Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier (remastered) [Blu-ray] [1989]

I really had a ball with this movie! The pacing (or lack there of) is reminiscent of that in a dream. The plot moves along without much sense or self-awareness and the plot-holes are big enough cause a lunar ellipse. Never the less, I think it's a nice movie. The characters we all know and love stay IN character for the most part and the core ideas of Star Trek are still present. If you're a fan of Star Trek and its characters, you'll probably enjoy the movie (if only in a "so-bad-it's-good" kind of way) if not, this isn't the movie to get introduced to the world of Star Trek by.

After opening in a dusty arid desert on Nimbus three and then cutting to the lush beauty of Yosemite National Park, it's clear that director William Shatner has an ambitious vision for the fifth Star Trek film. This film feels somehow different to the rest, perhaps it's because it's essentially centred around three old friends; Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - the rest of the crew are often superfluous, though at times their role is crucial or at least comedic (the obvious moment being Scotty's infamous "I know this ship like the back of my hand" scene).

There is plenty of good humour as Kirk, McCoy and Spock eat beans around a campfire. But shore leave is soon cancelled when a renegade Vulcan takes three ambassadors hostage and the new Enterprise is requested to go and investigate. Even when shuttled onto the Enterprise when he ought to be sleeping out under the stars, Kirk is relaxed - infact, he's never seemed so laid back.

Pretty soon though, the Enterprise is hijacked by Sybok - a Vulcan with a difference. He's abandoned the usual Vulcan way of life in order to follow the way of his ancestors, he's emotional and on a passionate mission to get to a planet where he believes God itself exists. Sybok is both interesting and charming, he's an intriguing enemy who wants no bloodshed. You can't help but respect him, he is strong-minded but not overtly ruthless, he's a likeable character who even comes across as warm.

As with the previous film, comedy plays a big part in Star Trek V. There's not as much as there was in The Voyage Home - but enough to make you laugh out loud at times. The humour is used to highlight the camaraderie between the three main characters in the film and it certainly works. The film definitely has a light-hearted feel even though the overall tone can be quite dark at times. There are funny quips scattered throughout the film to break the tension, Kirk often being the one delivering them ("well don't just stand there, God's a busy man!") and many exist purely for entertainment. The new Enterprise is having major niggles and nothing seems to be working, having such a vulnerable ship is the sort of thing which would usually be used as a major plot device, but again here it is more a source of comedy with Scotty joking he'll get the ship moving "even if I have to get out and push"! There is a moment at the end of the film which seems over sentimental, but the camaraderie built up throughout the rest of the film offsets it and prevents it from being too cheesey.

The Blu-Ray transfer is the best of the 'Trek films up to this point. The mountains of Yosemite show lots of detail and the textures of the natural landscape are picked up well. Those with a surround sound set up will love the audio - but if you're a bog-standard stereo listener then you'll find yourself boosting the volume to hear the speech. The extras aren't as exciting as those of the previous release but they are still worthy of a watch; there are tributes to the late James Doohan and Herman Zimmerman - the latter showing his influence on various Star Trek projects, and a feature on the role of God in Star Trek. It's interesting to see how often Gods have appeared, they've been a common theme over the years.

This film often gets unfairly panned. It's certainly not a bad film, and when it's working well it's as good as any of the others - but some elements let it down. Sybok seems to brainwash his followers a bit too easily, and it's hard to believe that nobody else has ever thought to send something through the Great Barrier before now. The final moments spent with the Godlike entity look a bit ropey and you never feel as though there's a satisfying reason as to what it is they've just seen. Hints at an imprisoned being are given but nothing is really concluded.

In a nutshell: A brilliant concept executed in a way which is sometimes a bit wishy-washy. The crew are aging but they still sparkle - Kirk even dares to question God directly! This could have been as thought provoking as the first Star Trek film but it doesn't quite manage it. It's an enjoyable film, it doesn't deserve the heavy criticism it gets - it just isn't as great as it could have been.

Much has been written about Star Trek V and its place in Trek film history as one of the worst ever made. Those opinions were made at the time the film was introduced and such sentiments still exist today. Having now watched this film after a long absence and comparing it to all the other Trek films from both generations, it becomes immediately apparent that the harsh criticism directed at this film is unjustified.

This film, more than any other in the franchise, is the only one that is true to the spirit of Star Trek. It succeeds in more ways than it fails despite the limitations which were imposed on its production.

I won't go into the plot of the movie as that would be pointless. Instead, I will say that the Blu-ray Disc release of Star Trek V:The Final Frontier is superb and although it's not a pristine transfer it does offer enough improvements in both clarity and colour reproduction to make it a worthwhile purchase or upgrade from the DVD release. The sound is a different matter (not 7.1) but still packs a punch with a properly calibrated surround sound setup.