Review: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Rating

Director

William Shatner

Screenplay

William Shatner, Harve Bennett, David Loughery

Length

1h 47m

Starring

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takei, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, David Warner, Laurence Luckinbill, Charles Cooper, Cynthia Gouw, Todd Bryant, Spice Williams, Rex Holman, George Murdock

MPAA Rating

Review

The nadir of the Original Series filmic universe, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier showed there are limits to how far the films could go before being lambasted for it.

While on much needed shore leave, the crew of the USS Enterprise-A are called into service to rescue three diplomats held hostage by a Vulcan spiritual leader in search of a fabled planet where god lives. After realizing that his aims require a starship, he agrees to work with Capt. Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the Enterprise. What will they find behind a massive barrier around a planet at the center of the universe? That will be up to the viewer to determine but suffice it to say, it’s not nearly as compelling as you might think.

Part of the issue was the massive ego Shatner brought to the picture. After years of success at the head of the Trek universe, he seemed to think he could do no wrong. Not only did he, but he excelled in being bad in three different roles, as an actor, as a writer, and as a director. This was his first and only such effort in Trek history and its utter failure ensured he would never be entrusted with anything more than a leading role thereafter.

The screenplay was co-written by the film’s producer, Harve Bennett, as well as David Loughery. Bennett himself had been responsible for several of the prior efforts, so it seems certain he did his best to alleviate some of the issues with the script but unfortunately, the flawed premise overweighed any cogent thought put into it. It ultimately undermined the whole picture.

Overly focused on the core three, Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and McCoy (DeForest Kelley), forced the sideline of the other main characters, which exacerbated the egotistical feeling of the film. Add to that the weak antagonists in Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill), Captain Klaa (Todd Bryant), and “God” (George Murdock) and you have an utter displeasure to watch.

Star Trek fans are often more accepting of the weaknesses of their franchise but even they drew the line at this one. A meandering, cheesy script that reminded them unfavorably of episodes like “Spock’s Brain,” generally considered the worst of the television series. The Final Frontier is easily the worst of the original cast films, though a couple of the ones from The Next Generation might give it a run for its money.

For completists, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a must-see. For everyone else, you can skip this one and go straight to the final original series film, Undiscovered Country.