RE: Star Trek V The Final Frontier | Report this post to moderator
By: rassmguy (Odo's file, contact) @ 14:37:29 on May 28, 2008

I think Star Trek V is a better film than some give it credit for, and there are parts of it I actually do enjoy. I rewatched the six TOS films recently, and found that I enjoyed each and every one of them--even the odd-numbered ones. Still, TFF is definitely at the bottom of my list for the six films. (If I take all 10 films into account, it ranks above Nemesis and Generations.)

The biggest problems with Trek V, for me, had nothing to do with special effects--rather, they were concept-based. For onething, there was simply no justifiable reason for anyone to follow Sybok.

Okay, so he took away their pain...and they committed mutiny as a result? Then, when all was said and done, they cheerfully handed their allegiance back to Kirk...who never brought any of them up on charges for it, and in fact seemed to hold no grudge whatsoever? If Sybok wasn't brain-washing them, but rather was only removing their deep-seated pain, then why would that make them mutinous? And why would that not be a court-martial offense?

Then there's the supposed humor element. Star Trek IV used humor intelligently, to great effect, but the humor in TFF just made all of the characters look stupid. Chekov actually thinking Uhura wouldn't know he was lying about where they were lost? Scotty banging his head on a bulkhead like some sort of Keystone Space-cop? "Not in front of the Klingns?" Fart jokes? Ugh. None of that, in my opinion--and feel free to disagree with me, everyone, of course--worked. It was all to the detriment of the characters and the film.

And that's a shame, because there were also many things the film gets right. The comraderie between Kirk, Spock and McCoy, for instance, was some of the best in ANY of the films. The euthenasia scene with McCoy's dad was touching...despite the distracting and rather silly interruptions of Sybok. And despite the hokey premise and bad dialog, Lawrence Luckenbill was a lot of fun in the role, whatever that role's shortcomings may be. I also think the soundtrack is quite good.

In fact, even some of the humor worked. "Hold your horse, Captain" made me chuckle, the dialog in the brig would have fit right in had it been in a TOS episode, McCoy's line about asking the Almighty for his ID very nearly makes up for Kirk's God-starship line.

Ultimately, I would judge Star Trek V a failure...but it's not the effects that caused it to fail, and Shatner is unfortunately overlooking the much bigger issues if he thinks that's the case. The original series had FAR worse effects, and yet it was almost always enjoyable. Nothing in Trek V holds a czndle to pipe-cleaners and Styrofoam.

In the end, what killed TFF, I would say, is the flawed premise. A lot of things can be overlooked in a movie if the basic premise is a good one...but if at its core the film just doesn't have a sound foundation (such as, say, having the Enterprise crew search for God), then nothing can save it.

--------

Rich Handley
Author, Timeline of the Planet of the Apes: The Definitive Chronology
Available now from Hasslein Books
www.hassleinbooks.com

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