John Harrison/Khan Subdued Too Easily?
Star Trek was undoubtedly entertaining. JJ Abrams had
clearly made an immense and boundless universe in crisp detail. It only takes a
few minutes for us to realize this in the opening sequence on planet Nibiru.
The scene where Kirk is being chased by the local population through a forest
with red foliage is a prime example. Abrams' and his crew's
meticulous work
ethic is evident here in the simple structure of a plant and the scarlet leaves
rustling on the trees. Besides the visual dazzle, the plot alone carries
immeasurable substance with many devious and roundabout twists and turns,
especially one involving Admiral Marcus that blurs the scenario, leaving the
audience confused as to who the actual villain is. And I mustn’t forget to
mention the several doses of humor evident in the film. This barrage of laughs
was led by the entire ensemble, though I must say that the standouts were Simon
Pegg, Karl Urban and Anton Yelchin.
But despite its merits, I felt largely underwhelmed by the
ending. Yes, there was a truly heartfelt scene involving Kirk and Spock
regarding Kirk's sacrifice for the safety of his crew. Spock's fight with John
Harrison/Khan was also a thrill to watch. It was the perfect clash between
physical strength and scientific efficacy in fight sciences (if such a thing
exists), the latter obviously represented by the Vulcan. But it ended with
Spock hitting the back of Khan's head while being distracted by Zoe Saldana's
Uhura. Khan was a genetically modified specimen, so I suppose distraction was
the only method of subduing such a destructive force.
Recalling an earlier moment in the movie, a stun gun was
unable to temper, let alone control Khan. So how would a shot to the head
achieve a more successful result? Khan's regenerative abilities should allow
him to recuperate almost instantly. So unless the Enterprise's crew reacted in
a flash, they won't be able to tame a monster so easily.
Let's give the benefit of the doubt to the filmmakers here.
But it doesn't erase that feeling of a below par finale. It strikes a
similarity to the death of Skyfall's villain Silva. Bond merely threw a knife
from behind at an unaware villain, quite an abysmal way to die considering the
chaos Silva created in London. Khan's defeat (he is still alive, mind you)
brought up a similar effect. Can heroes only win through underhanded and covert
maneuvers these days? Khan deserved a greater finish, not just a hit to the
head that puts him in cryogenic sleep.
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