Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Dir: Nicholas Meyer

You know the old adage, about the odd number Trek movies being the stinkers, with the evens way above par?
Certainly fits here.
The plot: With the Klingons forced to go cap in hand to The Federation to seek an alliance following a devastating explosion on their own moon, Kirk and Co. are assigned the mission of beginning the diplomatic process. Though stilted, things appear to have gone reasonably well - or as well as could have been expected with Klingon hater Kirk in charge, any way - when a new disaster strikes. On board the Klingon vessel, mysterious, Star Fleet space-suited figures materialise, knocking out the gravity system in the process and proceed to run amok on the Klingon vessel, killing anything that moves with a bony forehead......
Superbly cast, the likes of Christopher Plummer and David Warner bring genuine gravitas to the Klingon ambassadors.
Special effects wise, though CGI was really in its infancy, this nevertheless looks impressive, with some natty battle sequences, a killer explosion and some pretty cool purple-pink Klingon blood bobbing about in Zero-G.
Though the movie does begin to drag it's heels during the second act, when Kirk and McCoy are tried for crimes against the Klingon Empire and sentenced to die on an ice-bound hard labour planet, where they happen upon a shape-shifting Mrs. David Bowie - the 1st and 3rd acts are so strong it is difficult not to be impressed.
True, Scotty may look as though his Star Fleet issue tunic could very well pop at any moment, McCoy looks as though he has been smearing himself in wood varnish for the past 30 years and Chekov's Russian accent hasn't got any more convincing, but this is a stand out effort in Trek's long movie history.
Unsurprising, really, given that Nicolas 'Wrath of Khan' Meyer was back behind the lens.
Excellent all round.

5 out of 5

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Dir: William Shatner(!)

You remember this one.
You know you do.
No?
Here's a quick reminder:
Kirk, Spock and Bones at Yosemite.
Uhura dancing suggestively.
Scotty's paunch.
Spock appears to be turning to leather.
Kirk battles and actually manages to defeat 'God.'
Oh, there's some guff involving the Romulans and the Klingons but, frankly, who cares as this is an absolute mess.
The humour, such an effective ingredient in Trek IV here feels forced and contrived.
The crew, whilst hardly at their best in the last two outings, now appear to be teetering on the brink of senility.
It has oft been said that the odd numbered Trek movies are poor and, with this as Exhibit A, it seems there is some validity to the argument.
Things are set to improve markedly with the next movie, though, so fear not.
And to think, this was released the same year the magnificent third season of The Next Generation aired.
Picard must have been laughing all the way to the holodeck.

2 out of 5

Star Trek: Generations (1994) Dir: David Carson

The first big screen outing for the Next Generation crew is something of a confused affair, not least because they have to share the limelight with some blowhard has-beens from the past for half the fucking run time.
The plot: In Kirk's latter days, just past retirement. he is on launch duties with a new incarnation of the Enterprise when a distress signal comes in.
The new captain, being a bit of a wet fish, looks to Kirk for guidance and it's not too long before Kirk is getting his hands dirty.
When a Nexus strikes the vessel, Kirk is lost, presumed dead.
In the future, in Next Generation time, one Doctor Soran (Malcolm McDowell) is the sole survivor of an apparent Romulan attack on a space station. When the crew attempt to help him, they discover he is not what he seems, having a direct link to the Enterprise aboard which Kirk seemingly perished, and he will stop at nothing to rejoin the Nexus.
Straddling two series was always going to be tricky, and it makes for a disjointed affair, with whole portions given over to one crew, then the next, then back to the first in a kind of temporal pass the parcel that is pretty jarring.
The old crew are well past their sell by date by now, and come across as a bit of an embarrassment, especially Doohan (Scotty) who was always an awkward, annoying presence, his insufferable attempts at a Scottish accent more painful with each passing year.
A most unworthy debut for perhaps the greatest crew to ever man the good ship Enterprise, though much better was to follow:
Next up, The Borg.

3 out of 5