I would like to know for those of you out there that have seen the movie Star Trek "Insurrection", how many of you see the similiarities between the antagonists in that movie and Jon Irenicus. The streched facial skin seems uncanny. But then at the end of the game you find out that Jon Irenicus was once a powerful elven mage that was cast out of his home for evil deeds just as in the Star Trek movie. In the movie the antagonists attempt to relocate their ancestors from a planet that can save them from the biological devastation that they have brought among themselves. They enlist an idiot Starfleet admiral and away the story goes and like BG2 you don't know the relationship until the very end. Perhaps the people at Interplay borrowed alittle from Star Trek in making this game. What do you think?

Well, the voice over actor that did the voice for Jon Irenicus was an actor from Star Trek as well. I don't remember if he was in INSURRECTION, but he was in one of them.

Yea the guy played several parts in the series. He played in Star Trek 5 as the Federation Ambassador to Nimus 3.

what? foorsoothes, thou suggestest most vile and perfidious plot pilferage on the part of the parlous penners of this person and part playing pastime? shocked, i yam, shocked and confused. a sci-fan type polishing the serial (or is that cereal?) number off of a storyline and making off with it? making out with it? making it over? i yam sure you have realized where the star trek plot came from, hmmm? give you hint- greek mythology- "what was old is new again" "there is nothing new under the sun, Horatio"- kringing any bells yet?

Well, since you brought that up. That was sort of referenced too, in Star Trek VI the undiscovered country. LOL. A Klingon that recites Shakespeare. hahahaha

I know full well that most sci-fi including Star Trek borrows liberaly from the classics and this story is no different. How many times has Star Trek done a movie on Herman Melville's Moby Dick. However, it seems that the producer and writers of BG2 had this movie in mind when they created this game how else do you explain the stretched facial skin.

Well, I didn't want to get into a more gruesome result here, but there was always Leatherface before. And I believe that was inspired by some Cannibal tribes of Africa from earlier times. Skin stretching/face stretching has been around for a LONG time. But yes, it probably was inspired directly from Star Trek who may have been directly or indirectly inspired by any or none of the before mentioned.

Well, if your wondering who they got the idea about Irenicus from, it is obviously from Time Bandits, for heaven's sake its even the same actor as the voice actor for BGate2!! I am talking about "Evil" here---same power killing people with a snap of the fingers

Good point. I completely forgot about that movie. I used to have a copy of it cause it had 'B' rating all over it. LOL. It did have some funny parts.

The actors name is David Warner. He also did a number of great Star Trek episodes and at least one movie; Star Trek VI where he played Chancellor Gorkon. You can get the whole cast from Baldur's Gate 2 from www.imdb.com

I wouldn't say that BG2 was inspired by any of the aforementioned films or tv shows...the concept of someone who falls from grace, is exiled and then returns for retribution is an old theme that echoes through many cultures and mythos.