Yay, the Federation's first encounter with the Gorn. Unfortunately, this Gorn looks more like an extra from a bad Godzilla movie. The costume designers could have put a little more effort into it. The mouth doesn't even move when this creature grunts and speaks. In addition, this Gorn moved so sluggishly and slowly that Kirk could have outmaneuvered it forever and then rammed a sharpened branch into its intestines from behind to finish it off.
In any case, a lot has changed since the Gorn were portrayed in TOS, to the only slightly better portrayal in ENT, to the CGI-animated portrayal in SNW. The Gorn now look more like the aliens from the movies of the same name. Although I don't think the new interpretation is successful either. After all, the Gorn are supposed to be a superior opponent with highly developed technology. And that doesn't fit with the fact that the creatures look like monsters, move around on all fours and have claws instead of hands. How is such a beast supposed to build and operate a spaceship? Somehow the makers of Star Trek haven't really found the right form for the Gorn yet that exudes brutality and cunning but also seems authentic in the sense of a highly developed species that builds and operates intergalactic spaceships.
The motivation of this other species, which pits Kirk and this Gorn against each other in a gladiator fight, is also rather vague. As if the conflict between the Federation and the Gorn would be resolved forever through this one fight. In addition, while they seem to be against violence on the one hand, they would destroy the loser's spaceship on the other. Even when Kirk shows mercy, this alien asks whether he should now destroy the Gorn's ship. That somehow doesn't really fit together.
In any case, a lot has changed since the Gorn were portrayed in TOS, to the only slightly better portrayal in ENT, to the CGI-animated portrayal in SNW. The Gorn now look more like the aliens from the movies of the same name. Although I don't think the new interpretation is successful either. After all, the Gorn are supposed to be a superior opponent with highly developed technology. And that doesn't fit with the fact that the creatures look like monsters, move around on all fours and have claws instead of hands. How is such a beast supposed to build and operate a spaceship? Somehow the makers of Star Trek haven't really found the right form for the Gorn yet that exudes brutality and cunning but also seems authentic in the sense of a highly developed species that builds and operates intergalactic spaceships.
The motivation of this other species, which pits Kirk and this Gorn against each other in a gladiator fight, is also rather vague. As if the conflict between the Federation and the Gorn would be resolved forever through this one fight. In addition, while they seem to be against violence on the one hand, they would destroy the loser's spaceship on the other. Even when Kirk shows mercy, this alien asks whether he should now destroy the Gorn's ship. That somehow doesn't really fit together.