What Does God Need With A Starship?

"What does God need with a starship?!"

What is perhaps considered to be the worst Star Trek film ever, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier is the fifth film featuring the cast of Star Trek: The Original Series and the first and only to be directed by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. Premiering on June 9th, 1989 the film was up against a handful of highly anticipated films including Batman, Ghostbusters II, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Lethal Weapon 2 and Licence to Kill. Never again will a Star Trek film be released in the summer due to this film. 

The cast of Star Trek V on the new Enterprise-A

After the huge success of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, Paramount wanted to release another film as soon as possible. Going over-budget due to the ideas that William Shatner wanted to direct, the production had to cut costs and fast. The making of the movie was one disaster after another. Industrial Light and Magic was unavailable for the effects, leading to some rather uninspiring visuals; the writer's strike of 1988 prevented the script from being modified and polished; major competition with the other films coming out at the time such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Ghostbusters II, etc also brought a lot of problems. Gene Roddenberry himself strongly made clear his oppositions of the movie. Seeing as Leornard Nimoy directed two successful entries in the series, William Shatner took a turn at directing due to a clause that both actors signed. What one got, so did the other. 

The film begins on Nimbus III, dubbed "The Planet of Galactic Peace". What looks like a vast desert of holes, a lone person comes into view. He seems to be digging holes for some reason and it's not clear why. All of a sudden, a figure riding in the distant is getting closer to the individual. Arming himself with what looked to be a primitive weapon of sorts, the digger preparing for any danger that may come his way. When the figure finally arrives, he gets off his horse and confronts him. "I thought weapons were forbidden on this planet?" The digger simply replies, "...It's all I have." The visitor can sense there is something not right with this person. Walking towards him, he stares him down until the digger gets on his knees. The man says, "Each man hides a secret pain. It must be shared and forced into the light. Share your pain, share your pain with me. And gain strength form the sharing." After a few seconds, the digger is relieved and says it was "as if a weight has been lifted from [his] heart. How can I repay you for this miracle?!" The stranger asks for him to join his quest for the ultimate knowledge. "To find it, we will need a starship." Not having any starships on Nimbus III, the digger doubts his intentions but when the man reveals himself to be a Vulcan, he understands and is in total amazement. Now it will be possible for a starship to arrive. As I view this, I'm not sure how him being a Vulcan automatically allows starships to head to this planet. But, I go along with the story.

Kirk's new command

After a failed testing cruise causes the new Enterprise-A to limp back to space dock, Captain Kirk, Spock and Dr. McCoy enjoy shore leave at Yosemite National Park. While attempting to make an ascent, Kirk is free climbing El Capitan as McCoy watches from the safety of the ground mumbling to himself in disgust. While taking a break and overlooking the beauty of the forest, Spock pops up out of no where and greets Kirk with his gravity boots on. "Greetings, Captain." "Spock! What are you doing in this neck of the woods?" Spock replies, "I have been monitoring your progress. I regret to inform you that your attempt to free climbing El Capitan, is in no danger of being broken." Kirk replies to Spock that he's doing this because he enjoys it and because the mountain is there to be climbed. Suddenly, Kirk looses his focus and falls from his perch. Spock swings down in an act of bravery and catches Kirk right before his death. Mr. Spock, saving Kirk's life, tells hims that "because it is there" is not a sufficient reason for climbing a mountain.

Meanwhile, back on Nimbus III, a Romulan representative arrives to join the two other representatives on the planet: A Klingon, General Korrd and a human, St. John Talbot. Now, although this planet is known as the Planet of Galactic Peace, nothing has become of it and it is essentially a baron waste land where no progress is being made. Forbidding people weapons, protesters began to "fashion their own" with rocks as ammo. This "new age" died a quick death. Meanwhile, an alarm goes off and Paradise City is being overthrown by a bunch of men chanting. Heading in after them, is a Vulcan on horseback and he seems to be in charge of this intrusion. Breaking into the main chamber, the Vulcan demands them as their prisoners. Counting on them to contact their governments, the Vulcan encourages that as to lure a starship to arrive.

Back at Yosemite, McCoy prepares beans for everyone and even puts a secret ingredient in there that not even Spock is familiar with: Tennessee whiskey. After dinner, McCoy stops and reflects on how much time they spent together in "space and us getting on each others nerves. And what do we do when shore leave comes along? We spend it together. Other people have families." Kirk replies, "Other people, Bones not us." The way Kirk reacts tells the audience that this crew is his family. The ship is his prize possession and he's happy with that. McCoy seems to be a tad regretful, however since he has a large family back at home. Then, McCoy tells Kirk that he should have been killed when he fell off that mountain. Kirk says, "I knew I wouldn't die because the two of you were with me." Spock does not understand this. "I've always known, I'll die alone." Breaking the morbid silence, Spock takes out a dispenser that producers marshmallows. Kirk suddenly has a flashback and says that he hasn't sung around a campfire since he was a boy in Iowa. Choosing to sing "Row, Row, Row You're Boat" McCoy starts off and Spock is told to jump in. Naturally, Spock does not sing due to him "trying to comprehend the meaning of the words." McCoy chides, "It's a song you green blooded...Vulcan! You sing it! The words aren't important!" Silence...and then Spock remarks, "Were we having a good time?" Okay, time for bed.

In the middle of the night, a shuttle from the Enterprise heads down to pick up Kirk and company informing them there has been a hostage situation. With the transporter not working properly and with Kirk "forgetting" to bring his communicator with him, the shuttle had to be sent down. Arrive on the Enterprise, everything is in bad condition. The doors aren't asdfasdfdaren't opening, the bridge is in shambles and Kirk was in the middle of his shore leave. Speaking with Starfleet, Kirk is ordered to Nimbus III to rescue the hostages. In the hostage tape, Spock recognizes this Vulcan from somewhere and it brings him to leave the bridge and into the officer's mess to spend some time alone. When Kirk and McCoy arrive to see Spock, they are informed that Sybok is Spock's half brother.

A ghost from the past

Arriving in Nimbus III, and with the transporters still out, Kirk and an away team head down to the planet to get the hostages. This planet is almost directly out of Star Wars up to the scene when Kirk arrives at this bar. A three breasted cat-like being attacks him out of the shadows and a pretty random fight ensues that ends up with Kirk throwing her into what looks like a literal "pool" table. This kills her? Who knows. Anyway, Spock arrives and the hostages are there to be rescued. However, manipulated by Sybok, they in tern hold the two Starfleet officers hostage. Now having the command of a starship, Sybok prepares to send his men up to the Enterprise, but not before he catches a glimpse at Spock. They remember each other, but this moment doesn't deter Sybok from his goal of stealing the ship.

Scotty helping Kirk send a distress call

Arriving on the Enterprise and putting Kirk, Spock and McCoy in the brig, Sybok goes up to the bridge and announces his intentions to the rest of the ship. He is taking the ship to the planet, Sha Ka Ree, or what is also known as Eden in the Vulcan language, which lies at the center of the galaxy. He says that he is on a mission given to him by God. How the Enterprise is able to reach the planet in less than two days is beyond me, but it does. Scotty, the only member of the crew not manipulated by Sybok, manages to break Kirk out of the brig and they all make a run for it to send a distress call. An irking scene involves Kirk and company climbing up a turboshaft to get to the front of the ship. It takes quite a while until Spock takes out his gravity boots and gives them all a lift faster. Once they are get to the top and send a distress call, the call is intercepted by a Klingon Bird-of-Prey which pretends to be Starfleet; and now the coordinates of the Enterprise is known. The Klingon Captain, Klaa, originally assigned to rescue the Klingon representative on Nimbus III, decides to go after Kirk and make a name for himself. In other words, he's bored and is sick of destroying space garbage. After sending the transmission, Kirk and company are caught and Sybok lectures them.

First, he goes into McCoy's head and has him face a situation that has tormented him his entire life: pulling the plug on his ailing father only to discover not long after "a goddamn cure" had been found for his disease. McCoy seems to release himself from his pain and Spock is next in line. He is given a vision of his birth and witnesses his father not caring about him and saying that he is "so human". This hurts Spock a little to the point where he sheds a tear. Now, it's Kirk's turn and he refuses. "The things we keep with us are the things that make us who we are. Without them we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away, I need my pain!" Before Sybok continues further, he is informed that they have arrived in the Galactic Barrier. 

Long-lost brothers

Upon reaching the planet of Sha Ka Ree, Sybok has Kirk, Spock and McCoy take a shuttle to the planet surface. Getting to the planet, Sybok calls out to his god but there is no reply. Kirk, realizing that Sybok is indeed mad, calls to inform the Enterprise that nothing is happening. Suddenly, the skies begin to darken and ground begins to shake. Out of nowhere come these large towering rocks like huge claws growing out of the ground and surrounds the explorers. Then, a large blue light, followed by fog ensures, and no it's not an alien dance club, it's the entrance of what is believed to be God. This God is trying to escape from the planet it has been imprisoned in for an eternity and needs the Enterprise to escape. This, naturally causes Kirk to ask the question that is one of the popular quotes from the film: "Excuse me? Excuse me I'd just like to ask a question. What does God need with a starship?!" McCoy jumps in and says, "Jim, you don't ask the almighty for his I.D." Looking down at Kirk with malevolence, the being says, "Who is this creature?" To that, Kirk continues, "Who am I? Don't you know? Aren't you God?!" Leave it to Captain Kirk not to take shit from anyone. He's been a captain his whole life and knows how things work. Suddenly, the being zaps Kirk with his eyes and knocks him off the ground. The same happens to Spock and when Sybok asks why He has done this, the being says, "He doubts me." "But, the God of Sha Ka Ree would not do this!" That comment enrages the being and tells Sybok that Sha Ka Ree is a vision he created. Then, Sybok asks the being to reveal himself to him and it turns out to be just another Sybok. Then, they both fight to the death. 

"Jim, you don't ask the all-mighty for his I.D.!"

Kirk orders Spock and McCoy to return to the Enterprise as the transporter is now working. Directly after the officers are beamed up, Klaa's Klingon bird-of-prey fires on the Enterprise disabling the transporter and leaving Kirk abandoned on the planet. Escaping "God's" wrath, the bird-of-prey fires on the being, destroying him with just one shot and then has Kirk beamed aboard. Thinking he is to be taken prisoner, the Klingon representative from Nimbus III orders him to be released and that his junior officer has something he wants to say to him. "The attack upon your vessel was not authorized by my government." Disgraced and stepping aside, the gunner responsible for killing the God entity was Spock! Surprised and happy to see him, Kirk says, "I thought I was going to die." To which Spock replies, "Not possible, you were never alone."

After a reception aboard the Enterprise, Kirk, Spock and McCoy resume their vacation on Yosemite.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier did make money. It was #1 at the box office for it's first week of release but slowly fell under after the release to other more successful films. Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek's creator, protested against this film and considered many aspects of it to be apocryphal. It got so bad for him that he tried to get people to help him shut down production, or at least change the story. The fact that it dealt with the Enterprise crew searching for God made it seem as if Star Trek were for Christians even though he wanted to stay as far away from religion in his creation as possible. A close friend of Gene, Isaac Asimov was asked to help stop production on the movie. Nothing ever came of it and the film was indeed released after all. Not to Gene's surprise, the film was highly controversial among fans and viewers alike and most of the criticism came to William Shatner. Production was rushed as I mentioned before, and the special effects were very underwhelming for a Star Trek production. But, in the long run, if it wasn't for Star Trek V, we would not have Star Trek VI, which saw the return to form and success for the franchise.

I personally found the film entertaining in certain aspects, but I tend to stop watching it when Sybok begins to mind-meld and free the pain of Spock and McCoy. It just really stalls the film for me and the lack of anything happening is a bit of a downer. The highlights to the movie stand out when they do! The campfire scene on Yosemite is great and this is the only time in the original film series where you get to see the bonding that the trio have. Again, the effects are very poor and it takes me out of the story a little. But that was due to the rush of production and the lack of ILM. The script went over-budget and Shatner had to scale down the grandiose ideas of what he wanted to do.

I cannot say that I would recommend this film, but I would say that you should see it at least once for the chemistry of Kirk, Spock and McCoy. The rest of the crew are very underused here, and they are almost background characters. Chekov does have a chance to shine when he pretends to be Captain of the Enterprise, Scotty and Uhura have a fling which is never seen before or after this movie, Sulu is just a helmsman, but the next film will have him promoted to captain. There were talks that McCoy and Spock would betray Kirk, but DeForest Kelley and Leonard Nimoy protested against the idea since they are loyal to Kirk.

Thank you for reading my blog and as always, please contact me and share your thoughts on the film, what you liked about it, what you didn't like about it, things you disagree with me on, etc. Thanks for reading and be sure to subcribe!