Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is one of the top-tier Trek films. Nicholas Myer, who gave us the revered Wrath of Khan, returns to bring us the final voyage of the full Original Series crew and proves once again how adept he was at understanding Trek and the essence of Roddenberry’s characters. Trek always had a gift for allegory and tapping into the real-world politics of the Cold War’s thawing was genius. I travelled to Russia in 1991, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg (still widely called Leningrad while I was here), and it was thrilling and upsetting. The Communist government’s fall and the restoration of relations between Russia and the West showed a country in decline, unable, it seemed, to project its appearance of strength any longer. It was a powerful moment in history and Star Trek VI tapped into that idea a little to give us a “what if” scenario, wondering what certain factions sought to thwart the chance for peace. Though Russia has become a disaster of a country over the following decades, the Klingon’s in the Trek universe would become strong allies (with hiccups along the way). Star Trek once again showed us the possibilities of our world through allegory, and it is one of the reasons the series has remained so potent and alluring to fans like myself. The Undiscovered Country isn’t perfect Trek, but it’s still bloody good Trek. Recommended.
The Production: 4/5
“Captain’s Log, stardate 9529.1. This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun, and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man… where no *one* has gone before.”
The USS Excelsior, under the command of Captain Sulu, is caught in a destructive wave following the explosion of the Klingon moon of Praxis. The catastrophe on Praxis means the Klingon have less than 50 years of life left. Now, the crew of the USS Enterprise, approaching retirement, are called upon to serve as the United Federations of Planet’s olive branch to the Klingon Empire; representatives who will meet with the Klingon Chancellor, Gorkon (David Warner), and help negotiate peace after more than 70 years of aggression between the two powers. Kirk, with a long and tragic history with the Klingons, struggles with the position he’s now placed, more so given his Number One and life-long friend, Spock, is the one who suggested Kirk and the Enterprise assume this critical and historic mission. That struggle will be a catalyst for the drama and mystery that unfolds, as Gorkon’s ship is fired upon by the Enterprise, and Kirk and Bones are captured and put on Trial for the Klingon Chancellor’s assassination. Peace, it seems, may cost Kirk his life.
Following the less than stellar response to Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, the surging popularity of Star Trek: The Next Generation and cast of The Original Series in their 4th decade aboard the USS Enterprise, the time had come for the film series to take one last voyage around the galaxy before parking in space dock good. Returning as writer and director was Nicholas Meyer who helmed the enormously successful second outing, The Wrath of Khan. In 1991, the Cold War between the former Soviet Union and America and the West had ended providing a perfect real-word conceit for Star Trek to examine. As proxy for the two primary superpowers from the Cold War are the Federation and their long-time adversaries, the Klingons (a species The Next Generation would more deeply explore). The shift in power dynamics, as the Klingons face impending collapse, is a potent underlying story upon which the mystery and adventure of The Undiscovered Country can play out. That the film doesn’t explore the dynamic as meaningfully or dramatically as the premise suggests is disappointing, erring on the side of action a little too readily, but the film does balance intrigue, adventure, humor, and wit well enough for that to be forgivable.
Speaking of the humor, it plays better here than Star Trek V. Some of the laughs are a little too easy (Uhura struggling with the Klingon language won’t stand scrutiny), but the lighter moments are welcome as we see this crew’s final journey. This film’s structure also serves as a highlight, with the core crew split up as Kirk and Bones get shipped off to the Rura Penthe prison and Spock, Uhura, Scotty, and Chekov work the murder-mystery angle aboard the Enterprise. Sulu, of course, creates the triad with his service as Captain aboard the USS Excelsior. Kirk and Bones in the prison environment and the cold wasteland offer us alien creatures and dire circumstances, as well as some playful humor as Kirk’s womanizing and Shatner’s prevalence for being the center of attention get knowing nods. It lends a sense of scale to an otherwise intimately plotted story.
And what a cast. David Warner returns to Trek after portraying a throwaway character in The Final Frontier as Chancellor Gorkon. It’s a memorable role and certainly more worthy of his talents. The crew of the Enterprise are all expectedly good, with DeForest Kelley shining once again on his misadventure with Kirk. Shatner is good, Nimoy never better, and it’s nice to see George Takei in a position of authority aboard the Excelsior. Nichelle Nichols and Walter Koenig as Uhura and Chekov have a good amount of fun, while James Doohan once again delivers as Scotty. Two standouts for this film are Kim Cattrall as the Vulcan, Lt. Valeris. Her scenes with Spock are among the finest in the film. But it’s Christopher Plummer as General Chang, Gorkon’s chief of staff, who steals the show. His Shakespeare spewing, scene chewing presence is pure delight and a terrific Trek villain (though he’s not alone in playing the foil to Kirk and crew). Rosanna DeSoto also stars as Azetbur, Gorkon’s daughter and the person who takes up the mantle of peace following the assassination of her father. You’ll also find Trek regulars like Kurtwood Smith as the Federation President, Brock Peters as Admiral Cartwright, Leon Russom as the Federation chief in command, Mark Leonard as Ambassador Sarek, and Grace Lee Whitney as Excelsior’s communications officer.
The visual effects are once again worthy of the film series. Industrial Light & Magic, unable to produce the VFX for part V, return and display why they’re one of (if not the) best in the business. A healthy spectrum of effects requirements, everything from zero-gravity alien blood floating around and shape-shifting Chameloids, to the new USS Excelsior and impressive Klingon starships are on display and they hold up well.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country proved a box office hit, grossing close to $97MM world-wide, $40MM more than part five despite costing only about $3MM more than The Final Frontier. The media coverage of this being the final outing certainly helped, but the film was able to deliver on the promise of that moment in Trek history. The financial success along with the strong critical praise and fan response restored whatever luster may have worn off the franchise at that point. The final moments of the film are quintessential Star Trek philosophy and when the credits roll with the core cast’s signatures and Cliff Eidelman’s sweeping score triumphantly playing, its hard not to get a little weepy (the kind you often smile affectionately through).
The Undiscovered Country remains a favorite of mine. This release welcomingly includes both the theatrical and the Director’s cut (which runs a about 4 minutes longer), with the Meyer’s cut adding moments that add more color to the mystery and more solid character interactions. A few scenes are edited a little differently, too. The most noticeable change is a big reveal at the denouement. Fans prefer the Director’s Cut (it’s my preferred cut), but the Theatrical Cut has its champions, too. I am grateful we have both in 4k.
Video: 4.5/5
3D Rating: NA
Remastered from original film elements, Paramount’s release of Star Trek VI on 4K disc gives us the best-looking version of this film we’ve ever had on home video. You’ll be struck by the level of detail and fine grain preserved and, as a beneficiary of the Dolby Vision HDR grading, delighted by the color consistency and pop. Red uniforms, the cold black of space, the worn green of the Klingon Bird of Prey, and the unusual pink of the Klingon blood (I’m sure Worf’s on TNG, and every other Klingon who bled on screen, had red blood), are wonderful examples of what 4K and HDR can give us in the home.
Skin tones are natural and hue to the warmer side, and the interior of the ships, moodier on the Klingon vessels, brighter on the Federation’s, are showcased well. Some of the visual effects will standout a little more given the higher resolution but hold up well for still being in the relative infancy of computer-generated imagery (the CGI blood, for example). It’s amazing how quickly the VFX format matured and spread across the industry.
Audio: 4.5/5
As with the other non-Star Trek: The Motion Picture Director’s Cut Treks, The Undiscovered Country reuses the 7.1 Dolby TrueHD track from the previous Blu-ray release. It holds up well, with good surround spread, healthy bass and LFE for the subwoofer, and the immersive ambience of the Enterprise. The Praxis explosion has always been a great audio (and visual effects) moment in the film, and it sounds great here. The busy Rura Penthe prison (and Kirk’s fight with the horned, blue-faced alien with an unusual location for his genitals), offer good surrounds and healthy front action. A solid audio accompaniment.
Special Features: 4/5
The special features found on the previous Blu-ray for this film are included here, with the commentary tracks available on the 4K disc plus the Blu-ray, which also has the rest of the extras. Mostly standard definition, they’re entertaining none-the-less and there’s a good amount of them.
UHD disc:
- Audio Commentary by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn (Theatrical Version Only)
- Audio Commentary by Larry Nemecek and Ira Steven Behr (Theatrical Version Only)
- Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Cut Only)
Blu-ray disc:
- Audio Commentary by Nicholas Meyer and Denny Martin Flinn (Theatrical Version Only)
- Audio Commentary by Larry Nemecek and Ira Steven Behr (Theatrical Version Only)
- Text Commentary by Michael and Denise Okuda (Director’s Cut Only)
- Library Computer (HD)
- The Perils of Peacemaking (SD – 26:30)
- Stories from Star Trek VI
- It Started with a Story (SD – 9:46)
- Prejudice (SD – 5:02)
- Director Nicholas Meyer (SD – 5:57)
- Shakespeare & General Chang (SD – 5:53)
- Bring It to Life (SD – 23:26)
- Farewell & Goodbye (SD – 7:04)
- The Star Trek Universe
- Conversations with Nicholas Meyer (SD – 9:33)
- Klingons: Conjuring the Legend (SD – 20:43)
- Federation Operatives (SD – 4:53)
- Penny’s Toy Box (SD – 6:06)
- Together Again (SD – 4:56)
- Tom Morga: Alien Stuntman (HD – 4:57)
- To Be or Not to Be: Klingons and Shakespeare (HD – 23:04)
- Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 006: Praxis (HD – 2:38)
- Farewell
- DeForest Kelley: A Tribute (SD – 13:19)
- Original Interviews
- William Shatner (SD – 5:05)
- Leonard Nimoy (SD – 6:26)
- DeForest Kelley (SD – 5:00)
- James Doohan (SD – 5:33)
- Nichelle Nichols (SD – 5:39)
- George Takei (SD – 5:28)
- Walter Koenig (SD – 5:28)
- Iman (SD – 5:04)
- Production Gallery (SD – 3:24)
- Storyboards (HD)
- Praxis
- Assassins
- Rura Penthe
- Leaving Spacedock (Omitted)
- Promotional Material
- Teaser Trailer (HD – 1:28)
- Theatrical Trailer (HD – 2:23)
- 1991 Convention Presentation by Nicholas Meyer (SD – 4:43)
- Digital copy of the film (redeemable via included insert)
Overall: 4/5
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is one of the top-tier Trek films. Nicholas Myer, who gave us the revered Wrath of Khan, returns to bring us the final voyage of the full Original Series crew and proves once again how adept he was at understanding Trek and the essence of Roddenberry’s characters. Trek always had a gift for allegory and tapping into the real-world politics of the Cold War’s thawing was genius. I travelled to Russia in 1991, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg (still widely called Leningrad while I was here), and it was thrilling and upsetting. The Communist government’s fall and the restoration of relations between Russia and the West showed a country in decline, unable, it seemed, to project its appearance of strength any longer. It was a powerful moment in history and Star Trek VI tapped into that idea a little to give us a “what if” scenario, wondering what certain factions sought to thwart the chance for peace. Though Russia has become a disaster of a country over the following decades, the Klingon’s in the Trek universe would become strong allies (with hiccups along the way). Star Trek once again showed us the possibilities of our world through allegory, and it is one of the reasons the series has remained so potent and alluring to fans like myself. The Undiscovered Country isn’t perfect Trek, but it’s still bloody good Trek. Recommended.
Neil has been a member of the Home Theater Forum reviewing staff since 2007, approaching a thousand reviews and interviews with actors, directors, writers, stunt performers, producers and more in that time. A senior communications manager and podcast host with a Fortune 500 company by day, Neil lives in the Charlotte, NC area with his wife and son, serves on the Down Syndrome Association of Greater Charlotte Board of Directors, and has a passion for film scores, with a collection in the thousands.
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