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Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country

Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $17.99
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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: It's an even number -- and the best
Review: Trek movies have always been easy to figure out -- odd numbers bad, even number good. This just happens to be the best.

Star Trek (original series) was often at its best when it told stories of contemporary interest thinly veiled as tales of science fiction. This movie follows that line. In our own world the Soviet Union was collapsing. In the Trek universe, the Klingon Empire is about to die. The problem in both is how to extend an olive branch to your traditional enemies.

Kirk is no prepared to let down his guard. Neither are several other members of Star Fleet (not to mention their counterparts in the Klingon Empire). When the Klingon amabassador is assassinated war looms. The only way to avert it is to let Kirk and McCoy be tried by the Klingons for crimes they did not commit. After that the real fun begins.

This film has some great acting in it. Sulu gets to come into his own (as we always knew he could). Watch for small roles by Christian Slater, Michael Dorn, and several others. Christopher Plummer, however, really steals the show as the Shakespeare-quoting militarist Klingon commander. How much is he behind the whole plot? Wait and find out.

ST1, a pretty waste of time. ST2, the completion of an old grudge match. ST3, a bridge to get between 3 & 4. ST4, a marvelous gift to the fans. ST5, so bad it is not even considered part of the Star Trek canon anymore. And then there is ST6. Great characters, tense action, wonderful comic asides, and a plot that will keep you rivetted. Say what you like about TNG, this film shows the best of the Star Trek world.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Once more unto the breach , dear friends...
Review: This, along with the second film. the Wrath of Khan, is my favorite in the Star Trek series. The story is quick and well-paced, and the actors by now are the charactors they portray. We find Kirk in the unenviable role of peace ambassador to the Klingon High Command when a surprise attack leaves the High Chancellor dead and Kirk apparently responsible. The script is tight and well-written and the charactors are well-done.
The only thing I'd like better on this disc would be more extras. Some extras period would be good, but oh well. The picture quality is marvelous and the sound is incredible. DVD does so much for special-effects-laden pictures it's unbelievable. Even if you're not really a "Trekkie", I think you'll enjoy this fast-paced film.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The final Voyage of the Original Crew
Review: When Released in 1991, The "Next Generation" had come into its own with an audience, & with 1991 being Star Trek's 25th year, it only made sense to send the original crew off into the horizon, & it is done very well here, the film begins with a Klingon moon that has collapsed, it is their main energy reserve, the only chance for survival is peace with the Federation which the Klingons are weary of but see no alternative, the Federation is equally weary but realizes history could be made with Spock leading the peace negotiations, although the bitter fued has caused some hard feelings, Kirk still feeling the loss of his son David who was killed at the hands of the Klingons in "Star Trek III" which left Kirk powerless to do anything about is appalled at Spock's actions, Spock who has little emotion assures Kirk that it is a good thing & Kirk & Co. are soon ordered to escort Chancellor Gorkin of the Klingon High Counsil to the peace summit, but what we learn is that there are Klingons who have an ulterior motive, that involves Kirk & Co. in a lethal game of Chess, Christopher Plummer is sinister as a Warrior Klingon that almost reminds you of Kahn, that in hindsight doesn't want peace, & would rather die in honor than agree to such peace, his actions are soon discovered as well as Federation members who may be co-conspirators in a cat-&-mouse game that Kirk & Co. must solve in order to keep their own honor from being in question, this film has lots of suspense not seen in many Trek films, & was a great send off to the "Next Generation", everyone plays their role to perfection, especially Kim Cattral as a female Vulcan that may be involved in the conspiracy, & may or may not have liasion with Spock, which never really becomes clear, definately an improvement over the ill-fated "Star Trek V" & a great lead in to the "Next Generation" directed by Nicholas Meyer who also directed "Star Trek II".

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: A Tribute
Review: Star Trek VI is the last of the motion picture series featuring the cast of the original Star Trek. In this one, Kirk once again goes head to head with his old enemies, the Klingons in a new and unexpected setting. Before the usual change of fortunes that brings Kirk to the top, he is apprehended and put on trial by the Klingons, during the course of which a very interesting observation is made about Kirk that we will return to shortly. The cast quoting some memorable lines from Shakespeare and more recent poets enhances the storyline. Also entertaining is the usual Star Trek wit and humor.

As a die-hard fan of the original TV series that watched Star Trek movies 1 thru 6, I felt it proper to include a tribute to the Star Trek movies. The TV series was one of my most favorite shows and I have watched every episode several times. When it was announced that Star Trek motion pictures would be produced, I awaited the release with much anticipation. Now that I have seen every movie as well, I feel that without examining the relationship between the TV series and the movies, I cannot adequately write a tribute.

Star Trek movies marked a notable departure from the series, which from this point on I will refer to as Star Trek. In Star Trek, Kirk and Spock were portrayed as dedicated, disciplined, principled and intelligent officers who were worthy examples to follow. In addition, Spock became an icon by personifying a being, who unhindered by emotion, could surpass humans in physical and mental feats. As a Vulcan, he was incapable of lying. Their mission, also that of the Enterprise, the rest of her crew and the Star Fleet was to "seek out new life and new civilizations" and successfully interact with them. This interaction was not always a success, as in the case of the Romulans and Klingons. However, at the end they came out on top because of their discipline.

During the course of Star Trek movies, Kirk is transformed into "an undisciplined officer who ignores the chain of command whenever it suits him" as described during his Klingon trial mentioned earlier. Some examples include Star Trek II, (failing to raise shields in time resulting in devastating damage to the Enterprise by Khan), Star Trek III (commandeering a Star Fleet vessel and traveling to a planet against orders) and Star Trek VI (hurtling the Enterprise out of the space dock at speeds exceeding those set forth by regulations.)

Spock's transformation is more profound. The Vulcan who "cannot lie" begins lying in Star Trek II, (estimated repair time) which he calls "exaggeration." This trend continues until in Star Trek VI, every misrepresentation of facts is seen not as lie but "omission", "difficulty" and "choice." Following Spock's example, his Vulcan protégé also lies freely.

Changes in Kirk and Spock affect the crew as well, transforming them from loyal and disciplined shipmates into space pirates, as they abandon the very principles that had made them a great crew.

In the interest of fairness, I give this movie three stars wishing that I could give it more. To the original TV Series, I give five stars, also wishing that I could give it more.

Farewell Star Trek, and thanks for all the memories.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Shakespeare...in the original Klingon
Review: "Wreak havoc and let loose the dogs of War!" During peace talks with the Klingons, Captain Kirk is cited for sabotaging the whole endeavor when he is wrongly accused of attacking the ship of Chancellor Gorkon, the Klingon Empire's prime representative in the peace initiative. Worse yet, Dr. McCoy is denounced as being medically incompetent and is thereby blamed for killing Chancellor Gorkon during a resuscitation attempt. To save Kirk and McCoy from life in a Klingon penal facility and to revive the moribund peace talks, Spock and company are forced into a race against time as they seek the true culprits responsible for the crimes against Gorkon.

This is one of the better films in the TREK series. As the Klingon General Chang, Christopher Plummer (yes, the SOUND OF MUSIC guy) gives a delightfully over-the-top performance, and fun-to-look-at Kim Cattrall (from TV's SEX AND THE CITY) is great in the role of a Vulcan Starfleet officer. And the regular TREK cast does a pretty good job, too. The visual and make-up FX in this film are outstanding--indeed, some of the best for TREK--and the script is well-written and packed with both action and humor. Even non-TREK fans should find something to enjoy--listen for all the pokes and prods at The Bard--and casual TREK fans and aficionados alike will definitely consider this a worthy vehicle for the final group-performance of the original TREK cast.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent Conclusion to the Beginning of Trek
Review: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the final film of the original-series movies, and carries the old crew out with a bang. Returning to the action and adventure of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Star Trek VI offers space battles, show trials, murder mysteries, assassination plots, high treason, more than a little Shakespeare, and perhaps above all else, a fitting conclusion to the Kirk-Spock-McCoy era.

As every devoted fan knows, the Klingons of the original series were not the quasi-Japanese samurai of later times, but were rather depicted as parallels to America's then-foe, the Soviets. While only rarely played out in a heavy-handed way, this theme ran throughout the series' three year run, and comes into its own in Star Trek VI. Herein, we are confronted with a collapsing Klingons Empire, forced to seek peace because it can no longer afford war, reaching out to the Federation (America) lest it die, while many at home oppose the change (for reasons both honorable and otherwise), and many in the Federation are unwilling or unable to believe such can be true.

Even the opening scene is powerful, with the main title's climax memorably not part of the score, but rather the screen-filling explosion of the Klingon moon Praxis. Praxis, we are told, is a key Klingon power facility, and its Chernobyl-like destruction precipitates the rest of the action, as the Empire first covers up its problems and then, as those problems prove overwhelming, turns to the Federation for the respite it needs to rebuild.

From this beginning, a Captain Spock already easing into his future role as Ambassador first opens a dialogue with the Klingon Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) and then convinces Starfleet Command to send a very unwilling Captain James T. Kirk and crew on one last mission prior to their retirement, escorting the Chancellor and his party to a peace summit on Earth. Kirk's poignant log entries about the death of his son at the hands of Klingons (in Star Trek III) and his fears concerning the Klingons' sincerity return to haunt him as, after an assassination plot succeeds against the Chancellor and is pinned on Kirk, he and McCoy stand trial on the Klingon homeworld and are sentenced to life in the ice-moon prison camp of Rura Penthe. From there the action only builds, as the pair try to escape their fate, the Enterprise crew tries to rescue them (and solve the murder) without provoking an interstellar war, and the traitors (on both sides, including the Klingon General Chang, beautifully played by Christopher Plummer) who carried out the original plot seek again to start that war by attacking the peace negotiators, secretly relocated to the remote Camp Khitomer. A climactic space battle, a second near-assassination, and a quantum shift in intragalactic relations close out not only a magnificent movie but an era.

There are quibbles. Time seems to have little meaning to the writers, who frequently have (among other things) the Enterprise traveling distances which require weeks (at least) in hours. There is an odd scene in which the Federation President is briefed by his general staff -- and in which he barely listens to them -- while inexplicably allowing the Romulan ambassador to sit in. In fact, the entire movie is riddled with strange moments and impossible happenings, anomalies unimaginable in any other Trek installment except perhaps the hideous Star Trek V.

It just doesn't matter. Star Trek VI rocks. Even as the ardent fan picks apart the most annoying errors, he finds himself engrossed in what is unarguably one of the best Star Trek -- indeed, one of the best science fiction -- stories ever. The acting, the special effects, and above all the plot of this rollicking good tale, as well as the knowledge throughout that this is the last voyage of the original crew, makes this not only a wonderful movie, but an unforgettable good time. It mustn't be missed; indeed, it must be seen again and again and again.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the Smartest Sci-Fi movies of all time.
Review: Star Trek 6, in my opinion, is one of the smartest and one of the most understated and underestimated Sci-Fi movies of all time (of coarse because it's a star trek movie). Star Trek 6 is a cleverly written Sci-Fi murder mystery with a very powerful and tension filled climax. ST6 has a great theme song and amazing special effects. It's also the final cruise of the original enterprise crew. A movie to be seen by trekies and non-trekies alike!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: "You've not felt Shakespeare unless you're Klingon!"
Review: And the Klingons, namely Genreal Chang(Christopher Plummer), have their field day as they take their furry upon the Federation. After a Klingon moon is destroyed in a horrific explosion, Chancellor Gorkon(David Warner) conivinces his empire that they finally must make friends with the United Federation of Planets in order to survive. Although Captain Kirk strongly opposes this chain events in terms of the fact that the Klingons killed his son in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," he is given no choice but to take the Enterprise out to escort gorkon through Federation space. Soon the Klingon ship falls under attack, and the Enterprise is held accountable. With time running out, Kirk and his crew must fight to uncover the real conspirators before all hell breaks lose. Fun and action packed. A great entry in the series!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: WONDERFULL
Review: This movie shows why star trek is one of the best sci-fi stories ever made. The plot shows a lot of characteristics of the space diplomacy and raicial differences between humans and the rest of the universe.This is REALLY a movie that you wont forget.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Terrific Movie
Review: Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the ultimate triumph for Kirk and his crew. It is my second favorite movie after Star Trek II. The movie really does go where no man has gone before. Nicolas Meyer did an excellent job directing the movie. Not only does the movie have some excellent quotes, but the dinner with the Klingons shows the distrust between StarFleet and the Klingons. Not only that, but the whole movie has an excellent idea. It stresses that change is inevitable. I would recommend this movie to everyone.


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