1) When I first saw the Kirk-car-cliff scene, it bothered me because I didn’t envision Captain Kirk as having been such a brat. Later, when I realized this wasn’t “our” Captain Kirk, but a version of him as he would have been with an entirely different upbringing (having lost his father), it made sense. It really sets up the new version of the character who we then see unfold. If we hadn’t seen that scene, I think the later scenes where he is acting vaguely “un-Kirk-like” (at the bar, etc.) would have felt more questionable.

2) I think the Spock child scenes are very strong in establishing, not just his mixed heritage (for that part of the movie audience who are new to ST), but the inner conflicts that that added to his childhood, which, as we see, really never go away, as that thread continues to play right to the final scene between the two Spocks. It also shows that he is capable of “losing it”, which I think again allows the later scene where Kirk goads Spock to violence not seem questionable as it might have if we hadn’t seen it foreshadowed in his younger behavior.

Judging by the redness of the star, however, one would conclude this explosion is nothing so spectacular as the movie suggests, a red star, more precisely, it could only be a (smaller) red supergiant, which would typically give just your run-of-the-mill Type II supernova explosion. This would have to be closer than say two dozen light years to be dangerous to anything (probably much closer), and would be fairly predictable, thus making it very improbable that they could be late at preventing it. In any case, its an awfully convinient plot element, for such biosphere-destroying supernovae events are rare in the extreme, it would happen maybe twice in a billion years of a planet’s history by some estimates, to get it to happen in near history of a key alpha/beta quadrant race, and their homeworld to be precise is very unplausable.

A black hole created with the mass of a romulan ship would have gravitational pull of – a romulan ship, not anything more. Light might have troubles escaping that pull on subatomic distances – for such a black hole is definitely of nuclear proportions – but enterprise should have no troubles at all. Its a common, and very irritating mistake of pop scifi to assume that black hole has some incredible gravitational attraction.

I just watched the film, and I didnt like it at all.

Excuse me from rude langue here but.. What the hell was that scene with Kirk driving a car over a cliff about? what did it tell about the character, other than making him look like an idiot? what had it to do with the plot? why was it there?

we have been constantly scratching ourselves in the heads over this, If my annalistic gifts serve me well there must be some scenes cut out that explains this a little more, but why did you then choose to cut that but not this? Why is it there? what do you want to tell with that little clip?

I liked the scenes with the little Spock better, but only a bit because I sit with the exact same questions about those scenes, what is it you want to tell and why are they there? you could in fact have cut them and only showed the grown up Spock with his mother and the teachers at the academy (Which was some brilliant scenes by the way) and have told just as much about his character, the child scenes didn’t add a thing.

Greetings From Denmark, we love you, even here on the other site of the planet.

Star Trek’s philosophy of freedom, peace, respect yourself and your nieghbor and understanding that which is different is what I have always admired about it and loved. It has always been about firsts as well. “To Boldly Go.” We have all benefited from social boundaries challenged and more over how it has taught us to live with one another dispite out wonderful differences and to embrace the common good. Will after 40 years of Trek we finally see gay and lesbian characters? Our real world has changed. Isn’t it time for such a pioneering franchise to be on its game? (Loved the movie!!)

However, in “The Immunity Syndrome”, Spock Prime was younger and less mature psychically, so he just sensed the death of the Intrepid. In “Star Trek”, he was over a century older and much, much more mature psychically, so he not only sensed the death of Vulcan, he also saw it.

Likewise, in “Immunity”, Spock Prime was less mature emotionally, so he was overwhelmed, but in “Star Trek”, he was more mature emotionally, so he was not overwhelmed. Spock Prime Prime probably was not overwhelmed, because he knew the destruction of Vulcan was imminent and saw it unfold over period of minutes if not hours.