Reviewing The Vulcan Hello and Battle At The Binary Stars
By Duncan Smith
Source: startrek.com
The show begins with T’Kuvma, the Klingon leader, expressing his desire to bring the 24 great houses of the empire together in unity. A noble goal to be sure, but our Federation heroes and their treacherous declaration of “We come in peace” are the foil here, believed by T’Kuvma to be the empire’s mortal enemy.
T’Kuvma speaks entirely in Klingon with subtitles on the screen, and whenever he is not speaking to humans, he speaks only in Klingon. It’s an ambitious undertaking for cast and crew, utilizing multiple experts in the Klingon language and dialogue experts.
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This grand experiment works for me, particularly when T’Kuvma himself speaks. He speaks the language in a mournful, musical cadence at times. He takes a harsh, guttural language and adds a beauty to it that we’ve yet to see in Star Trek.
The redesigned Klingons and uniforms are a revelation. The ornate work that went into crafting each one shows through, and it was time well spent. As for the Klingons themselves, there’s no doubt who or what they are. At a first glance, they have more dimension than the often cardboard cutout Klingons we’re accustomed to. This species was due to be reinvigorated, and it was done to great effect.