Star Trek V and VI

The final two original cast films in the Star Trek series are Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, released in 1989, and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released in 1991.

GREEN'S CRAZY VULCAN COUSIN REVIEW:

Why, oh why, is it so hard to write a review about a crappy movie? Let's just say, this film is as bad as I remembered it to be when I saw it in the theater. I only saw it in the theater because I worked there at that time and I got in for free. Actually, I was looking forward to this installment after thoroughly enjoying II, III and IV. What a letdown. [Ahem, anybody wanna buy my Star Trek V pin for the bargain price of only $5.00?]

Enjoying vacation, Kirk and McCoy are summoned back to Starfleet Headquarters when news arrives that hostages have been taken by some renegades on the peaceful planet of Nimbus III. Kirk and company, of course, are called in to investigate and discover that the leader of the renegades is Spock's, previously unheard of half-brother, Sybock. Sybok manages to take the Enterprise hostage and coerces the crew to fly to the center of the galaxy, to a planet called Shaka-Ri, which is where God is supposed to live. Add to the fun an ambitious Klingon Warrior who seeks glory by confronting and possibly killing Klingon nemesis, Captain James T. Kirk.

Everybody loves to pick on this film and rightfully so. As the worst entry in a remarkably good series of films, Shatner proves here that he is better on the screen than behind the camera, as he co-wrote and directed this mess. If Shatner (and his ego) were half as good at directing as he thinks he is, perhaps he would have been afforded more directorial opportunities in his career. The actors (including Shatner's) performances are once again strong, and they prevent this film from being a total disaster. The story typifies human vanity and arrogance, with the idea that man can approach "God" on his own terms rather than on God's and then tell "God" off when he doesn't act like we think he should. Sorry boys, it just doesn't work that way.

Oops, I guess Shatner's "god" is just some big ol' alien dude who wants to steal a starship.

* out of *****

SCRIBE'S I BEG TO DIFFER REBUTTAL/REVIEW:

Everybody loves to pick on this film, much the same way they love to Pick on The Phantom Menace. Many missed the point, others didn't seem to care what the point was. I'm willing to bet many have even forgotten that this movie incurred the wrath of fringe-dwellers on the Religious Right because it dared to portray God as living on a planet.

Ironically, Star Trek had by this time endured decades of criticism for not dramatizing a future in which God had a place. You just can't please religious fanatics, as I found out the year I tried to incorporate images of Mohammad into episodes of the Teletubbies to appease extremist Muslims and their counter-parts, small children. (Cue Family Guy flashback sequence)

And we're back! The Final Frontier is not the failure people love to label it as being. In fact, it stays true to Roddenberry's vision by taking humanity's quest for answers to the next logical step. And logic is exactly the point of this film. Can we logically presume the existence and location of the Almighty? Sybok thought so, and he placed the lives of hundreds in danger to test his wacky beliefs. Sound familiar? It shouldn't. On Earth we don't stop at a mere few hundred when it comes to insane religious odysseys. We jeopardize entire nations.

Shatner's commentary puts it best. This film was misunderstood and considered preposterous when it came out. Nowadays the concept of a madman in the desert talking people into doing crazy things as a way of finding god doesn't sound so far-fetched, does it? Of course, like my friend above, God-lovers missed the point of this film entirely and got this weird idea that Shatner was saying god could be found in space, despite his line near the end that God is found in the human heart.

Shatner's direction was fine, despite the popular opinion. In fact, if you dissect his camera angles, he was quite bold and experimental. Perhaps there wasn't enough time devoted to the ancillary characters, but the holy trek-inity of Kirk, Spock and Bones was never rendered more perfectly. Underrated.

*** out of *****

GREEN'S PROVE YOUR INNOCENCE OR ELSE REVIEW:

The battle-tested Enterprise crew are asked to do the unthinkable. To escort the Klingon emissary and his entourage into federation territory to negotiate a historic peace treaty between the Federation and the dying Klingon Empire.

After a tense dinner aboard the Enterprise, the Klingon party returns to their ship. Shortly after their return, the Klingon ship is hit by two torpedoes at close range. Gravity is disabled and the Klingon Ambassador is brutally murdered. Now the mystery begins. Did the Enterprise fire the torpedoes? Is it a conspiracy? Who is involved?

Sentenced to a life of hard labor in the snowy underground hard-labour prison camp of Rura-Penthe, Kirk and Bones must escape to prove their innocence. One big problem, though. No one has ever escaped from Rura-Penthe and lived to tell about it.

This murder/sabotage mystery is a classic way to send the original Enterprise crew to a happy retirement. It's a Star Trek version of the US-Soviet cold war ending. Like in life, some welcome the new peace while others are afraid of growth and change.

Returning to direct is Nicholas Meyer, who does a masterful job, after a three film absence. The story is compelling and the script is well written with plenty of snappy dialogue.

Casting notes I found interesting: Michael Dorn, who would play Worf in TNG, plays Colonel Worf, court appointed defense attorney for Kirk and McCoy. Christian Slater has a brief Cameo as an officer on the USS Excelsior, and Rene Auberjonois, who would play Odo on DS9, has an uncredited cameo as Colonel West, a diplomat meeting with the Federation President to discuss the fates of Kirk and McCoy.

**** out of *****

SCRIBE'S WHY THE HELL DID THEY END WITH THE BEST ONE REVIEW:

I knew from the first preview that this was going to be an erection-inducing film of orgasmic proportions. Without boring you with a second plot recap (Green excels at those) the "topical" allegory of the Chernobyl incident plays out beautifully in this film.

By the time this one was released, the Next Dengeneration had been on the air for four years so it only made sense to link up the two by finally explaining what caused the Federation and the Klingons to get all chummy.

Director Nick Meyer is an expert at subduing Shatner's tendency for scenery chewing. His secret? He made Shatner do take after take until he got bored and just acted without trying to be a leading man. The results are incredible. Everyone is still in character, but they have grown older gracefully...except for the prejudice in their hearts.

Star Trek VI is one part mystery, one part political thriller, and all parts thrilling. (Dammit, if it came out now they would use that line in the reviews!!!) I weep openly every time it goes off because for me it symbolizes the end of a great era.

***** out of *****