Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Widescreen)

Ok, I realize summing the film up by stating it's about an eccentric Vulcan searching for God might sound kind of silly, and it certainly is, but for me, just hearing the premise fuels all sorts of ideas in my head, sparks thoughts of the limitless posibilities of the universe and the imagination, and really, isn't that what Star Trek is all about? In The Final Frontier's case, the concept alone is enough to attain my interest.

Delivery is a completely different story. This is where the movie stumbles, and often quite badly. As all Trek fans know, this is the one movie in the series directed by William Shatner himself. What he obviously aspired to do was not only to create a popcorn adventure filled with action and humor, but also to infuse themes of spirituality and the wondrous possibilities of the unknown. Sounds like a great odyssey, I know, and while I'm sure some Trek fans will be fully satisfied with the film, I can't help but feel a little frustrated.

For starters, the opening segment set on Yosemite while the crew is on shore leave is one of the weakest extended scenes of the series. We get lame attempts at humor, totally unconvcing special effects (Spock's Superman-ish rescue of Kirk), and some rather pathetic bits of dialogue. Things finally get moving when the Enterprise sets out on its rescue mission, after they've discovered that a Vulcan named Sybok has taken three ambassadors hostage and is demanding a starship. This leads to a skirmish set on the desert planet of Nimbus III, a rather poorly choreographed action sequence that clearly shows where Shatner's directing talents don't lie.

Oddly enough, it's also very noticeable that the special effects are weaker than the previous entries. Hell, even the tinting is a little bland; the movie actually looks more dated than its immediate predecessor, The Voyage Home. At least Shatner wisely decided to focus more on the characters' situation than on the effects themselves. And that is probably where the enjoyment of the next forty or so minutes originate. I've never much cared for the supporting cast, but Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelley make for arguably the most entertaining trio in cinematic history. All three share more screentime together here than in any of the other films, and watching them bicker and/or work together is an absolute delight (loved the conversations they had while in the brig).

Simultaneously, it's not hard to notice the blatant plot holes. How exactly can the Enterprise arrive at the center of the Galaxy (where God supposedly lies beyond The Great Barrier) in a matter of hours? Why would Sybok "brainwash" everyone except for Kirk? Why would Spock question if Sybok found Shakara when it's obvious he couldn't have since he's hijacked the Enterprise to search for it? Most infuriatingly, the plot is never fully or even adequately explained and explored. Sybok (who, I might add, is played very enjoyably by Laurence Luckinbill) claims to have received a vision from God, but this is never elaborated on. Did what they eventually find beyond The Great Barrier send him this vision or was he simply delusional?

Once they arrive at The Great Barrier, the suspense heightens quite a bit. That joyous, exhilarating sense of wonder swelled in me, boosted by Jerry Goldsmith's wonderful score (arguably the best of the series). What they do discover on the planet isn't necessarily disappointing. "It" makes for an interesting discovery to the end of an ambitious journey and makes some sense, given that you can accept that they could conveniently stand on the right spot for "it" to reveal itself. Once again, more elaboration on "it" would have been nice.

The very abrupt conclusion is what's ultimately unsatisfactory, more exploration on that planet and its purpose would have been nice. The climax is pretty much a disappointment, a deus ex machina that wraps things up too neatly and in a far too cliched fasion. The more I think about it, the more I would have liked that Klingon enemy subplot completely excised, since it only serves to detract attention from the "quest," and also as a copout for the conclusion.

The Final Frontier has several things going for it: the unswerving chemistry of the three leads, Jerry Goldsmith's exemplary score, and the occasional sense of awe that the best of science fiction achieve. But the story is too muddled, too silly and Shatner's direction is too unfulfilling. As far as popcorn adventures go, it's a middling, half-bad outing.
** 1/2 out of *****

PS can't wait for the directers cut! if it comes out!