"For the World is Hollow, and I Have Touched the Sky"
Captain Kirk and the crew of the Enterprise once again combat narrow minded religious traditions and moral relativism. An asteroid on a collision course with a populated world turns out to be an ancient starship, engineered to function as a transit world. Apparently their ancestors created a sort of "Ark" to carry their people on a 10,001 year journey to a new planet. It's current inhabitants have no idea that their "planet" is in fact a hollow asteroid, preferring to cling to an ancient and strict religious tradition. This religion apparently forces them to always wear pajamas and have "obedience chips" implanted in their skulls. Their leader, a big robot called The Oracle, keeps the Pajama People obedient by promising a grand future in the new world.
Kirk, Bones, and Spock are attacked by the Pajama people. A well choreographed fight ensues, and the battle really picks up when Kirk punts off this guys hat.
-note the flying hat-
After their capture, the three are greeted by an old creepy guy passing out drugs. The creepy old dude tells a story of how he climbed a mountain and saw his planet was really an asteroid. Apparently the "The Oracle" is listening in, and starts zapping the old guy through his implant. Unable to say much, he exhales: "For the world is hollow, and I have touched the sky."
Just after this, a rare phenomenon occurs: the Queen of the Pajama people gets the hots for Bones instead of Kirk. Kirk doesn't seem too upset about it, and quickly decides he'd rather run around with Spock looking for an escape. Bones decides that being hit on by a girl wearing half a shirt isn't so bad, and decides to stick around and marry The Pajama Queen.
-note the awesome hair style-
Bones learns that the Pajama People have a Bible, containing the secrets of their creators. However, "The Oracle" will kill anyone who reads it. Determined to save the planet/asteroid/starship, Bones risks all to get the sacred text. The Oracle gets mad and turns the temple into a giant toaster oven.
-Spock examines the Pajama Bible for clues. In toaster oven.-
The Oracle tries to convince the Pajama Queen that she must reject Kirk's truth, and only believe in the Oracle's truth. She responds "is not all truth, truth?" Spock, who knows archaic languages better than Indiana Jones, deciphers the text and shuts down The Oracle. The original trajectory of the asteroid ship is discovered, and a new course is laid in.
Some comments are made about rejecting a religion of oppression for one of freedom, and everyone having unlimited access to holy scriptures.
Connections to the Garden of Eden, Noah's Ark, Heaven, and The Pope are never named specifically, but lie underneath the plots surface. The Oracle is clearly "the Pope", punishing anyone who opposes him. It seems Star Trek's critique here is not of religion, per se, but of patriarchal figures hiding the truth from their followers.
I just watched this with my 8 yr old son. I enjoyed the babe's hairstyle as well. And the fact that they visually represented "heat" by making a sort of red fog.
ReplyDeleteBone's kiss was sadly brief, I was hoping he'd get more than a second for that.