Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takai, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Laurence Luckinbill
Directed by: William Shatner
Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction
1989

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: The crew of the Enterprise is hijacked by a rebellious Vulcan (Laurence Luckinbill) and taken to the great barrier of the galaxy, looking for God.

Review:

Tim: I remember being six years old and going to see this movie with my dad and my uncle. I didn't understand it much then, so I was glad when I revisited it nearly twenty years later. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is wildly viewed as the worst Star Trek movie. I disagree. Yes, this is a flawed movie. It was directed by William Shatner, I'm sure because of Leonard Nimoy's success with the previous films. Shatner isn't a very good director, and that occasionally shows. However, I am not as harsh on this movie as most people. I actually enjoyed the crazy Vulcan's search for God. I imagine that in the future, when the galaxy is entirely within your reach, wouldn't you wonder if God was out there somewhere?

The plot is a bit much, but I thought it was at least somewhat intelligent, and mostly interesting. I love that Captain Kirk, when confronted with "God," decides to question him. That is exactly what I would expect Kirk to do. He is the type of person who would challenge God, and that is literally what he does in this movie.

It was interesting seeing Spock confronted with a Vulcan from his past. I always like to see Spock dealing with "emotional" issues in a logical manner. The movie did have some strong scenes, specifically with Spock and McCoy confronting the demons of their past. I thought this was very interesting, and I liked the interaction between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. McCoy especially had a powerful demon that I really enjoyed watching.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier continues the Star Trek movie curse. I am a bit surprised this movie was so wildly despised. It was so ill received that Shatner shut down the directing urge for years. This movie probably would have been better had Shatner shown a bit more humility and let a better director take control. Still, although this movie is definitely a weaker entry into the franchise, it could have been quite good. I enjoyed it, although I recognize the many flaws apparent throughout this movie.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest