Smell the Movies
Smell the TV
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
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| Year: | 1991 |
| Country of origin: | USA |
| Director: | Nicholas Meyer |
| Genre: | Quality Trek |
| Starring: | TOS crew, Christopher Plummer, David Warner |
| Rating: | 5/5 |
| IMDB link: | http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0102975/ |
| Tagline: | On the verge of peace. On the brink of war. |
| Favourite line: | "Cry havoc, and let slip The Dogs of War." |
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.
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