History Film / StarTrekVITheUndiscoveredCountry

* PlotInducedStupidity:
** So, Commander Uhura, veteran communications officer and linguist extraordinaire, ''never bothered to learn the common language of one of the galaxy's major powers?''
*** Nichelle Nichols brought this up but director Nicholas Meyer shot her down. Being an avid fan of literature, Meyer wanted to show books on a starship. So, yeah. Her exasperated look after closing the communication was probably a case of ThrowItIn, as she was apparently not pleased at all about this scene.
*** Alluded to in ''Film/StarTrekIntoDarkness'', where the alternate Uhura states that her Klingon is good, but not ''[[MyHovercraftIsFullOfEels great]]''.
*** It was explained in the movie with a throw-away line of how the Klingons would recognize the UniversalTranslator, but this makes even less sense than using the books.
** The unbelievably stupid plan to get Kirk and [=McCoy=] out of the way (even though it would seem they already are out of the way, in an inescapable prison). Have Martia verify they have a way off the surface once outside the beaming shield, then help them get outside the beaming shield and wait. When the assassins arrive they spend some time gloating and are then caught completely off guard when Kirk and [=McCoy=] beam away in front of their eyes. ''Of course'' Kirk and [=McCoy=] have a way to beam up; they wouldn't be there if they didn't! The plan simultaneously depends on, and completely fails to anticipate, them having a way to beam up. How is that even possible? Simple: the plot needs Kirk and [=McCoy=] back on the ''Enterprise'', so the bad guys are obliged to [[NiceJobFixingItVillain help]].
** Chekov, the goddamn chief of security, needs the youngster Valeris to tell him that firing a phaser on full power will set off an alarm on the ship. The scene would have worked fine with Chekov explaining it to Valeris instead of Valeris to Chekov; [[spoiler:this was likely done to show Valeris as TheMole as she would know to "stun" Burke and Samno to death without setting off the alarms.]] This may also be an InUniverse example of TechnologyMarchesOn as the ''Enterprise'' likely had a lot enhancements done since it was introduced in the previous movie, as [=McCoy=] would ask the same question as well.
** [[spoiler:Valeris, the Mole, is able to enter Sick Bay in order to "finish off" Burke and Samno. This is actually a setup by Kirk in BluffingTheMurderer, but wouldn't Valeris think that being able to access Sick Bay too easily (without any armed guards at the entrance) be a hint that [[LuredIntoATrap it's a trap]]? It is likely that Valeris has never thought too logically from the very beginning though.]]

** [[spoiler:Valeris, the Mole, is able to enter Sick Bay in order to "finish off" Burke and Samno. This is actually a setup by Kirk in BluffingTheMurderer, but wouldn't Valeris think that being able to access Sick Bay too easily (without any armed guards at the entrance) be a hint that ItsATrap? It is likely that Valeris has never thought too logically from the very beginning though.]]

** The entire senior staff of the ''Enterprise'' has one at around midnight, all severely hung over (Except perhaps Spock). They all commiserate about their hangovers... and then a torpedo comes seemingly out of the ''Enterprise'' and slams into ''[[AirFictionOne Kronos One]]''.

* WhyDontYaJustShootHim: When the prison warden finds Kirk and [=McCoy=] outside, he shoots the shape-shifter who was helping him immediately, but inexplicably agrees to explain who is behind the conspiracy before shooting Kirk and [=McCoy=]. This gives them enough time to escape.

-->'''Chekov:''' Perhaps you have heard [[InTheOriginalKlingon Russian epic]] of ''Literature/{{Cinderella}}''? If shoe fits, ''wear it!'' ''[drops magnetic boot at Dax's feet]''\\

** The missing magnetic boot is found in Dax's locker, seemingly implicating him in the assassination...except his bizarre feet prove that he couldn't have worn it. Guess whose visibly dismayed look the camera focuses on. [[spoiler:It's...well, you get it by now...]]

* TwoDSpace: Subtly averted. When the ''Enterprise'' and ''Kronos One'' first rendezvous, they are not aligned in the same plane. ''Enterprise'' very diplomatically adjusts to match the Chancellor's ship. Later, the Bird-of-Prey fires one of its torpedoes perpendicularly to the plane of the saucer section of the ''Enterprise'', damaging it extensively, and indicating that [[spoiler:Chang]] is constantly moving his ship around ''Enterprise'' to attack it from all angles. It's especially prominent on the one-hit we see the ''Excelsior'' take; at an almost perpendicular vector to her ventral saucer.

Nicholas Meyer, the director of ''Film/StarTrekIITheWrathOfKhan'', returned to the helm for this one. As evidenced by the page quote, the film lacks anything resembling subtlety, but its tongue-in-cheek satire and heavy-handed moral are just as good if not better that way. If nothing else, [[SurprisinglyImprovedSequel it's considered much better]] than ''[[Film/StarTrekVTheFinalFrontier The Final Frontier]]''. In any case, most fans consider it a worthy send-off for the original cast.

** Azetbur's ascension to the Klingon Chancellery also ends up being a major wrench in the conspiracy. She continues the Gorkon initative rather than abandon it out of vengeance or wrath against the Federation for her father's murder. This results in the Klingon Judge commuting Kirk and [=McCoy's=] death sentences to life imprisonment during the Trial in the interest of the peace process. Look at Chang's reaction after the Judge's commutation. He's ''not'' happy and knows this has just made things more complicated for the conspirators.

* HomingProjectile: The torpedo that attempted to catalog the gaseous anomaly that was the fire-while-cloaked Bird-of-Prey's tail pipe.

* EyepatchOfPower: Chang. ''Bolted directly to his face'', no less. [[RuleOfCool For extra cool factor]], each of those three bolts has the Klingon emblem on them, thrown in by the costumer despite him knowing nobody would ever see them [[http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/displayimage.php?album=498&pid=53009#top_display_media (unless in HD...)]]

* WhyIsntItAttacking: The climactic Battle of Khitomer has the ''Enterprise'' under attack from General Chang's bird-of-prey, which can stay cloaked while attacking, causing Kirk to initially order his ship to pull back. Both commanders on either side ask this question about the other: Kirk wonders why Chang does not press his advantage; Chang wants to make sure the ''Enterprise'' cannot ascertain his exact location before attacking the larger ship.

* NoYou: When Admiral Cartwright demands the crew of the ''Enterprise'' arrested for crashing the Khitomer Conference, Spock responds by saying, "Arrest yourself!" [[spoiler:while holding up Valeris, revealing to him that they knew]].