Great moment from perhaps the most underrated film of the series.
4:24 From this point can hear the music of J.Horner quite dramatic as monumental as the enterprise over the night sky burns over kirk and co.
"My God Bones. What have I done?"
A line I always use after lunch on Taco Tuesdays right as I make a B-line for the launch control throne.
"No tricks, Kirk! You have one minute!"
Unfortunately, no one told Kruge that Kirk only needs one minute to come up with a Plan to fuck his shit up. Khan already went through that in the last film!
+Schwatvogel Love the way that in this scene there is a visual and musical callback to Wrath of Khan when they're running down from the bridge to the transporter room: it's almost exactly the same as when Kirk runs down to engineering at the end of WoK when he realizes that Spock is in mortal danger.
This parallels the thematic reversal of WoK/SfS: in Wrath of Khan Spock sacrifices himself to save the Enterprise. In Search for Spock Kirk sacrifices the Enterprise as part of his mission to save Spock. And, of course, sometimes the needs of the few outweigh the needs of the many...
SfS is underrated.
"to fuck his shit up" Ah yes, how eloquent.
Showing that Harve Bennet did his homework. When Kirk encounters Kang in TOS there is a similar "no tricks" exchange between Kirk and Kang.
Not eloquent. However, completely accurate
The return "No tricks" line said with subtle venom by Kirk, reveals the hidden vengeful monster within Kirk, that Kruge awakened. Did he really think that he could kill Kirk's son on the Genesis planet and get away with it?
This scene still sends chills down the chills in my spine . . a gorgeous noble ship burns a flame across the skies . .
Kirk in full beast mode
the music to the scene when the klingons board too the enterprise is incredible and also the part where kirk initiates the self destruct sequence.brilliant
"GET OUT!!! GET OUT OF THERE!!!" Toooo laaaaaaaaate...
9..8....7...6...5..…4..3...2
Kelly Weingart boom
INTENSIFY FORWARD FIRE POWER!!! TOO LATE!!
Aye. When Kruge's men killed Kirk's son...they didn't know what rage they unleased upon their comrades.
Great Scott Christopher Lloyd was brilliant as a bad guy
I have shed tears over the loss of a ship that never was...
I'll add that the scene at 4:22 is so burned in my brain as one of the most iconic movie moments of my life. I'm looking at making a print of that scene to hang on the wall of my man cave.
For me, the scene that is burnt into my brain the most, as silly as it sounds, is seeing "NCC-1701" slowly getting incinerated, as if to say "yes, we're really doing it".
@@WaterCranegreat point. I still had this glimmer of hope that somehow the Enterprise would make it through but my goodness, what a gloriously epic, elegant, and ultimately bittersweet scene this was.
i cried so hard when I first saw this movie in a theater in Miluakee Wi. in the 80s
This is under the "Comedy" Category?! You're a monster!!
Or better yet, "You're a CAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAUNT!!!" (Not you - I meant the TH-cam settings.)
newmark2020 Yeah, I know there isn't an "a" in Cunt but I was only spoofing Kirk's famous "KHAAAAAAAN" line.
I remember seeing this in a Theatre and actually tearing up watching my childhood Starship explode.
Code zero, zero, zero, destruct, zero. I am putting that as my new email password.
+ALEXANDER NUCKEL Then you better have voice print identification requiring three authorized people to sequentially initiate command codes.
+ALEXANDER NUCKEL but now we all know. What's your email? LOL!
ALEXANDER NUCKEL ah touché
That was the code used in the original series. Also, we were told recently, that NORAD used that code to launch their missels.
The code also shows up in one of the Deus Ex games when you are escaping a self-destructing base.
I almost cried when I saw that in the theater.
"She's a beautiful lady and we Love her!"
This is one of my absolute FAVORITE scenes in Star Trek AND in science fiction too.
I'll bet when this movie played at every theatre when it first came out and this scene came up as everyone in the theatre watched the destruction of the Enterprise I'll bet there wasn't a single dry eye in the whole theatre as to a lot of people the Enterprise was a very much loved icon from when she first zoomed across t.v. screens in the 60's to her return to the big screen in Star Trek The Motion Picture.
In the days before CGI, the effort put into the special effects for the Enterprise's death scene is no less that masterful. Through the holes blown in the ship's circular disk section, there is a subtle effect observable of the internal structure of the ship that conveys depth as the ship rotates in respect to the viewer. Apart from the expert and moving character acting of Kirk and his crew, it's just amazing how much effort (read love) was put into this pivotal scene.
The Enterprise is a great character in her own right. Her destruction is incredibly sad.
Those Klingons were very smart. They managed to make their way to the bridge of a ship they have never been on! Good for them!
I just noticed that the Klingon's weapons look suspiciously similar to AK-47s...
One of the most timeless Star Trek moments. 🖖🏻🖖🏼🖖🏽🖖🏾🖖🏿
This is one of the few times a self destruct system actual is useful.
I can imagine when this was first seen in cinemas people must of gone.. f**k they acutal blown her up!
Loved growing up in that time.
McCoy’s line at the end - prob one of the best lines in all of Star Trek
This goes to show how much Kirk is willing to Sacrifice for his crew and his cause. He willing destroyed his own ship to save Spock.
I disagree with that he wanted vengance for the murder of his son David, look his face Kirk wanted the Klingons to pay with their lives, and only way to do that destroy the ENTERPRISE
Julien Stewart That partiuclar moment
Julien Stewart I believe it was a combination of both true he wanted the Klingons to die but they were going to capture the Enterprise anyway and he didn't want to think of the enterprise as a klingon trophy
He destroys his ship because it is overrun with Klingons, not to save Spock. It isn't revenge either. Kirk doesn't kill for revenge.
The weekend this premiered, the theaters were full, and people seriously SCREAMED when the Enterprise went up, then fell into a hushed silence during the scene when the crew watches it burn up in the atmosphere. I will always be awed by the talents of Leonard Nimoy, who directed this movie.
Still an incredible movie sequence after all these years.
When entertainment showed the finer points of life and taught morals too . Thank you for the memories .
Christopher Lloyd
That hesitation when it was Chekov's turn to enter his code. You could see he didn't want to do it.
When destruct sequence is initiated, must use stairs
Scotty and Chekov really genuinely looked surprised when Kirk initiated the auto destruct sequence.
This sequence is moving mostly because if one has watched the TOS in detail and realizes how much the Enterprise meant to Kirk; in the episode "The Naked Time" alone in a room Kirk actually speaks to the Enterprise and says "Never lose you... never". Also when Sarek reminds Kirk of what he sacrificed he says "But at what cost? Your ship. Your son" - notice that he mentions the ship before his son. Also in Star Trek The Motion Picture, we also see the lengths Kirk goes to re-gain command of the Enterprise. The depths of his feelings for the ship is also reflected in how much he sacrificed personally for it, as also referenced in "The Naked Time" when Kirk says: "this vessel... I give, she takes... She won't permit me my life. I've got to live hers."
on the TV show , the Enterprise was more than special , it was the best Starship in the fleet with Kirk as Captain that made it unbeatable.
Luckily his actions in this one got him demoted back to captain in Star Trek iv
Kirk never really sacrificed David, he gave his life away to save Saavik and Spock from the armed Kingon. As Spock put it, " The good of the many, outweighs the good of the one". David did what Kirk would have done if it was Kirk in that situation.
Julien Stewart
The Needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few or the one
It's also a bit of consistency with the destruct authentication codes.
The codes are from "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" when Kirk was willing to destruct the _Enterprise_ to oppose Commissioner Bele trying to force them to go to Cheron instead of Ariannus.
Probably the best scene in the movie, also my favorite of the original ST movies.
Probably the best part of the whole movie right here.
Stealing the Enterprise was pretty damn good too. Both scenes are two of my favorite in movie history.
as mentioned, the stealing of the entries was the best scene ever!
Shatner's delivery of that last zero is a thing of majesty.