Review of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) by Paul P — 01 Dec 2014

I've seen all Star Trek films. I've liked a whopping TWO out of the entire bunch and have not enjoyed a single one of its tv shows beyond a couple out of the 60's. The Wrath Of Kahn and The Voyage Home (even that one was just really lightweight and only worth it for the laughs) I did like. The first was a well directed bore, the third was simply forgettable, the sixth I found deadly serious to the point of comedic value. VI for me was blandly made, scored, and felt like an extended television episode. It just feels deeply uncinemeatic throughout. This one felt like a real movie. As forGenerations through to Nemesis/... completely empty, with the exception of the semi-decent First Contact. It's a future with a bunch of tight asses standing around in group shots discussing the "next course of action" while the "previous course of action" seemed to go nowhere and expire because Data ran yet another muck.

The fifth film The Final Frontier is an installment I've UNTIL NOW have ALWAYS avoided. I don't like this series already and it is universally regarded by "Terkkies" as absolutely horrible. "Dull, uneventful, and silly." Them saying that about a series I find already dull and uneventful in the first place was the kiss of death. I'd never watch it. Then curiosity struck. I'm here to say I kind of dug this universally hated flick. I sat down expecting to be spellbound by badness. ...That didn't happen.

I kind of dug the story and it engaged me right from the start. Part of this? IT DIDN'T TAKE ITSELF SO *DAMN SERIOUSLY*. I actually felt a pulse, as very hit and miss as the humor is, by God this wasn't as deadly serious as a funeral. I also liked the idea of really living up to the line "To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before" and despite some very awkward, weird moments (some of which where characters are introduced and then disappear) I was entertained. I liked the villain. He wasn't all super evil and (*spoiler warning*) maniacal about hijacking The Enterprise to drag it on to its doom and making life a living hell for everyone -- his heart was actually in the right place, and at the end he admits to his wrong-headedness and sacrifices himself for the crew right on the spot. I also completely dug his power of putting individuals through their greatest pains for the purpose of freeing them from it. It felt a lit more surreal and stranger than anything I've seen from Trek. He was just an unusual villain that I didn't expect. Lastly, I thought it had a really decent point about it. The themes of friendship and how you don't have to find 'God' in the farthest reaches of the universe... I liked these things, and more so because the characters this time were fun to hang out with.

I want to focus on WHY it's called the series worst: Some really poor attempts at humor. Downright "wahhh wahh wahhh wahhh." The "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" scene was uncomfortably goofy but I liked the payoff line "Christ, I liked him better before he was dead!" which softened the blow. The action sequences are very little and mostly dull. For the first hour.... nothing really happens, action wise. Also the special effects, even for their time, mostly terrible. However the story setting itself up and wondering how bad it was really gonna get kind of kept me watching. But I... felt it didn't really get bad enough.I 've seen worse installments. I've seen movies with far worse plots and characters whom are unlikable. This just wasn't really "up there".

I just generally liked the direction Shatner took. He avoided all the super serious dullness of every Trek before and since and developed an interesting storyline that he unfortunately didn't get to execute properly due to Paramount screwing him over both then and recently with wanting to re-visit it and add new effect sequences. At one point in the climax the land was suppose to crack down the center as "God" unleashes his fury, exposing the seven layers of hell, a direct nod to Dante's Inferno This, done right, would have been fantastic. Even without it I saw the vision that could have been. Traveling across the universe to a place man has never been, hoping to find God, but instead running face first into Hell. That's pretty cool for Star Trek, despite the underwhelming, visual final result. Thanks, Paramount.

In the end, I enjoyed it. It was 101 minutes of anti-deadly seriousness, a decent story, and good messages. It's just a shame that the effects, some really failed attempts at humor, and execution of the finale act are so flawed. Regardless, I'm glad I finally saw this one and look forward to the globs of hate mail.