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losmwl
Reviews
Star Trek: The Next Generation: The Measure of a Man (1989)
problem with the premise of this plot line
This episode does a great job of exploring the nature of humanity and freedom. But there's always been one thing that bothered me about this episode as it relates to the whole Star Trek universe. Commander Maddox makes the statement that Data is a piece of machinery, no different than the ship's computer. However, Data is COMMANDER Data, a commissioned Starfleet officer, who graduated from Starfleet Academy. The ship's computer can make statements and recommendations, which crew members can evaluate, then either accept or reject. As a command officer, if Data gave an order and a crew member chose not to obey it, that crew member risked a court martial. This directly implies that Starfleet recognized Data as a sentient being, and not a "calculator" to be experimented upon. In all fairness, I also realize that by using this argument, Gene Roddenberry would have ended up with a very short episode.
West Side Story (1961)
song order
I think West Side Story is an excellent movie, but I cannot agree with those who like the change of the song order. Specifically, I cannot stomach the swap of "Cool" and "Officer Krupke." These numbers were placed where they were in the Broadway show for specific reasons. Swapping them takes them out of the context they were originally presented in, and thus changes their impact and meaning in relation to the show. I'm not a fan of the lyric changes, but I understand the reason (motion picture censors). And I'm not a huge fan of making "America" into a number with both the girls and boys of the Sharks, but I can live with these issues. Keeping the Robbins choreography was the correct move, and I don't think there's EVER been a better score than Bernstein's. I challenge anyone to find a Broadway score that comes anywhere near the caliber of Bernstein's music. It's not only the best Broadway score ever written, but it has some of the best American music ever written. Also, Sondheim's lyrics (when they weren't changed for the censors) are excellent, with the possible exception of "I Feel Pretty." Sondheim himself doesn't believe that it was his best effort, and I have to agree. The story is a great story, but this is a show to watch specifically for the choreography and the music.