Marval Movie

"You've forgotten the best reason to climb a mountain, because its there" This is what Kirk tell an observant Spock while climbing a mountain at the beginning of Star Trek 5. No, just because a mountain is there that is not a reason to climb it also if the opportunity to direct a film is there that isn't a reason to do it, i feel someone should have told William Shatner this.

Star Trek 5 is widely considered one of the worst Star Trek movies along with The Motion Picture, unlike in the first movie the perkara with The Final Frontier is that the characters get degraded to cheep writing and punchlines. I myself do not hate this movie but it is defiantly weak, especially seeing that we just came off The Voyage Home.

The film starts off with the movie giving a lame nod to Laurence of Arabia where a lowlife in the desert spots a figure heading towards him, it is then revealed that the mysterious figure is a Vulcan of all things that somehow has the power to help people with their pain.

Later we see Kirk climbing that mountain that i was referring to earlier, while the crew of the Enterprise are on vacation and while the crew recollects that Kirk has always been reckless and could get himself killed, Kirk tells then that he knew he wouldn't die in those other fights or on the mountain because "I've always known that i would die alone". This is a deep somber scene for Star Trek but then it gets followed by Kirk and McCoy singing row row row your boat...why?

The main perkara with The Voyage Home is that there are some small good parts but there are a lot of bad parts that weigh down the film big time. The film is written by Shatner as well as being directed by him, Shatner is a witty man who i would think it would be great to have a long talk with but he relies on cheap gags and one liners.

After they get to the Enterprise, which is in really crummy condition, they head off on their mission to save three ambassador (Klingon, Human and Romulan) that have been taken hostage by the mysterious Vulcan. But it seems that Spock recognizes this Vulcan that's named Sybok, he is apparently a Vulcan scholar that walked the path of heart and emotions rather than logic. They get caught and through dull action scene that starts with Uhura doing a nude fan dance...WHY?

When they get on the enterprise it is revealed that Sybok is Spock's brother... OK. Kirk naturally says that Spock doesn't have a brother and Spock says hes right "i have a half brother"...what lazy writing. Then Syboks intentions get revealed, he intends to make direct contact with God...WHAT! yes that's right this is a jump the shark moments if I've ever seen one, it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't say it directly and they don't (to start with) but then they flat out say God. Sybok believes in order to reach God they have to reach the center of the universe which lies across the great barrier, which has never been crossed because its so dangerous.

Sybok then uses his powers to heal inner pain of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. We never learn how he got these powers or how they work but we see the pain that McCoy and Spock carry with them and its a good scene followed by Kirk refusing to have his pain taken away from him saying that our pain defines us and we need our pain, this is a good scene, pity there aren't more like it.

They then cross the great barrier with little more than turbulence (I've had flights that have gone rougher than that), we then meet the supposed God and he asks for a space ship but Kirk asks the obvious question what does God need with a spaceship, he zaps him with laser eyes, needless to say this isn't God. Then after a quick space battle Kirk is saved and the crew goes off into space.

The Final Frontier is weak, there's not much of a reason to go back and watch it again, unlike the three before. Unlike Nimoy, Shatner does not have a flare for directing or maybe he just had the chance to direct and took it even though he had no good ideas to bring to the table. The number one thing i learn from Star Trek 5 is that just because there is an opportunity that isn't reason enough to do it.

Rating 2 Stars out of 4