Friday, March 15, 2019

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, or why I don't write for movies

Star Trek V does get a bad rep, although it does deserve it. So, what if I was able to talk William Shatner down back in the late 80's?

We open to Nimbus III, a little speck of dust with precious little to offer to anyone. The only issue is it happens to a rouge planet, with a trajectory that takes it through Federation, Klingon, and Romulan space. Rather than fight over it, all three powers place 1 ambassador there.

St. John Talbot (David Warner): From Earth. Used to go to the Academy with Kirk and was one of the top ambassadors for the Federation. WAS being the key phrase here, as twenty years of Romulan ale have pretty much made him a wreck.

Korrd (Charles Cooper): Once a high ranking general and looked to be taking his place on the Klingon High Council, but a string of failures plus a total lack of interest in playing politics have left him a solider without a war to fight.

Caithlin Dar (Cynthia Gouw): A misfit by Romulan standards, she is assigned there mostly due to raking up a few scandals on the home world.

Into this rides Sybock (Sean Connery), rouge Vulcan. He takes over the meeting hall, hoping to provoke a response. The Romulans hang up, but the Klingons send Captain Klaa and the Federation sends Captain Kirk.

Neither side is aware of the other, and they end up in a standoff while Sybock steals the Enterprise-A's shuttle and makes his way back to the ship, forcing Kirk to ask Klaa for help.

Spock is shocked when the shuttle opens. "Hello Uncle"

Spock promptly retreats, taking as many as of the crew as he can. Sybock mentally controls the rest, taking the ship off to parts unknown. Spock explains to Chekov and Scotty that Sybock was his uncle and teacher, but he was banished from Vulcan. Why? Because of his experiments in mind melding. As evidenced by the scene in the cargo hold, Sybock can overtake your mind just by being in the same room.

Why does Sybock want with the Enterprise? He wants to expand his power and something at the farthest edge of the galaxy is willing to help. All he has to do is get there.

Sulu (under control), manages to free himself and Uhura but they play it cool while Sybock monologues. Once he expands his power, Sybock will be able to control entire planets. There will be peace, love, and understanding. All under his firm but loving hand, of course.

The Klingon Bird of Prey manages to overtake the Enterprise, but gets disabled in the fight. Kirk beams himself over but gets taken captive. Sybock hits the captain with all the misery in his life (dead son, dead brother, loss of the first Enterprise) and threatens to make him experience all of that forever unless he helps him (Scotty locked the engines so higher speeds are locked off unless the captain gives the verbal command). Kirk agrees and plays it cool until they hit the planet at the edge of the galaxy.

Sybock takes Kirk, Spock with him, but Spock notices that the whole planet looks more like a prison than anything else. The entity appears and promises to increase Sybock's power, but Kirk notices that once Sybock frees the being, why should he continue to work with him? Rock creatures appear and attack, but Kirk keeps them busy as Spock, Sybock, and the Entity debate. Spock points out the Entity is more than likely a prisoner and simply called Sybock due to the latter's mental prowess.

The two Vulcans team up and fight the Entity with their minds, driving it back, but one is going to have to stay while the planet erupts around them. Sybock pushes his nephew away. Spock and Kirk fly off as the planet erupts into volcanos. The Enterprise flies away as the planet explodes, the shockwave knocking them back to regular space.

The Klingons leave, but there is a moment of respect between the crews. Sulu is promoted to captain and takes command of his own ship, the Excelsior. Kirk and Sulu share a moment before Kirk ends up walking off into the sunset with Spock and McCoy.  

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