I would have to say that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is one of my least favorite movies in the series. I would not go as far as to say that this movie sucks, but it has some good ideas that are never fully realized. I have watched this a few times over the years, thinking that my opinion may change if I give it just one more chance, but so far that has never happened.
How to Download Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was released on June 9, 1989. You can download or stream the film from a digital platform. Click on the Download button at the end of this review and make your choice.
The Movie Review – A Disappointing Follow-Up to the Star Trek Trilogy
To be fair, this movie had a lot to live up to. Coming after the epic trilogy that is Wrath of Khan, Search for Spock, and The Voyage Home, The Final Frontier had to be something special to live up to that. This time around William Shatner is sitting in the directing chair and when you read what his original plan for the movie was, I think that it sounded better than what we actually got.
The Plot and Its Missed Potential
While Kirk and the crew are enjoying some free time, they are called to action as there is a hostage crisis. Once Kirk and the rest of the crew get there, they realize that a renegade Vulcan called Sybok is the one behind it…. And he is Spock’s half-brother! What, Spock had a half-brother and we are just finding out five movies in! While at first thought this is a big twist and a mind-blower, it does feel very forced.
Sybok was not actually trying to hurt anyone. Sybok needed a starship as he thinks that he has found the location of God! Yes, that is the plot of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, they are going to find God. I think the premise of this is actually very good and it certainly makes for something interesting to talk about.
However, the execution is just so weird. Sybok manages to convince the crew to go along in such a weird way, there had to be a better way to get Kirk and the crew onboard than the way that they did vial the “taking the pain” away thing they went for. As a premise, I can get behind it, but the execution is just lacking something.
The Klingon Subplot: A Stronger Element
On top of this plot, we also have a Klingon Captain Klaa wanting to hunt down Kirk to prove that they are strong. I actually like the whole Klaa hunting Captain Kirk subplot way more than the trying to track down God thing that they went for here. Although, I will say that when they “find God” what they really find is pretty cool, but again, the execution is quite lacking.
Final Thoughts: Not the Worst, But Far From the Best
It is so easy to say that Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is just straight up garbage, but I think that is way too harsh. If I were ranking the Star Trek movies then without a doubt, this one is probably going to be at the bottom of my list. However, I do not think that it is a terrible movie and there are a few parts of it that I have always liked. It is a shame that they could not have stuck more with Shatner’s original vision as I would loved to have seen how that turned out.
