STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY. Directed by Nicholas Meyer; written by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn; produced by Ralph Winter and Steven-Charles Jaffe for Paramount. Starring William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, Kim Cattrall and Christopher Plummer. Rated PG.
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2, 4, 3, 6, 1, 5. That's my ranking, from best to worse, of the Star Trek movies so far (I know they say this is the last one, but you never know). Number 6 is certainly a big improvement over number 5. But, then, that wouldn't have taken much.
In the old TV series, its futuristic setting didn't stop it from running stories commenting on social problems relevant to the late 20th century. Number 6 carries on that tradition, with a story which echoes the current situation vis-a-vis the U.S./Soviet relationship.
The Klingons, longtime foes of the good guys, have decided (because of somewhat contrived, but inescapable reasons) to sue for peace. But then, as now, there are some parties with a vested interest in the continuation of hostilities. It seems the road to universal peace never will run smoothly.
There's some good old-fashioned excitement here (including a bit more blood and guts than is usual for Star Trek). And the story is interesting, if predictable. The effects are first-rate. And the supporting cast—particularly Plummer and David Warner as Klingons—is excellent.
The regular Enterprise crew is, for better and worse, their same old selves. And the operative word here is old. Sure, the gang can still get a lot of mileage out of raised eyebrows and to-the-point literary references. But they really don't look anything like people who should be piloting a starship, let alone people that would really be called upon, once again, to save Civilization As We Know It.
Let's hope this really is the last Star Trek with the old crew. I could go for a "Next Generation" movie or two, though!
January 8, 1992
I have written reviews of these other Star Trek movies: