DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1 Viewer)

[Philip Verdieck]

The way people bash BATTLEFIELD EARTH, you'd think they were expecting something of the ilk of 2001, and since it wasn't a highwater mark in SF, they bash it mercilessly.

BE is supposed to be camp. The book was camp, classic golden age/serial SF. Travolta played the alien over the top, and that is the type of alien it was in the book.

I'm not saying it is high art, but a whole bunch of people can't accept the fact that it wasn't high art, and don't undertand it was never meant to be.

As someone who read the book when it came out, I was delighted to see it make the screen. Yeah, it could have been better, but there were enough elements that were faithfully transferred to the screen, that I enjoyed it.

 

[Jack Shappa]

Seth -- Yeah I read it, but I guess my reply was too ambiguous. The "right" decision for Spock was always based on logic, disregarding emotion. Now that emotion is involved, sometimes the right decision isn't always the logical one. Sparing his brother at the expense of risking the ship seemed to him to be the right thing to do.

 

[Jonathan White]

The way people bash BATTLEFIELD EARTH, you'd think they were expecting something of the ilk of 2001, and since it wasn't a highwater mark in SF, they bash it mercilessly.

I'm with you on this, I thought I was the only person on this board who liked Battlefield Earth. I take it for what it is, a daft sci fi film which I enjoy.

Back to Star Trek V, I have it but have not had time to watch any of it. I'm still trying to make my way through Deep Space Nine season 3, there is not enough hours in the day.

 

[Sergio Martorel]

I have the BATTLEFIELD EARTH DVD.
It´s next to BATTLE ROYALE, BATTLESHIP POTEMKIM and BATTLESTAR GALACTICA in my epiletic collection.

 

[Joseph Bolus]

I'll be purchasing this DVD, and proudly.

Here's why:

1. New, anamorphic, transfer. (The first DVD was non-anamorphic.)
2. Okuda Trivia track.
3. At least a brief look at the infamous "Rockman".
4. You get to hear Spock sing "Row, Row, Row, your Boat ..." in Dolby Digital 5.1.

-plus-

It's Star Trek, for crying out loud, with the Original Cast!!!

 

[MatthewLouwrens]

And guys, can we stop comparing the DC of "The Motion Picture" to a (proposed) DC of V? Comparing Robert Wise to Shatner is like comparing a fine aged wine to a home-brew. Sure they're both enjoyable, but they just ain't in the same class as one another.

We're not saying that Shatner is a director in the class of Robert Wise - at least, I hope we're not.

What we're saying is that both ST:TMP and ST5:TFF are poor films that are notorious for being incomplete. TMP was helped incredibly by the directors cut, and we at least hope that TFF could also be improved.

That is the point of comparison, not the merits of the directors.

 

[GrantM]

I'm a completist, but I'm still not getting this. I would have bought a director's cut with improved FX, however.

 

[Chris Atkins]

TMP was helped incredibly by the directors cut

No doubts there. I really really enjoy the director's cut of STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE.

 

[Ric Easton]

I am really on the fence on this one. I consider myself one of the biggest Star Trek fans around. But this movie was painful. Still, being the crazy completist I am, I will probably do the deed. Though I did see it in a store yesterday... and resistance was not futile!

Oops, sorry... wrong generation.

Ric

 

[Paul_Warren]

Anyone who thinks TFF is the worst ST movie perhaps needs to review ST's 9 & 10 again (if you can sit through them that is). TFF is the closest the TOS movie series ever came to recapturing the goofy nature of the 60's episodes. Sure it's far from perfect but at least 5 CAN be partially redeemed with improved FX & a proper ending. Shatner talk's in his commentary about how many of the FX in the movie were never supposed to be there as he was led to believe that they were temp WIP shots NOT the final composite!

IMHO (and many other ST fans) ST9 & 10 could only be redeemed by being remade as different movies!

This is somewhat confirmed by 9&10's low grosses/popularity.

ST5 either adjusted for inflation or including the number of cinema tickets it sold is a long way ahead of ST's 9 & 10.

 

[John_Berger]

TFF is the closest the TOS movie series ever came to recapturing the goofy nature of the 60's episodes.

And I'll echo what others have said already. ST5 is the only Star Trek movie that showed very solidly the bonds between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. This movie had a solid core for a story that simply was not able to be panned out properly due to the various constraints of time and money.

Paramount should have given Shatner the extra funds to clean this movie up. I don't know what their reasoning was for denying him the ability to clean up ST5, but this was a decision that many, myself included, will not forgive.

 

[Jack Shappa]

I seem to be in the minority but I actually liked ST 10. Not in the same league as the other even numbered ones, but not as bad as 5 or 9... Maybe it should have been ST 9.5

- Cryo

 

[paul_austin]

STV is far from the worst Star Trek film....its just everyones whipping boy. That honor belongs to Insurection, IMHO, which is extremely painfull to watch (do I have to quote Troi's line about her boobs firming up to remind you all how bad it truely is? Worfs zit? The joystick?) Ouch!

 

[Tony Whalen]

ST5 is the only Star Trek movie that showed very solidly the bonds between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. This movie had a solid core for a story that simply was not able to be panned out properly due to the various constraints of time and money.

Totally agree on THAT statement.

However, one of my biggest peeves about the movie is that the lesser characters (Scott, Chekov, Sulu, Uhura) turned against Kirk, and McCoy *almost* did. Sorry, but their loyalty is so strong to Kirk I can't see that happening, whether their "pain" was "shared" or not.

That and some of them (Scotty, Sulu, Chekov) were made to appear incompetent. Even Insurrection didn't do that. (Okay Worf got a massive zit...but he didn't knock himself out with it...)

I'll just enjoy the movie for what it is. Yes, it's the weakest of the bunch (IMO), but I'm a completist, and it IS Trek with the original cast, so I'm happy.

 

[Peter Overduin]

I am a 'completist,' and even have all the Roughneck animated episodes. But STV? It has no place in ST lore and was nothing more than Roddenberry's wish to propogate the theology of, and his faith in secular humanism. Pity he had to defile ST to preach his sermon.

I might of considered buying it if Shatner had been permitted to do something with it to make it more palatible.

I've watched Wing Commander more often than STV.

 

[paul_austin]

I really liked Nemesis.....Paramount picked a craptastic opening weekend

 

[Jason Borchers]

.

 

[Peter Overduin]

In fact, Paramount was so concerned about the strong, virulent anti christan tone of the original script - with which Roddenberry was intimately involved - they dumbed it down to what we see today.

Roddenberry's mistake was to use ST as the vehicle to preach his gospel - and it was his conscious decision to do so. That theme of course is prevalent in the ST universe as a whole, but Gene wanted to make a statement.

Throw in all the other mitigating factors surrounding the film's production and the result is an appalling disaster known at ST V. It was indeed a new frontier, and one to which no man should have ever gone.

However, even though I thought the film was an umitigated disaster, it could have had some redeeming value with proper treatment by Shatner, for this DVD release. He, by the way had also talked about his concerns regarding the original script and the changes that were needed and finally done.

I'll get it when Paramount releases the Shatner Signature DTS version!!

 

[Sergio Martorel]

TFF is the closest the TOS movie series ever came to recapturing the goofy nature of the 60's episodes.

Yeah. Like "Spock´s Brain"...

 

[Jason Borchers]

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