Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Review

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
1991

The Federation and Klingons are finally on the eve of making peace when Kirk is framed for assassinating a Klingon chancellor. This one was a return to form, boasting a really good plot and superb special effects. The theme was the future. The first act takes its time, tension slowly boiling as humans and Klingons share an awkward dinner aboard the Enterprise. The tension finally erupts with a fantastic assassination scene set in a zero-gravity, where pink drops of Klingon blood float weightlessly in midair. What follows is essentially an old-fashioned murder mystery set in space, complete with futurustic takes on Hitchcockian plot devices: there’s an isolated location (a starship), plenty of suspects (300 red-shirts) and a MacGuffin (magnetic boots). It was a brilliant setup, and although it is fun to watch it all unfold, it leaves something to be desired. The “whodunit” was far too obvious -- you’ll know long before the revelation. The supporting cast is excellent, but the leads evoke an ambiguous response. It’s like watching elderly actors come out of retirement for one last show; great to see them still doing their thing, though obvious they’ve left their prime. The script is too reminiscient of other films; among a galore of pop culture quotes, there's a planet covered in snow *cough, HOTH!*, slaves forced to work in a mine *hack, TEMPLE OF DOOM!* and a sniper at a political convention *gag, MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE!* Ahem. Episode VI was kind of a rip-off, though still a good last hurrah for the original cast. Shatner delivered a very emotional farewell, marking the bittersweet end of an era as he ushered in the real undiscovered country. 4/5 stars.

Warp to my Star Trek Generations Review