MovieChat Forums > Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Discussion > The 'colorful metaphors' make no sense

The 'colorful metaphors' make no sense

posted 5 months ago by avortac4 (3504)
3 replies | jump to latest

It's funny, how Kirk tries to teach Spock how to use 'colorful language', but it comes off as if none of them have ever used the word 'hell' in a way to emphasize something.

This would work, if it weren't for the scene, where Bones actually uses the term 'the hell' BEFORE the timewarp, in the exact, correct manner!

I copied this from some website, so I am not sure if it's 100% correct, but according to my memory, it's close enough in any case - Bones says something like this to Kirk:

"You're proposing that we go backwards in time, find humpback whales, then bring them forward in time, drop 'em off and hope THE HELL they tell this probe what to go do with itself!"

(Emphasis mine)

Why would he know of all this colorful language, if none of the others know about it, and why doesn't Kirk wonder about the usage of this peculiar venacular, if he is completely alien to it?

If Bones can already know how to use 'the hell' correctly, why doesn't Kirk and/or Spock? I know Spock is a bit 'out of it', but he seems to still be intelligent and able to know things, so why not this?

Too bad even this movie makes no sense, as I rather like it otherwise.

[–] strntz (10888) 5 months ago

It makes sense to people who -

1) Have a working understanding of English

2) Understand that some people know language and expressions others don't

3) Are not autistic

[–] cv1cv (384) 5 months ago

Avortac4 is either (A) a troll trying to waste everyone's time with such idiotic comments, or (B) the stupidest person on these message boards. Look at his posts. He doesn't think anything in any film makes sense. Don't feed the troll. Don't comment after my comment.

[–] liscarkat (16592) 3 months ago

Throughout the history of the "Star Trek" original series and original-cast movies, both Kirk and McCoy have said "damn", "damn it", and "hell" repeatedly. Spock doesn't use such language (at least not in English), but having grown up with a human mother, studying human literature and history, and living among humans most of his adult life, he would certainly be familiar with it. These swear words have been in common usage for many centuries, and there's no reason to believe they will be forgotten two or three hundred years from now. The OP is right; however, it's a trivial matter and doesn't compromise the entertainment value of the movie.