Continuity mistake: When Kirk and Spock are chatting in Kirk's quarters, they finish their discussion and as they head out Kirk orders the ship to red alert. Then after the commercial break, they're on the bridge, the Gorn ship is at a dead halt, and Kirk orders the ship to red alert again. With a hostile ship in the vicinity, Kirk, a highly experienced captain, would hardly have taken the ship off red alert.
Continuity mistake: The giant rock sitting on the promontory, in long shot, is much larger than the Kirk stand-in stunt man who climbs the rock face to reach it. Next shot, when Kirk pushes the boulder over the edge, it's suddenly much smaller than he is. When it lands on the Gorn, the rock is even smaller - now less than half its original size. (00:31:35)
Continuity mistake: During the attack on the outpost, as Spock arrives in his foxhole, Kirk puts down the box of ammunition and positions the grenade launcher. We cut to a higher angle as Spock scrambles around to the Captain's left, and Kirk is putting the box down and positioning the launcher all over again. As the action was supposedly continuous, there wasn't time for Kirk to pick the items up and set them down a second time. (00:08:40)
Continuity mistake: After the battle ends, Kirk looks up to the exact spot where the Metron will be standing, way before the Metron even materializes. (00:45:53)
Continuity mistake: After Kirk tells the Metrons that he won't kill the Gorn, he yells out "you'll have to get your entertainment someplace else." Two seconds later, Kirk turns his head to the side and looks stunned. That look of surprise takes place a full second before the Gorn starts to disappear. (00:45:47)
Continuity mistake: Kirk turns his head and displays a stunned look... a full second before the Gorn even starts to disappear. (00:45:47)
Chosen answer: If they're in orbit, they're being pulled along by the planet's gravity well, therefore, impulse engines would only be used for minor corrections and would be "on standby" while in orbit, but not active. (Like keeping your car idling without revving the engine and creating plumes of exhaust).
Captain Defenestrator
Thank you for the info.
Movie Nut