Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Tags: cult, flashback

Plot synopsis:
On a desert planet, Nimbus III (the "Planet of Galactic Peace"), a humanoid man has dug a grouping of holes. While he digs another, he sees a dark horse and rider approaching. Panicking, he loads a crude rifle with ordinary stones and takes aim. The rider stops close by and approaches the man, telling him that he harbors a "secret pain" and that he needs to expose it. After a few moments of staring at the rider's serene face, the alien man is overcome with grief and says he feels like a great relief has overcome him. In return for this soul cleansing, the rider, who reveals himself as a Vulcan, asks the man to accompany him on an epic journey. To get there, they will need a starship.On Earth, James Kirk, Dr. McCoy and Spock are taking their shore leave in Yosemite National Park. McCoy, fretting, observes Kirk scaling El Capitan, muttering about Kirk's urge to "[play] games with life." While he makes his ascent, Kirk is suddenly startled by Spock, who hovers nearby wearing jet-powered boots. Spock doesn't seem to understand Kirk's need to climb the mountain (Kirk says "Because it's there!"), citing the fact that Kirk will never break any records for free-climbing the mountain. Kirk suddenly loses his grip and falls; Spock races after him, catching his friend before impact.On Nimbus III, the Vulcan and his new followers survey the planet's one settlement, Paradise City. The move in and seize the city, capturing three delegates; General Korrd, a Klingon, Caithlin Dar, a Romulan and St. John Talbot, a Terran (Earthling). The Vulcan uses his persuasive power on all three, convincing them to join his cause. A distress signal is sent, something the Vulcan wants.Later Kirk, McCoy and Spock sit around a campfire and McCoy serves up homemade beans, laced with bourbon. The three talk about Kirk's near-death experience; Kirk says he wasn't afraid because his friends were nearby. When pressed a bit further, he says "I've always known I'll die alone." They sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat" together, after educating Spock on the song's meaning - which has no meaning and is merely intended to be fun for a group to sing together. Their vacation is interrupted with Uhura shows up in one of the USS Enterprise's shuttle craft and tells them that Kirk has been asked to deal with a sudden crisis in space. (Kirk had deliberately left his communicator behind so they wouldn't be disturbed.) Uhura also retrieves Sulu and Chekov from the forest after they lose their way on a hike.On the Enterprise, things are chaotic. The ship's systems are constantly malfunctioning and Scotty, though happy to be working, still has his hands full bringing the ship to functionality. Transporters are also malfunctioning, hence the use of the shuttlecraft. On the bridge, Kirk gets his mission orders from Admiral Bennett (a cameo by Harve Bennett); Kirk and his crew are to travel to Nimbus III and rescue the prisoners in Paradise City. A video showing the Vulcan's small army, the Army of Galactic Light, and their leader's demands is displayed for everyone. Spock, seeing the Vulcan in the video, is suddenly overcome. He explains to Kirk that the leader is Sybok, an outcast Vulcan who believed that the true meaning of Vulcan culture and existence was the embracing of emotion in contravention to Vulcan culture. Spock knew Sybok in his younger days, before he left Vulcan to follow his own pursuits.In a remote sector of outer space, a Klingon Bird-of-Prey de-cloaks near an old Terran Gemini satellite. The ship's commander, Klaa, fires blasters on it, destroying it. Klaa, clearly bored, desires a live target to engage. His executive officer receives news of the distress call about the incident on Nimbus. Klaa becomes excited, knowing that Kirk would be a formidable opponent. He orders a course set for Nimbus to intercept Kirk.The Enterprise arrives at Nimbus and sends a ground crew down in a shuttle. On the surface, they first subdue an outpost outside Paradise that is occupied by some of Sybok's followers - Uhura is the bait, doing an erotic fan dance to attract them. Donning the guards' clothing and using their mounts, they gain entry to Paradise City. At the same time, Chekov, who has been given the conn on the Enterprise, negotiates with Sybok from space as a distraction. Outside, Spock locates the prisoners, however, their ruse doesn't last and they are identified as infiltrators. A battle breaks out; several of Sybok's men are stunned and Kirk makes his way into the tavern where the prisoners are being held. When Kirk finds them, they take him prisoner and lead him outside, where the rest of Kirk's team have also been captured.Spock meets Sybok and tells his fellow Vulcan that he is under arrest. Sybok laughs, saying that he is happy to see Spock has developed a sense of humor. Spock deadpans that he wasn't joking. Sybok turns his attention to Kirk and tells him he intends to steal the Enterprise, refusing to say what he needs it for. With no choice left to him, they all head back to the shuttle and take off.On the Enterprise, the Klingon Bird-of-Prey is detected right before it cloaks. Chekov orders the shields raised, which prevents the shuttle from docking. The usual procedure of using the tractor beam to lock on the shuttle will take far too much time, a period in which Klaa could easily cripple or destroy both vessels. Kirk orders Sulu to fly the shuttle in manually, an extremely dangerous procedure. Klaa's attack fails, and the shuttle crash lands in the docking bay. The Enterprise races off at warp, leaving Klaa excited that his target is so elusive.In the cargo bay, Kirk and Sybok regain consciousness first and grapple over a rifle, Sybok seizing it first. He leads Kirk out at gunpoint; Kirk attacks him but fails to subdue the stronger Vulcan. The rifle is retrieved by Spock who points it at Sybok; despite Kirk's shouted order to shoot Sybok, he doesn't and they are imprisoned once again, much to Kirk's consternation. They are led away and Sybok requests a private moment with Sulu and Uhura.In the brig, which, according to Spock (who acted as the test subject) is escape-proof, Kirk admonishes Spock for not protecting his ship and his crewmates by shooting Sybok. Spock says that he could not shoot the renegade Vulcan because they are half brothers, Sybok being the child of a relationship his father had with a Vulcan priestess before he met Spock's human mother. While they are trapped in the brig, Sybok reveals his plan; the Enterprise will travel through the galaxy's Great Barrier where he believes they will find a place called Sha Ka Ree, what humans would call Eden, or paradise. Kirk remarks that no one has ever returned from beyond the Great Barrier, nor has any probe (which is not true if one were to include the original series in which the Enterprise went through and back twice once in season 1, episode 3, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" and season 2, episode 22, "By Any Other Name"). Spock remarks that Sybok has spent his entire life searching for the Vulcan paradise. Just then, they receive a message through the wall in ancient Morse Code telling them to "stand back". Scotty breaks through the wall, freeing them. They make their way through the ship's back tunnels; Scotty directs them to a turboshaft where they can reach the ship's observation deck to send a distress message to Starfleet. Scotty continues walking and bangs his head, falling unconscious. He is later found by Sulu and a small search party and taken to sick bay.Meanwhile, Kirk, Spock and McCoy must climb the turboshaft's ladder by hand. They begin, but Spock disappears for a moment. Kirk and McCoy climb but are winded and exhausted after climbing a few decks. Spock floats to them using his jet-powered boots, however, they cannot take the weight of all three. They float down where Sulu and Sybok's men wait to recapture them. Spock activates the boot thrusters, a dangerous move, but one that propels them away from their captors. The three make it to the observation deck and send their message, however they are quickly found by Sybok himself. Sybok doesn't mind that the message was sent, saying that once his discovery is confirmed, everyone in the galaxy will want to come to the Barrier to see for themselves. Kirk still objects, demanding control of his ship. Sybok asks to be alone with Kirk, Spock and McCoy. He demonstrates the power he possesses to turn them into his followers. McCoy is forced to confront the death of his father from a disease that was cured a few months later. McCoy says he wanted his father to die with dignity rather than suffer and says that he feels as though a weight has been lifted from his heart. Spock is forced to confront his father's lifelong disapproval of his half-human ethnicity. Kirk refuses to succumb to Sybok's will, saying he needs his pain because it makes him human. Just then a signal from the bridge tells them that they've reached the Great Barrier.Kirk allows the Enterprise to breach the Barrier. Inside, they find a barren planetoid bearing no life readings. McCoy, Spock, Kirk and Sybok take a shuttle down to the surface. After walking a short distance, Sybok cries out, demanding to see God. Suddenly, several finger-like rocks burst from the surface, forming a semi-circle. Inside, a strange, glowing being that resembles the Christian image of god appears and greets them. Sybok tells it that he breached the Great Barrier to find it. The being tells Sybok that it wants to use the starship they came in to spread its benevolence to the rest of the galaxy. While the others stare in awe, Kirk asks the being why, if it is all-powerful, it needs a starship to travel from it's home. When the being asks who Kirk is and why he would doubt him, Kirk suggests it should know already if it's actually "God". In anger, the being suddenly shoots Kirk with an energy bolt, wounding but not killing him. Spock steps forward and demands an answer to Kirk's question and is also hit by the energy bolt. McCoy says he doubts any god that inflicts pain and Sybok asks the being who it really is; it takes the form of Sybok himself and Sybok realizes that the being is the sum total of his own obsession and arrogance. He tries to grab the being and help it release it's pain and is consumed. As they escape from the being's lair, Kirk has Spock and McCoy beamed up. On the Enterprise, Spock sees that Klaa has arrived in his ship and his threatening the Enterprise with destruction. Spock turns to General Korrd to do something.Kirk runs, finally being cornered by the beast, when Klaa's Bird-of-Prey appears and blasts the creature into oblivion. Kirk thinks he's done for when he's beamed aboard the Bird-of-Prey. On board is Korrd who barks a few orders to Captain Klaa. Klaa apologizes, saying he made an unauthorized attack on the Enterprise. He also introduces his "new gunner", Spock, who fired the blast that destroyed the evil being on the planet below. Kirk says he thought he was finished, Spock tells him that he was never alone. Both Klingons and humans and other Federation races alike later attend a reception on the Enterprise that suggests a new era of cooperation has begun.The film closes with Kirk, McCoy and Spock back on Earth in Yosemite Park once again sitting around a campfire and singing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Spock remarks "life IS but a dream."

Review: Yes, there are a few peaks in there, which I will discuss later, but overall, the idea of a "God Like Being" in the center of our galaxy, it just so illogical.The movie has a lot of embarrassing and just plan bad moments.
And by the time we see where the movie is going, we just feel very disappointed and underwhelmed.That said, I can't help but enjoy the wealth of good character moments in the film.
I also liked exploring the "pain" of McCoy and Spock and Kirk's insistence that he "needs his pain." While most of the humor was forced and bad, the best had to be the "I could use a shower" scene, which is one of the biggest laughs in all of the Trek films.
There were many moments of good direction by Shatner, especially in McCoy's "pain scene." I do sympathize with Shatner a little, when listening to the commentary track, about how this was cut and that was cut but I still think on a whole, this movie was doomed to fail.The DVD's picture is sharp and the sound is excellent.
So, 12 years after having first seen Star Trek V, and thinking it was bizarrely bad, I gave it a second watch, hoping I would find some redeeming quality which I missed the first time around.
I find it almost touching how Star Trek fans try desperately to like this film in spite of its unbelievable number of flaws.To begin with, none of the familiar characters are really in character so to speak.
Yes, friends, I have a real problem with the look of that last scene, especially.Thank goodness Star Trek VI was such a redeemer of a film....
To remove myself from the metaphor, Star Trek fans enjoy the taking of time over certain elements - seeing the ship, seeing it travel, dialogue en route, etc.If there was a director's cut, or another cut, that wasn't so very lean, I think the new pace would work to the film's advantage.
After all, many people think "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" is the best in the series and I didn't like it; so I hoped that, with many people saying "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" was the worst, I would find I disagree with the majority on the latter film also.No can do.
But I stuck it out, because I've been on a sci-fi kick lately and decided it was finally time to get caught up on all the "Trek" films I had never seen (i.e. the fourth, fifth and sixth entries).First of all, the script seems like something a junior high student would write.
(Hint: it's not "Khaaaaaaaaaan") and if you know all the words to "Heading Out to Eden" then you're gold.The rest of you may read along anyway.Star Trek V is without a doubt the most hated of all the trek films because it's light on action, even lighter on special effects, and there is no real bad guy.
Episodes like "The Deadly Years" or "All Our Yesterdays" were not so much about plot as they were about the characters Kirk, Spock & McCoy and the complexities of their interaction.In Trek V we see the good old Spock-McCoy bickering.
THE FALL From Kirk's foot slip to "I expect that's Klingon for 'hello'"  this movie holds some of the most embarrassing moments in Star Trek.
The Final Frontier is all kinds of weird and doesn't have much of a structure, but I can't say I didn't have fun with this movie.Remember how The Voyage Home added this element of comedy to Star Trek?
There are moments in the film where I was left wondering, 'Why in the hell did the writers think that line was a good idea?' The movie tries way too hard with its ridiculous punchlines and awkward moments that are supposed to be hilarious.
But I guess these were the days when Shatner and Nimoy were building their "singing" careers so they thought they needed those "careers" to carry over into Star Trek.This movie had the potential to be incredible.
I love Star Trek so watching Kirk, Spock, and Bones boldly go where no man has gone before, even if they go to a realm of such cringe worthy cheese as this, still puts a smile on my face..
Goldsmith delivered the same achievement of STTMP.It's full of little humorous moments, witty acting.The movie flows peacefully, offers greats shots (Enterprise on the moon, reverberations in the shuttles, galactic background on the ship, ).Finally, I wonder if all of this isn't the touch of Shatner as a director.
For although his character, Captain James Kirk, was always arguably the most important role in the original "Star Trek," it seems in this movie that he is the heart of the movie, the two other most important characters, Captain Spock and Doctor Leonard McCoy, are just there to support him, and the other characters are just there to add comic relief.The plot is that some emotional Vulcan outcast named Sybok is mindmelding with people and releasing the pain bottled up inside them from that traumatic event early in life that changed them forever.
Cudos also go to Leonard Nimoy, for it had to be difficult to play the dispassionate Spock in his old age.Some other things I didn't like:Shatner and the late DeForrest Kelly twice show what bad singers they are by singing "Row, Row, Row your Boat" in this movie.
After all, the dreams of all us men are filled with images of middle-aged plump women dancing naked.Comedy's all well and good as long as it doesn't affect the nature of "Star Trek" too much, but when Scotty bumps into an object on the Enterprise and KOs himself, it's kinda goin' overboard.Kirk is the only crew member who can reject Sybok's offer of releasing their inner pain and see through the God imposter's deception.
Perhaps this scenes were valantines from Shatner to his character, as many suspect.The concept of an entity posing as God had been used in "Star Trek" before this movie more than once.
after a few months it came to purchasing Star Trek V: Final Frontier.After not seeing this film for nearly ten years i was surprised to see what a great film this is, far better than what the critics say and what i remembered, alright the subject matter is a little bit suspect but still the performances are first rate, William Shatner is superb as are the rest of the cast.
(We can at least be grateful that Shatner didn't get to do the original story he'd planned, with the Enterprise crew really finding GOD -- then we'd have to add "blasphemous" to the list.)Before he died, Gene Roddenberry disavowed that this movie was part of the Trek canon; one of its most basic premises was discounted in later ST:The Next Generation narration; and fans have generally (though admittedly not universally) just credited this as Bill Shatner's obligatory turn at the helm, swallowed hard, and then forgot about it in favor of the other, better Trek flicks.The best comment on this film came from the "Star Trek" spoof in the first season of TV's "In Living Color" (with Jim Carrey as Kirk).
For instance, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) performs a nude dance to distract Sybok's guards, Chekov and Sulu pretend they are caught in a blizzard when they lose their way hiking, and Chekov declares Sybok in "wiolation of treaty." Kirk, Spock and McCoy try to sing "Row, Row, Row Your Boat." Even if the film was good enough to rate a ten after that point, the song would cost it two stars.
If Roger Corman had produced a STAR TREK movie, this how it would have looked like.The acting, the script, the dialogue, the story, the concept, the sets, and certainly the "special effects" are woeful.A big budget "low budget" movie..
Many people consider this to be the worst single piece of Star Trek ever made, but if you can just let the suspension of disbelief take hold (as with the original series) for just a few moments, you might find yourself enjoying the movie a bit more.
Sure it's similar to the that of THE MOTION PICTURE in which V'Ger sought it's own creator, but this one has the advantage in that it spends a good deal of time focusing on the relationship between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. At this point in the franchise history, we know the three share an powerful friendship but THE FINAL FRONTIER portrays it the best in my opinion.
It is a film bogged by a underdeveloped script, poor special effects and the ego of its director, William Shatner.After the events of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home the crew of the Enterprise is on shore level as Scottie (James Doohan) tries to make new Enterprise functional.
But the Enterprise are called into action when a rogue Vulcan Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) takes hostages on the planet Nimbus III from the Federation and Klingon and Romulan empires with Sybok believing he has found the origin of creation.After Star Trek IV was made Paramount was contractually obligated to let Shatner to direct the fifth Trek film and give him script approval him, leaving us a film of Captain Kirk battling God. There are decent ideas in the film, particularly that all cultures have some brief that there is a God, or a creator some sort and how would religion function in a intergalactic world?
The movements were more jerky, the lighting effects looking poor, terrible green screen and the film is even more dated then the previous entries in the series.One good attitude in the films favour is the excellent score provide by Jerry Goldsmith, a better score then the films deserves.Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is a wasted opportunity which did not fulfil the potential..
There is not one original idea in this film, and you would think with all the Star Trek books that have been published over the years that they could just use one of them and have a much better story.
Luckinbill lends a degree of dignity to the material that it does not deserve, and is the only person throughout the film that seems to have half of his brain capacity functioning.Star Trek V seems to want to tap into the nostalgia of its fan base, but does so with over-long and pointless scenes of Kirk, Spock and McCoy singing around a campfire.
Shatner wanted Sybok's influence to result in a major falling-out between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Nimoy and DeForest Kelley thought it wouldn't make sense given the events of III, so that idea was scrapped early on.
Not waste as in a waste of time (any time spent with these characters is never wasted), but waste as in a waste of opportunities.When I see this movie, I think of all the Star Trek novels that were written which would have made a much better film than the story Shatner chose.
The two "Star Trek" movies that came before this one ("The Search for Spock" and "The Voyage Home") were both directed by a cast member.
Here are the top ten reasons: 1) True to the series (Just listen to the phaser sound effects at the end if you don't believe me) 2) Classic framing story 3) Human journey (Faith and the challenges we all have) 4) Beautiful Metaphors (El Capitan and Turboshaft) 5) Great scenes such as being behind the ship's wheel during breakthrough of great barrier 6) A little shorter than TMP 7) Everyone of the original cast had a key role (Not so true in some of the others) 8) Spock was back to his "green blooded" self 9) More light was shed on the characters lives (McCoy at father's deathbed) 10) Gets better with more viewings - Challenge yourself to find subtle references to the original series (How many people noticed that the wheel in the lounge and its "Where No Man Has Gone Before" placard was a reference to the first episode with the Enterprise crew of the movie.
i don't get it.people say this is the worst Star Trek movie of them all.i'm not sure i agree.i kinda liked it.i know it's not action packed to say the least,and the plot may be unusual,but so what.i found this movie to have a fair amount of humour in it,not as much as the fourth installment,but some.the whole movie is really one 105 minute philosophy lesson,but that didn't really bother me.personally,i thought the story was interesting.enough to maintain my interest for the full running time.i wasn't bored at all.the premise could be called absurd,but it's certainly no more absurd than a lot of other films that get churned out.i think it was better than The first Star Trek movie and as good as the second one(The Wrath of Kahn).i realize i may be in the minority here,but that's life.for me,Star Trek 6:The Final Frontier is a 6/10.
I understand the theme of Star Trek has always been to boldly go where no man has gone before, but 'The Final Frontier' attempts to take the franchise in places it has no business going.William Shatner took the reins of directing after Leonard Nimoy helmed two enjoyable entries in the series in 'Search for Spock' and 'The Voyage Home'.
The very idea that a Star Trek film would center its plot around a villain taking over the Enterprise with his goons in order to get what he wants has been done so many times before, but throw God in the mix as well?
Come on.Luckily, the bond between Spock, Kirk, and Bones is still present to get you through some rough dialogue, as is Jerry Goldsmith's classic score, but 'The Final Frontier' ends up making you wish they would never make another Trek film again.
He was the star and they were there to make him look good, not shine out or create authentic characters that we as fans came to know & love, an unforeseen side effect he actively resisted.So Shatner the writer/director immediately sets things to rights in his world view by subordinating and humiliating the characters who had worked so long for their dignity.
Shatner did manage to come up with at least one great Star Trek scene though, a quiet one where Kirk is trying to figure a way out of the Enterprise brig and Spock offers some play by play advice.
Having bought the box set of all the star trek movies I am working my way through all the films in order.
I've just seen 'The Final Frontier' for the first time not realizing it has such a bad reputation and was quite surprised reading it now having thoroughly enjoyed the film and thinking it was at least as good as all the previous ones if not slightly better than some.
I wouldn't say I was ever a huge Star Trek fan but now having watched half the films so far I think I may be becoming one.
The majority of Trekkies will tell you that "The Final Frontier" is the worst Star Trek movie.
It probably has the best moments between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy of any of the films -- especially since the previous three movies rarely got these iconic character together.
After seeing this film he should have reversed that decision.Star Trek V The final Frontier is the worst in the series.
The acting from all involved and that includes those like Shatner and Nimoy is bad and washed out and making them seem as old as they look in real life, the special effects are tacky like when Spock has to rescue Kirk on a jet pack when he falls down from a mountain.The attempts at humor were pitiful and story is so awful it dosen't bear thinking about which basically involves a Vulcan stealing the Enterprise to find god (seriously) I just didn't care about any of this film and oh not to mention Uhura does a belly dance to distract male guards.
I would also blame Paramount's decision to try and make a Star Trek movie on the cheap rather than William Shatner who directed it.
In amongst all the dodgy effects and poor jokes there is some good stuff here, I liked the camping scenes at the start as Kirk, Spock and Bones spent shore leave together, some of the Star Trek magic is still apparent here.
Thankfully the original crew got a much better film to end on with Star Trek VI..
And the worst of the six movies, "Star Trek V: The final Frontier", literally began its journey beyond the finite universe, and also ended up spiraling into Stephen Hawking's space whirlpool.Based on a quarter-baked story by William Shatner, "The Final Frontier" begins with a first scene with Kirk, Spock and McCoy at a campfire--well more like Bill, Leonard, and DeForest just goofing around instead of being in their Star Trek characters.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier certainly takes many unkind comments here, and it certainly was not the best movie in the series.
As a matter of fact this movie depicts the Kirk, Spock and McCoy relationship better than any other Trek film.
This film is closer in spirit to the 60's series than any of the other Star Trek movies.
The only sequence to look forward is the conversation among Spock, Kirk and McCoy. Star Trek : The Final Frontier is accurately titled on terms of its production of the features as it brings into halt on every single aspect of it like characters, plot-line and the spark of creativity that made it's predecessor what it is..
The Final Frontier is very likely the least of the Star Trek films but even so is well worth a glance from fans of the franchise..
An unusual entry into the Star Trek movies saga, the Enterprise is hijacked by Spock's half brother in an obsessive quest to find God in the center of the galaxy.