"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.
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.
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."
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.
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 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
@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.
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.
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
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
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.
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.
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.
"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.
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.
***** "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.
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....
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
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.
@@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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
"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.
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.
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."
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.
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.
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."
Amazing effects for the time that still look better than 99% of the computer garbage we are fed nowadays. Really well shot and edited to sync perfectly with Horners music and Bones/Kirks dialogue. A sad but beautiful moment in film. Reminds me of the shot in TWOK where they launch Spock’s casket into Genesis just as the sun rises to ‘Amazing Grace’. America no longer has this kind of talent and it’s a damn shame because I miss it.
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.
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 seeing this film & scene (it's also at the start of the next movie, the one with the Whales) on the big screen where the special effects were stunning. It's probably a bit too hard to appreciate it on a PC, etc. And psychologically it was a "shock" to see the "Enterprise" be destroyed in such a way, as mentioned below it was a character in it's own right. We may be used to seeing "self destruct" sequences now, but at the time it was still very new.
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.
SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA LOOSE TO WIN,I met William Shatner at a coming con and he was awesome.We need a JAMES.T.KIRK in todays military.My meeting of him was KIRK MEETS KIRK.I would have done the same the same thing.
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.
The marvelous strength and determination of James T Kirk. Moments after the gut-punch of losing his son, he shakes it off and begins taking decisive action to save his crew and ultimately win. Because he doesn't believe in the no-win scenario...
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.
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.
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.
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.
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!
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
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 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.
