Review of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) by Caspar R — 13 Dec 2009

Here is a movie with a premise as rich as any, following James Kirk's Enterprise as it heads to the center of the universe in search of God.

Suffering from a simple case of inexperience, director William Shatner rushed this picture and let his ego take over the story. Still, he clearly understood what Star Trek is and in all honesty, he made a rich, character-driven show of it.

Kirk was the core of the series and a hero to millions, Shatner just plays the part. Uhura's much-maligned fan dance is a tribute to the angelic vocal performances she often made in the original series' TV run (mind you, it could still have been done with her pants on). But all the characters, and all their quirks, are here for sure. On top of that, having a mastermind take control of Enterprise is a recurrence in Star Trek, as is running into an alien whose intents are not quite what they seem to be. Ask yourself as you watch, Is anything we are told by the antagonists, including the destination of the ship or the nature of its final encounter, true? Is the "great barrier" not really the center of the universe, but instead a prison cell? Has, perhaps, someone been convinced of something that isn't quite real, driven to extremes by faith?

I find myself defending The Final Frontier and I think it needs more of that, to be honest.

But despite its rich characterizations, often magnificent shots and sometimes spectacular acting, the movie's low-budget special effects, slapstick, and absurd energy ultimately make it a hassle to care about this trek.