Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country

Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, James Doohan, George Takai, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, Christopher Plummer, David Warner
Directed by: Nicholas Meyer
Rating: PG
Genre: Science Fiction
1991

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: James Kirk (William Shatner) and the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise are sent on a diplomatic mission to broker peace with the Klingons. However, during their meeting, the Klingon Ambassador (David Warner) is mysteriously assassinated, apparently by crewmembers on the Enterprise. Kirk and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley) are charged and found guilty of the crime. They are sent off to a prison world, and only Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the remainder of the Enterprise crew can solve the crime, free their friends, and save the peace.

Review:

Tim: This is sadly the last major movie featuring the original members of Star Trek. They go out with style. Nicholas Meyers is back in the director's chair (after the terrific Star Trek II) and he is in fine form. This movie is a big, epic movie that features some memorable moments, excellent character exploration, and in a new twist, this is really a Star Trek murder mystery. While I don't think this movie quite hits the heights of the second film, it is definitely among the franchise's best.

This movie really gave our heroic characters quite a bit to do. DeForest Kelley and William Shatner have some great opportunities to showcase their skills, both in the Klingon courtroom and on the prison world. Leonard Nimoy gets to display some leadership as Spock takes charge of saving his friends. I really liked the performances of the entire cast, including James Doohan, George Takei (one of his best performances), Nichelle Nichols, and of course, Walter Koenig. Christopher Plummer does very good work as a Shakespeare-loving Klingon.

I actually really enjoyed the Shakespeare focus of this film. It takes the title from Shakespeare, and he's quoted several times throughout. I thought it was a fitting way to bring to conclusion a tremendous franchise (although it will live on, it will no longer be the original). I found myself very engaged in this movie, wondering who was to blame for the grisly murders. The film is a surprisingly strong murder mystery as well as having all of the elements you have come to expect from a Star Trek film.

I really enjoyed this movie, which ushered in the third decade with Trek movies (the first Star Trek came out in 1979 and this one in 1991). I am by no means a Trekkie (my knowledge of the universe would be laughable to real Trekkies), but I was legimately sad to see the crew of the Enterprise go. Six movies was not enough for me. I love marveling at the cunning and fearlessness of Captain James T. Kirk, the grumpy Dr. Bones McCoy, the logical Spock, the mechanical wizard Scotty, the constant support of Chekov, and the soothing voice of Uhuru. Star Trek is really the thinking man's sci-fi epic (Star Wars is the action-oriented sci-fi epic), and I appreciate these six movies and the class and intelligence they brought to the genre.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is not a great movie, but it is a solid end to the original crew of the Enterprise. I enjoyed this movie, and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on actors and directors who have entertained us for 12 years, over 6 different movies. I may not be a Trekkie, but you can call me a Star Trek fan.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend:
Star Trek, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Kahn, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Star Wars, Galaxy Quest