Top 10 Annoying Elden Ring Boss Part 2 - No's 5-1

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, its been a while since Part 1 of this list, so figured it would be a good time for Part 2 of my look at the most annoying bosses in Elden Ring. 

So, with that said let's see who made it into the top 5...

5. Godskin Duo 

And at No.5 is the infamous Godskin Duo. Now alot of people would have put these guys higher up the list but I personally think while they are pretty annoying, there are still quite a few bosses ahead of them that are more annoying.

As for why these two douches are a pretty annoying duo, well its mainly to do with the fact that they are even a duo in the first place as they are kind of annoying solo as it is but putting them together just makes it all the worse! On top of that they are both quite fast and mobile with the slim one perform a number of quick attacks with his twinblade as well as using black flame incantations. As for the fat one (basically a sumo wrestler and then some!) he is surprisingly mobile and uses a giant rapier, which he can perform a series of deadly thrust attacks with and he also has a big roll attack that can flatten you, oh and he also uses black flame attacks too! 

So, this is a basically giant s*** show of a boss and they are very tough to take on solo, so its best to use summons to get them down (plus +10 mimic is a great option here or even Bernhal who's summon sign is just outside the door). The best strategy is also to use sleep arrows to incapacitate one of them allowing you to wail on them and then rinse and repeat on the other one. However, these guys keep coming back as long as their health bar is still onscreen, which makes them all the more annoying!

So for me the Godskin Duo are without a real pain in the ass and as such they more and deserve a place on here.

4. Godfrey, First Elden Lord

So, at No.4 is this guy, the penultimate boss of the game, Godfrey, who is a two phase fight but his name changes to Hoarah Loux and he becomes something that resembles a WWF wrestler!

So, what makes this guy so annoying? Well, its mainly to do with the lack of time he gives during attacks particularly in the first phase where he has big sweeping combos with his axe, which does big damage of course. However, not only that but Godfrey also performs foot stomps that deliver powerful shockwaves that can also do a lot of damage to your HP as well as create a large fissure in the ground that WILL one-shot you if you get caught in it! So, its pretty easy to mistime your heals and get killed in the process of Godfrey's combo BS. 

And this brings me onto his second phase where kills his lion that is on his back and sheds his clothes and takes the mantle of Hoarah Loux, who acts like an overpowered wrestler, who of course does a crap ton of damage! In fact Hoarah Loux's most infuriating attack is his slam dunk where he grabs you and throws you into the air and slams you down onto the ground, which can do a massive amount of damage. Not only that but HL will do more powerful stomp attacks that of course deal major amounts of damage too.

So, for me between the Godfrey's annoying endless axe combos and his brutal foot stomp shockwaves and his transformation into an OP wrestler and the name of Hoarah Loux (or Honolulu if you like!) who can perform slum dunk attacks and yep more shockwave BS, this is more than enough for him to rank a place on the list at No.4.

3. Radagon/Elden Beast 

At No.3 is this boss duo finale of the game of Radagon and the Elden Beast, who both drove me to distraction on my first few playthroughs, especially you have to fight them back to back and it goes without saying many a player despises the Elden Beast alone! 

As for why I find them annoying? Well, for me I actually found Radagon way more annoying simply because he just doesn't give you any time between his attacks, as he is always doing some combo or other move on you. And Radagon has a generous mix of sweeping hammer combos that deal alot of damage followed by holy lightning damage attacks, that include a leaping attack that on impact can light up the entire surface area dealing ALOT of damage! He also a brutal grab attack where he will beat you down with his hammer, which again does a crap ton of damage! Not only this but he can also teleport in and out and fire holy lightning at you too. Not to mention as you try and hit him more than once, he will also perform a nasty stomp attack on you too. So, yeah that is a lot of BS to deal with and it makes him quite infuriating to fight!

However, who am I to dispute many other players who dislike the Elden Beast because he is bloody annoying in his own right also even if I find him much less difficult than Radagon to fight. However, the Elden Ring does have plenty of annoying moves such as various holy attacks, that include holy fire, holy clouds, holy rings as well as holy waves! Holy sh**! That's a lot of holy stuff! Not only that but he performs some annoying albeit well telegraphed attacks with his large relic great sword. 

But of course that is not the most annoying aspect of the Elden Beast in itself as the most annoying one is the fact that he NEVER stands still and keeps swimming around a lot, which is the most difficult thing about fighting him as its hard to keep up with him as swims around so much! I mean if this guy didn't swim around that much then he would be much easier to fight.

Anyway, so with all that said, the final boss duo of the game definitely deserve their place here on the list as they have infuriated many a player and I put myself in that list also of players and they definitely earned their spot at No.3. 

2. Malenia, Blade of Miquella 

So, in the runner-up spot is of course, Malenia, who many people consider to be the single hardest boss in the entire game and with good reason thanks to a very cheap game mechanic that allows her to restore her health, which I will get into more below.  

As for why Malenia is annoying as a boss to fight? Well, as I mentioned, Malenia can restore her health with ease because she will regain an amount of her HP every time she lands a hit on you, which is the single hardest thing about the fight in itself. And yet there are two stages to this boss fight, so with her annoying ability to regain HP how are you meant to even get through one phase never mind two?!

Another reason why Malenia is so annoying is because performs a deadly move called the waterfowl, which is a series of lightning quick slashes that have a big AoE and they are very hard to escape from without getting obliterated by them. And I'm quite certain that many player will have died to the waterfowl attack alone if not any of her other attacks, which are bad enough as it is!

However, we are not finished by any stretch because in her 2nd phase, Malenia transforms into the Goddess of Rot and she can perform a massive AoE blast that deals scarlet rot damage and will one-shot if you are caught right under it. Not only that Maleina will also perform another variation of her waterfowl move on you too and she can track you easier than in the first phase, which makes things all the more infuriating. 

So, its safe to say that Malenia definitely deserves her place on this list given she is incredibly difficult, which is largely as a result of a very cheap game mechanic where she can restore her health by hitting you. Plus, she always reminds of who she is when she kills you "I am Malenia, blade of Miquella!" yes, Malenia, WE KNOW!!! So, Malenia is a worthy runner-up here.

So, that leaves the top spot and the most annoying boss in Elden Ring is...

1. Fire Giant 

Yep, in the top spot is none other than the Fire Giant, and I only have three words to say about him: F*** THIS GUY!!! Yes, the Fire Giant is unquestionably the MOST annoying boss in Elden Ring for various reasons, which I will definitely get into below and he has infuriated me on every run I have done of the game and is a major roadblock for any player, who has had the misfortune of encountering him. 

So, why is the Fire Giant so annoying???? Well, where to begin?! Well, for starters one of the most annoying aspects of the fight is that it is mandatory, as you need to beat him to progress the game otherwise you are pretty stuck! And believe me if he was optional, I would NEVER fight this guy even if I had the option to, it just wouldn't be worth it!

But as for the fight itself, well there are number of things to start off with, his design is pretty boring, he is a just big lumbering oversized orangutan, who has the ability one or two shot with his colossal attacks. In fact to start with, he has a big shield (God knows why he needs it though!) that he clobber you to death with and can easily be one-shot with it, either that or he can perform a sweep attack with him that will cause to trip you up with a large flurry of snow and deal a lot of HP damage in the process.

Another issue with the Fire Giant and one of the most annoying issues most players have with him is how he can also perform roll attacks and flatten you with them, or he can simply roll away from you to prevent you dealing more damage to him! In fact, the rolling is definitely one of the biggest complaints most people have with this fight, as it makes harder for you to catch up to him when attacking. 

And then we get to the actual fire attacks, where his chest opens up to reveal a large eyeball and we see he has basically has a face on his chest and of course from his chest he can emit large fireballs that, you guessed it, deal a lot of damage! Not only that but the giant can also produces large waves of fire and flames that surround you that will of course incinerate your player if stand in the wrong place at the wrong time. 

There are however mercifully some glitches that have been known to work in this fight, such as using one of the spirit ashes, Latenna, who you can set up to shoot the giant with arrows as he stands on the cliff tops and in the 2nd phase you can jump off the cliff edge at a certain point on horseback and perform the weapon swipe glitch until you get the souls for the fight and its over! However, unfortunately I haven't played the game for a while, so I cannot confirm if this glitch still works because Fromsoft have a bad habit of patching glitches out as they go along.  

So, for me the Fire Giant is unquestionably the most annoying boss in Elden Ring as he is simply infuriating to fight with his annoying slow paced attacks, ability to pancake you with his shield not to mention that he can incinerate with his fire attacks and flatten with his annoying roll attacks! Not only that but his design is also really dull and boring and he simply isn't a fun boss to fight on any level given that he is also painfully slow as he lumbers around everywhere SO slowly! 

And with that all said, the Fire Giant definitely deserves the No.1 spot as the most annoying boss in Elden Ring. 

Right, that's it for this list and I will see you soon for another post that won't be to do with Elden Ring.

Until then its bye for now!   

Top 10 Annoying Elden Ring Bosses - Part 1 No's 10-6

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, time for something a little different here as I thought it was time to do a top 10 list of the most annoying bosses in Elden Ring. Now there are over 150 bosses (that include multiple cut and paste variations of the same bosses!) in the game to be found and they all vary in terms of their challenge but here I've simply opted for the ones that deal the most rage fueled moments in players (or me specifically!). 

So, with that said let's take a look at these infuriating bosses. 

10. Commander Niall 

So at 10, is this annoying fella, Commander Niall (who has another variant called Commander O'Neill who slightly less annoying) who can be found in one of the most challenging areas in the game, Castle Sol. Thankfully this guy is optional and just as well as he is pretty annoying with the attacks he has not to mention his two banished knights that aid him. 

In fact this boss is a prime example of bosses that need to be cheesed as taking this one on in standard combat, is almost impossible because Niall's two banished knights can destroy your health bar in record time. However you can use an item called a bewitching branch on the two knights to turn them into allies and they will attack Niall, however Niall can wipe them out with fair ease. #

After this you need to fight Niall himself, who is a royal pain as he uses a mix of frost whirlwind attacks and later lightning attacks to wipe you out. And of course, Niall hits like a truck,so he can also obliterate you with ease, so bringing along ash summons might be a better idea to help cope with his annoying BS. 

So, with that said, Commander Niall definitely deserves a spot on this list at No.10.

9. Alecto, Black Knife Ringleader 

At No.9 is this boss Alecto, the Black knife ringleader, who appears as a phantom jail boss in Liurnia of the Lakes area and Alecto is a pretty challenging boss to say the least, which makes her all the more annoying.

In fact what makes Alecto, so annoying is her speed and aggression as she can literally punish you if are playing as a slow strength build character for e.g. as she will run rings around and will also use her destined death attack on you, which whittles your health down pretty quick. Alecto can also perform a jump on your back attack, where she stabs you and takes off a generous chunk of your health in the process.

You could also say what also makes this boss annoying is that you need to kill her if you want to access the often sought after ash summons, Black Knife Tiche, who has much the same skills and is often very useful in boss fights. However if you want to get her ashes then you HAVE to go through this annoying BS-ery of fighting Alecto first, which is certainly no joke in itself. 

So, I think its safe to say that Alecto deserves her spot on her the list due to her speed and aggressive nature and if you want Tiche then you know you are in for a bad time.  

8. Ulcerated Tree Spirit (Haligtree version)

Next up is the Ulcerated Tree Spirit of which there are of course multiple versions of this boss however this one is technically a mini boss and not a proper game boss but this one is pretty annoying and does deserve a spot on here. 

As for why this version of the tree spirit is the most annoying? Well, its mainly because you are forced to fight him in perhaps the single most annoying area of the game, the Haligtree, in a lake of scarlet rot, which quickly ebbs away your hp and add to this the monstrous damage this guy can do and you've got a pretty infuriating experience. 

In regards to the tree spirit's attacks, despite a flurry of powerful strikes, it also has a very annoying fire attack of sorts and a grab attack that inflicts scarlet rot on you (yep more rot!). So, suffice to say, I died to this boss quite a few times before I managed to beat him and in the end I actually used the weapon art, hoarfrost stomp to kill him and it was even the post nerfed version of it! And what's more annoying is if you want to complete the NPC, Milicent's questline, you HAVE to kill this guy however if you have no intention of doing so, just give this guy a miss!

So, for those reasons, the tree spirit definitely deserves its spot here on the list at No.9.

7. Clergy Beast/Maliketh

At No.7 is this two phase fight of the Clergy Beast and Maliketh, the Black Blade and this is definitely one of the more difficult bosses in the game and does pose quite a threat and a sizeable roadblock to most players as he is NOT optional. 

As for the first phase of the fight, you do battle with the clergy beast himself, who is Garranq that you were trading death roots with earlier in the game in Caelid and here he is very fast and aggressive. And the beast does a number of brutal attacks and can throw boulders at you as well all of which deal a lot of damage and he can even charge at you as you enter the boss room on subsequent attempts meaning you have a decent chance of getting cornered and killed right away! 

However, the most annoying part of the fight is easily the 2nd phase where he transforms into Maliketh, the black blade, a man-dog like creature who is lightning quick and has an annoying attack called destined death that can literally melt your HP bar! So, you need to be on point with your dodges here and use the pillars for cover around the arena. However this guy is so quick he more often than not will kill you quickly with his destined death crap before you can do annoying, so again a straight up fight here is a suicide basically. 

So, for me Clergy and Maliketh mark one of the more challenging bosses in the game and they are both pretty annoying to deal with and deserve their spot on the list here.

6. Erdtree Avatar (Caelid version)

So, at No.6 is another version of a boss found throughout the large map of the lands between, the Erdtree Avatar and more specifically I refer to the one found in the Caelid region, who is easily one of the toughest versions of this boss in the game and as such quite annoying too! 

As for why he is annoying, well its mainly because this guy does ALOT of damage with his strikes and he also uses some brutal holy orb attacks that spread far and wide. However his most annoying attack without a doubt is his body slam where he leaps in the air and slams down and releases a large pool of scarlet rot, which can dissolve your HP very quickly, so its best to back way off before he does it otherwise its curtains! In fact I've fought this and had attempts where he killed me just as I was one or two hits away from finish him off which is what makes him the more infuriating!

However, the Avatar thankfully is quite weak to fire attacks and if you have the likes of dragonfire or the frenzy of flame incantations to hand then you can whittle down his HP fairly quickly but you still need to be very ware of his attacks. 

So, the Erdtree Avatar Caelid version is definitely one of the more annoying bosses in the game and as such deserves a spot here on the list at No.6 to round off Part 1.

And that's it for Part 1 and I will see you soon for Part 2!

 

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country Revisited "Guess who's coming to dinner?!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, its time for my revisit of my review for Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which marked the swansong movie for the original Enterprise crew. So, I will do a bit more expansion of the sections and give it a rating (which I didn't do in my previous post) as per usual these days.

And with said, let's take another look at this film some 31 years later from its release...

And yes, the usual warning is coming up...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

STORY

So, the story begins with the news that the Klingon empire coming under serious threat of dying out as they lose a key energy production facility and their home planet's ozone layer is destroyed.  The Klingons now realising the danger of their existence decide to try and forge a peace treaty with the Federation of planets.  Spock (Nimoy) puts himself up as a peace ambassador and the Enterprise is given the mission to escort the Klingon chancellor, Gorkon (David Warner) to the negotiations on Earth.  Kirk is naturally opposed to this arrangement as he has never forgiven the Klingons for the death of his son, and the Klingons and the Enterprise crew have an uncomfortable dinner onboard the ship.

However after the Klingons return to their ship, they are attacked seemingly by the Enterprise and two men board the Klingon vessel in spacesuits, as they have disengaged the vessel's gravity, they kill several crew members, and they shoot Chancellor Gorkon.  Kirk back on the Enterprise is surprised by the attack and clearly has no idea what is going on and as a sign of good faith he decides to beam aboard their ship and help, along with McCoy who tries to save Gorkon who soon dies from his wounds, after this Kirk and McCoy are placed under arrest.  Kirk and McCoy are soon put on trial for alleged actions in the attack and they are prosecuted by stern and devious Klingon, General Chang (Christopher Plummer) who was onboard the Klingon ship when it was attacked. Kirk and McCoy are soon found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment on a penal planet, Rura Penthe.

Back on the Enterprise Spock assumes command of the Enterprise and then sets about trying to find out what happened onboard the Enterprise during the attack, with the help of his student Vulcan, Valeris (Kim Cattrall) and the rest of the crew.  Meanwhile on the prison asteroid, Kirk and McCoy soon meet a chaemeleon like alien creature Martia (Iman) who tells them that she can help them escape from the prison, which she eventually does but she soon betrays to the Klingons, but Kirk and McCoy are soon rescued by Spock and beamed back onboard the Enterprise.  

And from here Kirk begins to unravel who is behind the assassination of Gorkon and who is set to sabotage the peace conference on Earth....

THOUGHTS 

It has to be said that Star Trek VI is a big improvement on the below par Star Trek V and it also saw the welcome return of Nicholas Meyer to the directorial helm which also features a fine screenplay which he co-wrote and is rich with quotes from Shakespeare's Hamlet.  The main characters are really well represented again and the idea of the Klingons seeking a peace treaty with the Federation is also really good, especially as their very existence is under threat due to the environmental hazards on their own world, which leaves in a weak position where they can no longer afford to fight.

And the film also develops a whodunnit theme and Spock even acts as Sherlock Holmes in the film once he starts to investigate who was behind the attack, and he even quotes Holmes by saying "when you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, no matter how improbable, must be the truth".  The Klingon characters are also very well catered for with Chancellor Gorkon trying to make peace with the humans, and his mistrusting daughter, as well as the devious General Chang.

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)

Which brings me onto the performances of the film which are overall pretty good with the regular cast all giving their last hurrah together here and solid performances from the supporting cast.

Starting with William Shatner, who is great again as James T Kirk, and his character makes an important arc, especially as he starts off the film with hatred for the Klingons, but after the attack on the Klingon chancellor's ship he immediately surrenders to avoid confrontation, and he later understand the Klingons predicament.

Bill as you would expect get's plenty of good scenes in the film such as the one where Kirk confronts Spock over his decision to act as the ambassador for the Klingon peace talks. So, in the scene Kirk after the meeting says to Spock of the Klingons "They're animals!" but Spock tries to persuade him of the talks "Jim, there is a historic opportunity here" however Kirk warns Spock "Don't believe them! Don't trust them!". Spock however is more sympathetic to the Klingons and tells Kirk "They are dying" but Kirk then callously says "Let them die!". Spock looks a little surprised by Kirk's harsh reaction, who suddenly sighs and says "Has it occurred to you that this crew is due to stand down in three months? We've done our bit for king and country!".

The there is the scene where Kirk and McCoy are trying to sleep while living out their sentence on Ura Penthe and Martia comes up to see them but before Kirk tells McCoy of his fears of working toward peace with the Klingons. 

So, Kirk in the scene asks McCoy "Bones are you afraid of the future?" and Bones who was referring to something he said "I thought that was the general feeling I was trying to convey" and Kirk says "No, not this future. The future. I was terrified". And McCoy asks "What terrified you specifically?" and Kirk says "No more neutral zone. I was used to hating Klingons. I never occurred to me to take Gorkon at his word" and McCoy tells him "Don't be too hard on yourself, we all felt exactly the same way" and Kirk then says "No, someone felt a lot worse. I'm beginning to understand why". McCoy then says "Well, if you have any bright ideas, now's the time" and Kirk says "Time's the problem. You and I are nothing. But you heard the judge. The peace conference is on again. Whoever killed Gorkon is bound to attempt another assassination... unless we can get out of here".

SPOILER SCENE COMING UP!

Another good scene is when Kirk realises that Martia, the shape shifting alien, who helps them escape from the Rura Penthe mines, has set them up so he hits her. So, Kirk angrily says to her "She didn't need our help getting anywhere! Where'd you get these convenient clothes?! Don't tell me that flare is standard prison issue! It's to let them know where we are. Ask her what she's getting in return". Martia tells Kirk that she is getting a full pardon and as Kirk waits for Spock to beam him and McCoy up (as Spock placed a transponder patch on Kirk's back earlier) and Kirk says to her "An accident wasn't good enough". Martia then tells Kirk "Good enough for one. Two would have looked suspicious" and then she morphs into Kirk and says "Killed while trying to escape. Now that's convincing enough for both!". Then as Kirk and Martia (now in Kirk's form) fight each other, Kirk says to Martia "I can't believe I kissed you!" and the Kirk Martia tells him "It must have been your life-long ambition!".

And after Spock manages to beam up Kirk and McCoy it happens just as the prison commander is about to tell them who was behind setting them up. So after Kirk is beamed up, he starts swearing and ranting as he materialises onboard the Enterprise and complains to Spock "Couldn't you have waited just two more seconds! He was about to explain the whole thing!" Spock then looks surprised and Chekov asks "You want to go back?" and McCoy firmly says "Absolutely not!" and Kirk quietly says "Its cold!".

And then there is the scene where Kirk speaks to Spock in his private quarters and Spock says how he feels responsible for what happened to Kirk but Kirk forgives him for his actions. 

So, in the scene, Spock says to Kirk "You were right. It was arrogant presumption on my part that got us into this. Both you and the Doctor might have been killed" and Kirk smiles and says "The night is young!". Kirk then walks around and says "You're a great one for logic and I'm a great one for rushing in where angels fear to tread. We are both extremists and the reality is somewhere in between". And as the scene finishes Kirk tells Spock "Spock, you want to know something? Everybody's human" and Spock says "I find that remark..insulting" and Kirk smiles and says "Come on, I need you". 

And lastly there is the scene where (SPOILER!!) Kirk saves the life of the Klingon president, Khitomer when an assassination attempt is made on him. So, as General Gorkon's daughter, Azetbur asks what is going on, Kirk says to her "It's about the future, Madame Chancellor. Some people think the future means the end of history. Well, we haven't run out of history quite yet. Your father called the future - "the undiscovered country". People can be very frightened of change". Azetbur seems touched by Kirk's words and says to him "You've restored my father's faith" and Kirk says to her "And you've restored my son's" as the crowd applaud them both.    

Leonard Nimoy as Spock delivers a fine performance and we see his personality from Star Trek II pretty much fully restored, where has a fine balance of logic and understanding of human behaviour.

And Leonard has his on share of good scenes such as the one where Kirk confronts Spock over his decision to act as ambassador for the Klingon peace talks. So, in the scene after Kirk learns from Spock that they are expected to lead the Klingdon ambassador as an envoy out to the peace meetings and he is somewhat taken aback.  

So, Kirk angrily asks Spock "We volunteered?!" and Spock says to him "There is an old Vulcan proverb. "Only Nixon could have gone into China". However Spock insists this could work for them and says "Jim, there is a historic opportunity here" and Kirk angrily tells him "Spock, you know how I feel about this. They're animals!" and Spock says to him "They are dying" and Kirk angrily says to him "Let them die!" and Kirk then insists they have done their bit for "king and country" and that Spock should have trusted him, which leaves Spock looking a bit confused.

Another good scene is where just after Kirk and McCoy have been sentenced to life imprisonment, the Enterprise crew watch the trial from the bridge and Spock requests to playback the footage of Enterprise firing its torpedos on the Klingdon ambassadors ship. So, Spock says "An ancestor of mine maintained that if you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth". And when asked what Spock means, he says "It means that if we cannot have fired those torpedoes, someone else did". Spock then suggests another ship nearby could have fired the torpedos and his protege, Valeris suggests "A bird or prey" but Scotty insists "But a bird of prey cannae fire when she's cloaked" and Spock tells him "All things being equal, Mr Scott, I'd agree but things are not equal".

Chekov then suggests if there was a ship nearby then surely the assassins would have beamed aboard from there but Spock refutes it and says "You're forgetting something, Mr Chekov. According to our databanks, this ship fired those torpedoes. If we did, the killers are here. If we did not, whoever altered the databanks is here. In either case, what we are looking for is here".

Then there is the scene where Spock is having his crew search the ship for the gravity boots the killers used to board the Klingon ship. So, in the scene Spock calls Scotty over and asks him "Mr Scott. I understand you're having difficulty with the warp drive. How much time do you require for repair?". Scotty however seems puzzled and says "There's nothing wrong with the bloody thing!" so Spock is forced to explain himself "Mr Scott, if we return to spacedock, the assassins will surely find a way to dispose of their incriminating footwear, and we will never see the Captain or Dr McCoy alive again". Scotty then smiles and says "It could take weeks, sir!" and Spock, satisfied says "Thank you, Mr Scott".

WARNING: SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!

Another good scene is where Spock confronts Valeris as she is involved in the conspiracy to kill Chancellor Gorkon, so Spock forcefully uses his mind-meld on her to find out who colluded with her to have the chancellor killed.

So, as Spock performs his mind-meld on Valeris he speaks out the names of the conspirators and afterward the strain of the mind-meld appears too much for Valeris, so Spock let's her go after Kirk demands where the next peace conference location is. So, Spock emotionally tells Kirk "She does not know" and Scotty grimly says "Then we're dead!" and Spock says "I've been dead before. Contact Excelsior. She'll have the co-ordinates".

Then we have the scene where Kirk visits Spock in his quarters and the two of them discuss what happened and Spock admits "You were right. It was arrogant presumption on my part that got us into this situation. You and the doctor might have been killed" and Kirk smugly says "The night is young!". So, as the two of them discuss what happened, Spock says to Kirk "Is it possible that we two, you and I, have grown so old and so inflexible that we have outlived our usefulness? Would that constitute a joke???". Kirk then says "Don't crucify yourself. It wasn't your fault" and Spock says "I was responsible" and Kirk tells him "For no actions but your own" and Spock tells him "That is not what you said at your trial". So, Kirk says to Spock "Spock, all human beings..." and Spock interrupts him and says "But Captain we both know that I am not human" and Kirk tells him "Spock, you want to know something? Everbody's human" and Spock a little taken aback says "I find that remark...insulting!" and Kirk grins and says "Come on. I need you!".

And last of all is the final scene where (SPOILER!!!!) the Enterprise has been ordered to be decommissioned and the crew are to stand down. So, as the crew look surprised by this news, Spock suggests to the crew "If I were human, I believe my response would be, "Go to hell." If I were human!".

DeForrest Kelley next up is very good once again as McCoy, who usually gets some of the best dialogue in the series and he has his share of good scenes here.

As for a few examples there is the scene where just after Klingon ambassador ship has been attacked and Gorkon shot, Kirk and McCoy beam aboard as an act of good faith. So, as they both see Gorkon dying on the floor, McCoy asks Cheng "Aren't you carrying a surgeon?" and Cheng says to him "We were until this disgrace!" so McCoy pleads "Then for God's sakes let me help!".

Another good scene from Kelley is where Kirk and McCoy are on trial and Chang questions him and asks "Doctor, would you be so good as to tell me, what is your current medical status?" and McCoy with a smile says "Well apart from a touch of arthritis, I'd say pretty good!" and we hear some laughter from the audience. Chang then looks a little annoyed and says "You have a singular wit, Doctor!".

Chang then grills McCoy on the amount he had to drink that night where Gorkon and Chang attended dinner onboard the Enterprise. So, Chang asks "You know, I believe that you consumed a rather generous amount of Romulan ale in the officers' mess on the night in question. Am I right, Doctor?" and McCoy rather annoyed says "We all did! All of us!". Chang then confronts McCoy over his failure to save Gorkon that night, so he asks him "May, I ask do your hands shake?" and McCoy anxiously says "I was nervous!" and Chang says "No, you were incompetent! You WERE INCOMPETENT! Whether deliberately or as a result of age combined with drink, the court will have to determine!". McCoy however desperately tells the court "My God, man! I tried to save him! I tried to save him. I was desperate to save him. He was the last best hope in the universe for peace!".

Then there is the scene where McCoy and Kirk are imprisoned on Rura Penthe as they are trying to get to sleep and McCoy complains to Kirk "Three months to retirement. What a way to finish!" and Kirk says "We're not finished" and McCoy says "Speak for yourself!". Kirk however is seriously pondering what is going on as a result of their framing and asks McCoy "Bones, are you afraid of your future?" and McCoy says "That was the message I believe I was trying to convey!". Kirk however says "I don't mean this future" as in their sentence on the penal planet and Bones then asks a little annoyed "What is this?! Multiple choice!". However as Martia pays them a surprise visit she quietly tells them that she can help them escape and she kisses him before she goes. So, McCoy after looks to Kirk and asks irritably "What IS IT with you anyway?!" and Kirk grins and says "Still think we're finished?" and McCoy groans and says "More than ever!".

SPOILER!!! BIG GIVEAWAY IN NEXT PARAGRAPH!!!

And last of all is the scene where the Enteprise falls under attack from the film's main conspirator, Chang attacks the Enterprise and Spock suggests that they perform a dissection on one of their torpedos so they can return fire on the enemy ship. So, Spock asks McCoy "Doctor, would you care to assist me in performing surgery on a torpedo?" and McCoy smiles and says "Fascinating!". And as the two of them work on the torpedo, Chang's arrogant voice is heard over the speaker system and McCoy says "I'd give real money if he'd shut up!".  

As for the supporting cast members, David Warner is excellent as Chancellor Gorkon as a seemingly decent and honourable man who is desperate to try and make a peace work with the Federation although his role is somewhat short lived. Warner also gets some good lines of dialogue, and he does get an amusing one where Gorkon dines with the Enterprise crew and he tells them "You haven't experienced Shakespeare until you have heard it in the original Klingon!" and Chang demonstrates as he says the line "To be or not to be" in his native tongue.

Then there is the scene where Gorkon is about to leave Kirk's ship after dinner and he addresses Kirk candidly. So, Gorkon says to Kirk "You don't trust me do you?" and Kirk says nothing and Gorkon says "I don't blame you, if we are to build a "brave new world", then our generation is going to have the hardest time living in it".

And in the scene where Kirk and McCoy board Gorkon's ship and find that he has been shot, McCoy desparately does what he can to try and save him but to no avail. So, with his dying breath, Gorkon brings his hand up to Kirk's head, who leans over him and Gorkon weakly says to him with his last words "Don't let it end this way, Captain" and he goes limp and his hand drops.  

Christopher Plummer is also excellent as the devious and manipulative General Chang and he also get's some fine lines, especially as he is quite fond of quoting Shakespeare (for some reason or other!).

And Plummer has his share of good scenes that include the one where Chang dines on the Enterprise with Kirk and his crew and they have an incredibly awkward and tense evening. So, Chang tells the othes ""To be, or not to be." That is the question which preoccupies our people, Captain Kirk. We need breathing room!" and as he has been hearing quotations all night, Kirk suddenly says "Earth, Hilter. 1938!" and Chang a little taken aback asks "I beg your pardon?". 

Then there is the scene where Kirk and McCoy are put on trial and Chang acts as the prosecutor and he questions both men. So, Chang starts with McCoy and he asks him of that night when McCoy tried to save Gorkon but failed to "Tell me, Doctor, do your hands shake?" and McCoy says "I was nervous!" and Chang says to him "No, you were incompetent! YOU WERE INCOMPETENT! Either deliberately or age combined with drink! The court will have to decide!".

And then later in the scene he questions Kirk and he says "There we have it, citizens. We have finally established the particulars of the crime, and now we come to the architect of this tragic affair, James Tiberius Kirk. What would your favourite author say, Captain? "Let us sit upon the ground "and tell sad stories of the death of kings." Tell us your sad story, Kirk!".

So, as Chang questions Kirk, he plays an excerpt of Kirk's audio log where he reveals that he has never trusted Klingons and never will as he could never forgive them for the murder of his son (David). So, when Chang asks Kirk did he says those words, Kirk says "Those words were spoken by me" however Kirk's defence says that his political views are not on trial which Chang angrily refutes "On the contrary! Captain Kirk's views and motives are indeed at the very heart of the matter!".
Chang then continues to press Kirk and shouts at him " Indeed, the record shows that Captain Kirk once held the rank ofAdmiral, and that Admiral Kirk was broken for taking matters into his own hands in defiance of regulations of the law. Do you deny being demoted for these charges?! Don't wait for the translation! Answer me now!!".

WARNING: NEXT PARAGRAPH HAS SPOILERS!!

And last of all is the scene where Chang is revealed to be the bad guy after all as he later on attacks the Enterprise and he rants at Kirk and the crew over the speaker. So, Chang says over the speaker to Kirk "I can see you, Kirk! Can you see me?!" and we see that his ship has been cloaked and decloaks and Chang says to Kirk "Now, be honest, Captain. Warrior to warrior, you do prefer it this way, don't you? As it was meant to be. No peace in our time. "Once more unto the breach, dear friends."  Chang then continues during the space battle to taunt Kirk and spout quotations of which the most notable is "Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war!!".  However, Kirk in the scene gains the upper hand as the Enterprise launches a torpedo at his ship and Chang looks on fearfully as it approaches his ship and he says "To be or not to be!".
  
Kim Cattrall is also very good in her role as the Vulcan starfleet officer, Valeris, who while she is a  student of Spock's at the same time isn't what she appears to be.

And Kim has some good scenes of her own here such as the one where Valeris lectures the crew of the origins of the term saboteur "Four hundred years ago on the planet Earth, workers who felt their livelihood threatened by automation flung their wooden shoes called "sabot" into the machines to stop them. Hence the word "sabotage.".

Then there is the scene where Spock, Valeris and the Enterprise crew all make their investigation into what happened and to find the killers, who may still be onboard the ship. So, in the scene Chekov suggests why didn't the killers just vapourise their gravity boots when they arrived back on ship. So, Valeris says to Chekov "Like this?" and she takes her phaser and vapourises a cooking pot, which sets off the ship's alarm systems, which Valeris turns off. So, Valeris reminds Chekov "At ease. As you know, Commander Chekov, no one can fire an unauthorised phaser aboard a starship".

WARNING: SPOILER IN THE NEXT PARAGRAPH!

And last of all is the scene where Valeris is revealed to be a traitor and taken to the bridge where tells them her true feelings about the peace talks. So, Valeris says to them "You have betrayed the Federation! All of you!" and when asked what she thinks she has been doing she says "Saving starfleet". Valeris then tries to appeal to Kirk and says "Sir. You said so yourself. They killed your son. Did you not wish Gorkon dead? "Let them die," you said. Did I misinterpret you? And you were right. They conspired with us to assassinate their own chancellor. How trustworthy can they be?!". Kirk then demands that she tell him the names of her co-conspirators and she says "I do not remember" and Spock for once appears angry says to her "A lie!" and she says to him with an almost smug air "A choice". 

Iman (supermodel and widow of David Bowie) also puts in an appealing performance as the seductive shape shifting alien Martia, who helps Kirk and McCoy try and escape from the prison asteroid. 

Iman herself has some good scenes that include her first one where Martia interrupts Kirk being assaulted by a large alien humanoid, who picks him up and yells at him in an alien language. So, Martia translates "He wants your respect for the brotherhood of aliens" and Kirk says "He's got it!" and Martia then says "And your coat" and Kirk says "I'm afraid not. Besides it wouldn't fit!". So, Martia orders the alien to put Kirk down and afterward Martia says "You're Kirk and McCoy I presume?" and Kirk asks "How did you know that?" and Martia says "We don't get many presidential assassins" and Kirk says "We didn't do it" and Martia unconvinced says "Of course not!". 

And then there is the scene where Kirk gets into a fight with a big blue skinned alien humanoid, who Kirk knocks out by kicking it in the shins.  So, Martia tells Kirk "They'll respect you now" and Kirk says to Martia "That's comforting. I'm glad that thing had knees!" and Iman tells him "That wasn't his knee, not all lifeforms keep their genitals in the same place, Captain!". 

Another good scene is when Martia pays a visit to Kirk and McCoy late at night and she tells him that she can help them escape. So, Martia quietly says to Kirk "Kirk, it's me, Martia. Listen, no one has ever escaped from Rura Penthe" and Kirk suggests "Except us" and Martia says "It is possible. I know how to get out of the shield".  Martia then says to Kirk "I can't make it alone, and you're likeliest candidate to come in this hellhole for months" and Kirk asks "Candidate for what?" and she then kisses him and then says "Go to lift seven in the morning for mining duty. I'll see you there. Don't disappoint me!" and she leaves.

And last of all are the other Star Trek crew regulars.

Starting with James Doohan who is great once again as Scotty here and he too get's some of the film's most amusing scenes

And as a couple of examples of his scenes for starters there is the one where Scotty rants to Spock about Kirk and McCoy's trial after their sentence when Spock suggests that an enemy ship nearby fired on the Klingon ambassador's ship and not Enterprise. So, Spock suggests they must inform Starfleet command and Scotty angrily shouts "Inform them of what, a new weapon that is invisible? Raving lunatics, that's what they'll call us. They'll say that we're so desperate to exonerate the Captain that we'll say anything!".

And lastly there is the scene where Valeris fires her phaser onboard the Enterprise as Chekov suggests why didn't the killers simply vapourise (or wapourise!) their incriminating gravity boots, however the staser sets off the ship's alarms.

So, after Valeris tells Chekov firing a phaser onboard a starship is illegal and unauthorised, Scotty appears and asks "Who fired that...?!". So, Spock then asks Scotty " "Mr Scott. I understand you're having difficulty with the warp drive. How much time do you require for repair?". Scotty however seems puzzled and says "There's nothing wrong with the bloody thing!" so Spock is forced to explain himself "Mr Scott, if we return to spacedock, the assassins will surely find a way to dispose of their incriminating footwear, and we will never see the Captain or Dr McCoy alive again". Scotty then smiles and says "It could take weeks, sir!" and Spock, satisifed says "Thank you, Mr Scott".

Walter Koenig next up is good once again as Chekov also has a few amusing moments, especially the one where they hear word of the Klingon ambassador ship about to board with them. So, Chekov gives an ominous look and says "Guess who's coming to dinner...".   Another is when Chekov is suffering from a hangover after having Romulan ale at the dinner with the Klingons, and Kirk says "Chekov are you aware of any radiation surge?" and Chekov wearily replies "Only the size of my head!".

Another is when just after Valeris explains the origin of saboteur to Uhura and Chekov, Uhura tells them "We are experiencing technical malfunction. All backup systems inoperative" and Chekov sarcastically says "Excellent...I mean too bad! Too bad!". 

And lastly there is the scene where after Chekov suggests to Valeris why didn't the killers just vapourise their gravity boots and she demonstrates that no officer can fire an unauthorised phaser onboard the ship. So, later when McCoy asks the very same question, Chekov has the pleasure of informing him "It would have set off the alarm!".

And Nichelle Nichols gets some amusing moments here and there with the first one being where just after the Enterprise crew have their awkward dinner with the Klingon ambassador, Uhura remarks on the Klingon's very different dining methods and she asks "Did you see the way they eat?!" and Chekov says "Terrible table manners!". 

And last of all is the moment where the Enterprise crew try and cross Klingon airspace, and they have to communicate in Klingon, and they have loads of books of Klingon translation, and Uhura hastily and poorly speaks a few lines of Klingon to the Klingon's at the outpost. So, Uhura hastily manages to translate a few lines of Klingon when the Klingon border staff ask what they are doing. So, Uhura says in Klingon "We is condemning food, things and supplies!" and they reply "Don't catch any bugs!" and they laugh, and the Enterprise crew laugh with them, and Uhura prompty shuts off the comm!

Last of all of course is George Takei as Sulu who actually has the briefest role of all the regular crew in this film and is limited to just a few small scenes and Sulu in this film is now a Starfleet captain of the starship Excelsior. 

So, I will mention a couple with the first being the one where a young officer onboard Sulu's ship wakes him up with some news. So, the officer (played by Christian Slater) asks Sulu "Starfleet urgently requests any data we have on the whereabouts of Enterprise" and Sulu asks "What?" and the officer tells him "Well, apparently, they're refusing to acknowledge signal to return to space dock, sir". So, Sulu takes a moment and says "Signal Starfleet that we have no idea of the location of Enterprise" and the officer asks "Sir?" and Sulu looks at him sternly and asks "Are you having hearing problems, mister?!" and the officer says "No, sir".

And lastly there is the scene where Kirk contacts Sulu on the Excelsior and Kirk addresses Sulu and says "You realise that by even talking to us, you're violating regulations" and Sulu says "I'm sorry, Captain your message is breaking up" and Kirk smiles and says "Bless you, Sulu!". Kirk then asks Sulu "Where is the peace conference? They are going to attempt another assassination" and Sulu says "The conference is at Camp Khitomer, near the Romulan border. I'm sending the exact coordinates on a coded frequency". Sulu then tells Kirk "I'm getting underway now, but we're now in Alpha Quadrant. The chances of our reaching the conference in time are slim!" And when Kirk asks when the conference begins, Sulu tells him "From my information, it starts today" and Kirk grateful, says "Thank you, Captain Sulu" and Sulu smiles and says "Don't mention it, Captain Kirk!".

DIRECTOR AND MUSIC

As for Nicholas Meyer he does an excellent job here with the film and keeps the drama moving along very well, and maintains a fine line of suspense, action and humour all at the same time. Meyer himself also co-wrote the screenplay for the film alongside Denny Martin Flinn and his script and direction are both great here.

The film also features an excellent score from composer Cliff Eidelman which is quite grand and operatic at times and is more dark in tone than the previous film scores and his opening theme is definitely the best piece of the score itself. Eidelman himself at the time was only 26 years old and was yet to have broken his way into the Hollywood scene, so this score certainly elevated his stance as a composer.  

FLAWS (Warning: this section may contain spoilers!)

As for flaws...yes, Star Trek VI does have some.

For starters, its funny how Kirk even at what must be the age of 60 is still attracting young ladies (or in this case aliens!) although perhaps this why in the new Star Trek reboot Kirk is seen fooling around with sexy alien females! But yeah it has to be said that it seems strange that Martia would have the hots for Kirk as a rather grey haired, bloated looking Starfleet officer!

I also felt the film made some weird choices such as the one to make Klingon blood pink (or fuchsia more accurately) as in previous films the Klingon blood was actually red, so did they have some sort of blood tranfusion through the years??? It certainly shows a lack of consistency in the series when they decided to go ahead and change the alien race's blood colour! Ah well.
 
I also found it funny how Chekov is so unfamiliar with some of the Starfleet regulations, such as firing a phaser onboard a starship is not permitted as it would set off the alarm, as Valeris informs him, but you would assume as a starfleet commander, he already should know that! Perhaps though this backs up the idea that the Enterprise crew at this point are becoming somewhat more aged and forgetting things! ;-) 

And further to this point, it seems odd that you cannot use a phaser onboard a starship with the vaporize setting but you CAN get away with using a phaser on stun, which McCoy finds out after examining the bodies of the two men who carried out the killings onboard the Chancellor's ship. So, yeah phaser on stun at close range is ok and won't set off anything but vaporising setting will. Yeah it just seems the film's logic is a bit inconsistent here.

Another issue I had was to do with the whole thing of Spock placing that patch on Kirk's back, which turned out to be some sort of transponder beam-up device that will allow Spock to keep tabs on Kirk's location and beam him up. Its fine that Spock places it there as a plot device to save Kirk later but its funny how they left so long before Kirk makes mention of it again! Also in the freezing cold winter and being beaten by aliens and doing alot of hard labour, its surprising that the thing never fell off his back! Its also even funny how no one even noticed it on him even during his trial, nothing is even mentioned of it by Chang or anyone else!  

Then there is the scene where Kirk and Spock confront Valeris near the end as she is revealed to be the traitor onboard the ship. So, when Kirk and Spock rumble her, McCoy out of the blue appears also but I'd have to ask would McCoy really need to be there at this point?! I mean he's the chief surgeon onboard the ship so you'd imagine he would have more pressing duties to attend to than act as a morale back-up for Kirk and Spock. But of course the film franchise always insisted on making it a real staple to have this trio together at key times (even if it wasn't always necessary!).   

Last of all, I thought it was a bit of a daft decision to have Kirk send Scotty up the stairs to stop the would-be assassin dressed as a Klingon above looking down on the conference. I mean Scotty isn't too light on his feet and is easily the chunkiest member of the crew at this point (and second oldest in terms of years). Why didn't Kirk instead send up Chekov, who is a lot lighter and more able on his feet than tubby old Scotty! 

And further to this point, I never liked how in the theatrical release of the film that we never see the identity of the would be Klingon assassin revealed as we see that in the director's cut and it is revealed its actually a human Starfleet officer and not a Klingon. It just leaves a bit of a loose end, which always bugged me in the theatrical cut and its good that they added it into the director's one.

So, that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So in summing up, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is still a very good entry in the franchise and it was a fine swansong for the original cast of the show, as this film also marked the 25th anniversary of the show, and it was a pity that its creator Gene Roddenberry passed away shortly before the film's premiere. And the film even manages a poignant ending with the cast's signatures showing up on display instead of their captioned names.

The film also features the regular cast all in good form for the last time together and excellent performances from the supporting cast particularly Christopher Plummer and Kim Cattrall in their roles as Chang and Valeris respectively. The music score is also very good and Nicholas Meyer also makes a wewlcome return to the series here after his success with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.   

So, overall I'd say that Star Trek VI remains one of the strongest entries in the series and to this day is still well worth checking out and I will rate it:

9 out of 10 

So, that's it for now and I will be back soon with another post.

Until then live long and achh you know what I mean! ;-)

 

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well, its time for another review and this one is another revisitation of sorts but it will be one that acts as a more substantial update, which is for the Star Trek flick, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Now this film is often considered one of the worst entries in the franchise but I figured I'd give it another look anyway having recently re-watched it.

So, with that said let's see how this film fairs 33 years on from its release...

And the usual warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!! (Although who cares too much with this one?!) ;-)))

STORY 

So, the film begins with the crew of the new Enterprise (after the destruction of the original one in Star Trek III) taking shore leave after their first cruise in the ship goes awry.  And Kirk (Shatner) is sharing his shore leave with Spock (Nimoy) and McCoy (Kelley) as they are in Yosemite Park, but they soon receive a call from Starfleet command which brings their leave to an end.  Kirk and his crew are ordered to go and rescue human, Klingon and Romulan hostages on the planet Nimbus III.  

On arrival at Nimbus III, Kirk and his crew discover that the man behind the hostage crisis is in fact a Vulcan named Sybok (Laurence Luckinbill) which Spock soon reveals is in fact his half brother.  During an attempt to end the seige, Sybok captures the Enterprise crew and he also uses his mind melding powers to bend the crew to his will, and he tells them that he plans on taking their ship past the great barrier, to a planet that is known as Sha ka Ree, a place that is shrouded in myth that is said to be the place that was responsible for the creation of life itself.  

However passing the great barrier in itself could prove to be a journey that could destroy the Enterprise, and as Kirk placed in the ship's brig along with Spock and McCoy, it is up to him to try and stop Sybok from achieving his plan....

THOUGHTS 

Star Trek V it has to be said in comparison to the previous films is a bit of a letdown, although it is still fairly entertaining, Shatner seems to have made the franchise a bit of a joke.  Plus also the Star Trek crew at this point are also starting to look that bit older and we are subjected to one or two moments you wish you had never seen, such as Uhura dancing wearing very little and using large feathers to cover herself, which is cringe worthy in itself!  

The humour is also a bit more heavily accented and while there are certainly some amusing moments it is also a bit cheesy at times, and it feels less grounded than the previous films and a bit more like slapstick.  The film itself underwent multiple re-writes and also it suffers somewhat from the fact that ILM were unable to do the special effects for the film, and they used a different team run by Brian Ferren, in order to keep the costs down, so the effects look distinctly less impressive than before. 

PERFORMANCES AND NOTABLE SCENES (Warning: this section may contain spoilers but then who cares?? Its Star Trek V! ;-)).  

Performance wise the film is actually not too bad and one of the things that works better here is the dynamic between the three leads of Shatner, Nimoy and Kelley and the scenes they share together are the best in the film.  

Starting with William Shatner who does a fine job once again as Captain Kirk, who is roped into resolving a hostage crisis on Nimbus III, which eventually leads him to Sybok. 

And I will mention just a few of Shatner's scenes to keep this section a little shorter that include the one at the start where Spock drops in (or flies in wearing jet boots) on Kirk as he tries to climb a mountain in Yosemite Park. So, in the scene Spock says to Kirk "I'm afraid, Captain, the record for climbing El Capitan is in no danger of being broken" and Kirk says "That's not why I'm climbing it, Spock" and Spock asks "Then why are you?" and Kirk tells him "Because its there". However, as Spock continues to pester Kirk, its causes him to lose his grip and he falls only for Spock to catch Kirk using his jet boots. And Kirk hanging upside down sees McCoy run towards him and Kirk says "Hi, Bones! I thought I'd just drop in for dinner!". 

Then there is the scene where Kirk is captured by Sybok as they board the Enterprise and are thrown in the ship's brig where Kirk goes off at Spock for not shooting Sybok when he had the chance. So, in the scene Spock ruefully says "Captain, what have I done?" and Kirk angrily tells him "What you've done is betray every man on this ship!" and Spock says "Worse, I betrayed you. I do not expect you to forgive me" and Kirk angrily says "Forgive you?! I ought to knock you on your god damn ass!" and Spock says "If you think it would help". 

Kirk then asks Spock "Why Spock? Why?! All you had to do was pull the trigger" and Spock tells Kirk "If I did then Sybok would be dead" and Kirk defiantly says "I ordered you to defend your ship!" and Spock reveals "You ordered me to kill my brother". And Kirk puzzled says "Look, he may be a fellow Vulcan but..." and Spock explains "No, no you do not understand. Sybok is also a son of Sarek" and Kirk surprised asks "You mean he's "brother" brother?" and Spock nods and Kirk says "You made that up!" and Spock says "I did not". Kirk then shouts back "You did too! Because I happen to know you don't have a brother!" and Spock says "Technically you're right, I do not have a brother" and Kirk smugly says "There! You see?" and Spock says "I have a half brother" and Kirk sighs and says warily "I gotta sit down". 

And lastly there is the scene where Sybok shares visions of McCoy and Spock personal pain and anguish and he then makes to go onto Kirk, who refuses to do so. 

So, in the scene Kirk defies Sybok and says "I know what my weaknesses are, I don't need Sybok to take on a tour to see them!". However McCoy tells Kirk "Jim, try and keep an open mind, this man took my pain away" and Kirk defiantly tells him "Damn it, Bones, you're a doctor. You know that pain and guilt can't be taken away with a wave of a magic wand. They're the things we carry with us, the things that make us who we are. If we lose them, we lose ourselves. I don't want my pain taken away! I need my pain!".  

Leonard Nimoy also does a fine job in his reprising his role once more as Spock (or Captain Spock if you like) who's personality has been largely restored after the events of Star Trek III and IV where he was resurrected in a very traditional Vulcan manner and he failed to understand how to relate to humans. 

And Nimoy has some good scenes as well that include the one where Spock sees the video footage of Sybok early on in the film, which shakes him and he stops the video and puts it back to freeze on his face. So, Kirk goes over to Spock and says "What's the matter? You look like you've seen a ghost" and Spock shaken says "Perhaps I have, Captain. Perhaps I have". 

And this is the followed by the scene where Spock tells Kirk and McCoy about Sybok and says to them "There was a young student, exceptionally gifted, possessing a great intelligence. It was assumed that one day he would take his place amongst the great scholars of Vulcan. But he was a revolutionary". Kirk then asks "What do you mean?" and Spock says "The knowledge and experience he sought were forbidden by Vulcan belief. He rejected his logical upbringing and embraced the animal passions of our ancestors". Kirk then asks "Why?" and Spock tells him "He believed the key to self-knowledge was emotion, not logic". McCoy smiles and says "Imagine that, a passionate Vulcan" and Spock says "When he encouraged others to follow him, he was banished from Vulcan, never to return". 

Then there is the amusing scene where Kirk, Spock and McCoy are locked in the ship's brig and Kirk attempts to escape but it is no use. So, Spock tells Kirk "This is the new brig, Captain. It is escape proof" and Kirk asks "How do you know?" and Spock says "The designers tested it, using the most intelligent and resourceful person they could find. He could not escape". Kirk then teasingly asks Spock "This person... he didn't by any chance have pointed ears, and an unerring capacity for getting his shipmates into trouble, did he?". And Kirk who is on the floor after having been zapped by an electrical charge as he tries to escape is then helped up by Spock who admits "He did have pointed ears...". 

And last of all is the scene where Spock in the film's action climax (if you want to call it that!) where the Klingon commander attacks the Enterprise, Spock urges the Klingon General Korrd to help deal with him. So, Spock says to Korrd "General, I am in need of your assistance" and Korrd asks "My assistance?" and Spock says "You are his superior officer" but Korrd admits "I am a foolish old man" but Spock suddenly shows some rare anger and says "Damn you, sir. You will try!". And after Kirk is rescued by Spock and beam onboard the Klingon vessel, Korrd reveals Spock as their new gunner and Kirk says "Spock. I thought I was going to die" and Spock says "Not possible, you weren't alone". Kirk then moves to hug Spock, who stops him and says "Please, Captain. Not in front of the Klingons". 

DeForrest Kelley next up is also very good once again in his role as McCoy, the ship's medical officer who shares his shore leave with Kirk and Spock and also helps in their fight against Sybok. 

And Kelley's notable scenes include the one near the start where McCoy watches Kirk climb up the side of El Capitan through a pair of binoculars. And McCoy anxiously says to himself "You'll have a great time, Bones. You'll enjoy your shore leave. You'll relax." You call this relaxing? I'm a nervous wreck. I'm not careful, I'll end up talking to myself!".

Then there is the scene where Kirk, McCoy and Spock sit around a campfire and prepare to do a sing-along. So, as Kirk and McCoy sing the camp song "Row row row your boat" Spock doesn't join in and Spock says "I was trying to comprehend the meaning of the words". McCoy annoyed says to Spock "Its a song you green blooded...Vulcan. You sing it. What's important is that you have a good time singing it" and Spock says "I'm sorry, Doctor, were we having a good time?" and McCoy fed up says to Kirk "God, I liked him better before he died!". 

This is then followed by the amusing scene where trio make their way toward the Enterprise on a shuttle and Kirk quotes "All I ask is a tall ship, and a star to steer by" and McCoy says "Melville" and Spock corrects him and says "John Masefield" and McCoy asks "Are you sure about that?" and Spock says "I'm well-versed in the classics, Doctor". So, McCoy then begrudgingly asks "Then how come you don't know "Row, row, row your boat??" and Spock raises his eyebrows. 

And lastly there is Kelley's most dramatic scene in the film where Sybok shows a former memory of McCoy's father dying and McCoy choosing to shut down his life support system to put him out of his suffering.

So, in the scene Sybok says to McCoy "Your pain runs deepest most of all" and he shows the memory of McCoy's dying father and McCoy horrified says "Oh my God! Don't do this to me!". So, as McCoy relives the painful memory and shuts down his father's life support, Sybok asks him "Why did you do it?" and McCoy quietly says "To preserve his dignity". Sybok however then says "But that's not the worst part. What happened next?" and McCoy says "Not long after they found a cure! A goddamn cure!!" and Sybok says "So, if you hadn't killed him he might have lived" and McCoy tormented says "No! I loved my father! I released him!" Sybok says "Then you did what you thought was right!" and McCoy in torment shouts "Yes! No! Yes!" and Sybok hugs McCoy cleansing him from his pain "Purge this pain! You've suffered this pain for a long time!".

 

James Doohan as Scotty once again also delivers an amusing performance as the ship's chief engineer and he helps Krik, Spock and McCoy escape from the brig and he yells "don't you know a prison break when you see one!".  Scotty amusingly later on tells the trio how to escape back to the communications room, and Kirk says he is a miracle, and Scotty replies "oh I know this ship like the back of my hand!" and he then walks into a high beam, knocking himself out. 

Next up is Laurence Buckinhill who gives a pretty good performance as Sybok, Spock's far more emotional and passionate Vulcan half brother.  However it has to be said his performance is a bit melodramatic at times especially in the moments where he uses his mend melding powers to relieve people from their pain. 

Regardless of that though Laurence has some good scenes such as the one where he first meets Spock and says to him "Spock its me. Its Sybok!" almost like a game show host I might add lol! So, Spock looks at Sybok impassively and says nothing and Sybok asks "Have you got nothing to say to me?" and Spock finally says "You are under arrest for 17 violations of the neutral treaty zone" and Sybok suddenly laughs as do his followers and he says to Spock "Spock, you've developed a sense of humour after all!". Spock however serious, says "It was not my intention to amuse you. These are serious charges, however if you surrender now..." and Sybok says "I'm sorry, Spock. I can't surrender now. I'm not through violating Neutral Zone Treaty. In fact, I'm just getting started. And for my next violation, I intend to steal something. Something very big".

Another good scene is where Sybok speaks to Kirk, McCoy and Spock and speaks to them about his goal to find Sha-Ka-Ree, a mythical place where God exists. So, Sybok tells them "Sha-Ka-Ree... the source... Heaven... Eden... call it what you will. The Klingons call it "Qui-Tu". For the Romulans it's "Vorta Vor". The Andorian word is... is unpronouncable. Still, every culture in this galaxy shares this common dream of a place from which creation sprang. For us, that place will soon be reality". Kirk however says "The only reality I see is that I'm a prisoner on my own ship. What is this power you have to control the minds of my crew?" and Sybok says "I don't control minds. I free them!". 

Then there is the scene where Sybok tells Kirk about his vision and how he received a message from God to find Sha-ka-Ree. So, in the scene as Sybok makes to leave Kirk to go to the bridge, he says to him "Wait! You know you'll never make it through the great barrier". Sybok then asks Kirk "What if we do? Will that convince you that my vision was true?" and Kirk asks "What vision?" and Sybok tells him "Given to me by God. He waits for me on the other side" and Kirk simply looks at him and says "You are mad" and Sybok a little surprised asks "Am I? We'll see". 

And last of all is his final scene (SPOILER!) where they finally enter Sha-ka-Ree and meet the spiritual entity that is supposed to be God but turns out to be a malevolent spirit that wants the Enterprise to escape his prison. 

So, in the scene, the entity says to Sybok "Bring the ship closer to me, or watch these puny beings die horribly!" and Sybok horrified says to Spock "What have I done?!" and he says to Spock "This is my doing! This is my arrogance! My own vanity!" and Spock pleads with him "Sybok, we must find a way..." but Sybok determined says "No! Save yourselves! Forgive me, brother! Forgive me" and he clapses hands with Spock using the Vulcan greeting sign. Sybok then approaches the entity and says "I couldn't help but notice your pain" and the entity asks "My pain?" and Sybok says "It runs deep. Share it with me!" and he enters the shaft of light and embraces his evil twin visage. 

As for the supporting members of the Enterprise crew starting with James Doonan, he does a good job in his role again as Scotty, the ship's chief engineer who provides some comic relief as he has to repair the mess that it is the new Enterprise.

And Doonan has two notable scenes that include the one where Scotty rescues Kirk, Spock and McCoy from the brig by blasting it open with explosives. So, in the scene uses morse code to signal the trio to "stand back" and then there is an explosion and a big hole appears and we see Scotty there and he shouts "WHAT ARE YOU STANDING AROUND FOR??!! DON'T YOU KNOW A JAILBREAK WHEN YOU SEE ONE???!". 

And this is followed by the amusing scene where Kirk says he wants to try and get through to Starfleet command to warn them about Sybok. So, Spock says "There is an emergency sending apparatus in the forward observation room" and Kirk says "The only problem is its up there and we're down there". Scotty then says "You might be able to reach it by means of turboshaft number three which is closed for repairs. It's a long and dangerous climb". Kirk then asks "Which way to the turboshaft?" and Scotty says "Straight down that tunnel to the hydro vent and turn right, then left at the blowscreen. You can't miss it". Kirk then says before leaving "Mr Scott, you're amazing!" and Scotty says "Nothing amazing about it. I know this ship like the back of my hand!" and he proceeds to knock himself out on an overhanging pipe!

As for the other cast members such they all do well in their respective roles even if they aren't given as much screen time as the others.

Starting with Walter Koenig and George Takei who have a funny scene near the start where Chekov and Sulu are on shore leave in Yosemite park but they are told by Uhura to come back up to the Enterprise but they are lost in the park and don't want to admit it to her. 

So, in the scene, Chekov and Sulu walk around lost in the park and Chekov says "Admit it, we're lost" and Sulu says "Alright we're lost but we're making good time" and then Uhura comes in on Sulu's communicator "Commander Sulu, come in please" and Sulu says "I don't believe this". And he answers "This is Commander Sulu here" and Uhura says "Bad news gentlemen. Shore leave is cancelled" and Chekov says "Rescued at last! Don't tell them we're lost, we'd never live it down!". Uhura then says "Is there something wrong?" and Sulu feebly says "Yes, we're caught in a blizzard!" and Chekov blows into the communicator and says "And we can't see a thing! Request you direct us to the co-ordinates!" but Uhura says "My visual says sunny skies and 70 degrees". Chekov after an awkward pause says "Look, Sulu. The sun has come out. Its a miracle!" and Uhura smiles and says "Don't worry fellas, your secret is safe with me. I'll send the shuttle craft to pick you up" and Sulu smiles and says "Uhura, I owe you one!". 

Nichelle Nichols also does well in her role as Uhura, the Enterprise's comms officer although she does have a cringe inducing scene where she performs an exotic dance on Nimbus III to distract Sybok's followers. And in the scene the followers sees her just as federation crew are behind her with phasers and she says to them "Hello boys! I always wanted to play to a "captive" audience". Oh God!!

And lastly there is the scene where Scotty having come round from knocking himself out, is comforted by Uhura who has been converted by Sybok. 

So, Uhura says to Scotty "Easy, Scotty. You're back safe with us" and Scotty says "Uhura, I had the strangest dream that the Enterprise had been taken over by a madman" and Uhura says "Scotty, dear, he's not a madman" Scotty says "He's not?" and Uhura says "Sybok has put us into touch with feelings we've always been afraid to express". Scotty then tries to get back up and says "I've got to get back to the transporter" but Uhura stops and says "Scotty! There is so much I want to tell you!". Scotty then says "Maybe it can wait until I'm a wee bit stronger. I don't think I could take it in my present condition...or yours".  

Todd Bryant however is a weaker link in the cast as Captain Klaa, the rogue Klingon leader, who is out for his own personal glory and chases after Kirk and the Enterprise crew. This is of course more down to the fact that his character is poorly written and is just a cliched Klingon baddie, who lacks any kind of menace. 

In fact the one scene I will mention of his is the last one where Klaa is forced to eat some humble pie after his superior officer, General Korrd forces him to call off his attack and offer an apology to Kirk for his actions. So, in the scene Korrd says to Kirk "Kirk, my junior officer has something to say to you" and Klaa with some embarrassment says to Kirk "I...apologise. The attack upon your vessel was not authorised by my government". 

As for the other supporting cast members David Warner does what he can with his very small role as St John Talbot, one of the peace delegates on Nimbus III but he is woefully underused here. Thankfully Warner would be better used in the next Star Trek film, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (which I will get to next!). 

Still Warner has one notable scene being his first when Caithlin Dar, the Romulan representative shows up and introduces herself. So, Talbot says to her "Ah, yes. Our new Romulan representative. Welcome to Paradise City, my dear, capital of the so-called 'Planet of Galactic Peace.' I'm St. John Talbot, the Federation representative here on Nimbus Three and my charming companion, here, is the Klingon consul Korrd" who burps. And Caithlin says to Tablot "20 years ago our three governments agreed to develop this planet together. A new age was born". Talbot however says "Our new age died a quick death. And the settlers we conned into coming here, they were the dregs of the galaxy. They immediately took to fighting amongst themselves. We forbad them weapons, but they soon began to fashion their own". And Caithlin says cheerily "Well its looks like I arrived just in time!".

And last of all is Cynthia Gouw as the Romulan representative, who is very pretty and does have at least one line that is worth a mention in the scene where she introduces herself to Talbot and the Klingon general Korrd. 

So, in the scene she says to the men "Gentlmen, I am Caithlin Dar" and Talbot says to her "Ah, yes. Our new Romulan representative. Welcome to Paradise City, my dear, capital of the so-called 'Planet of Galactic Peace.' I'm St. John Talbot, the Federation representative here on Nimbus Three and my charming companion, here, is the Klingon consul Korrd". So, we see Korrd who sits drinking and let's out a loud burp and Caithlin smiles and says "I guess that is Klingon for hello!". 

DIRECTOR 

As for the director, William Shatner takes a turn at the helm for this film but unfortunately he has mixed results here as his effort isn't as impressive as Leonard Nimoy in the director's seat. Shatner goes for too much cheesy humour this time round and the action scenes are somewhat poorly staged and he is not helped by the naff special effects on display due to the more limited budget of the film and a different effects team. To be fair, Shatner still paces the film well enough and its not too long but its no surprise that Shatner would not return to the helm for future films.

MUSIC 

As for the music score, things actually fair alot better here as the score is by the late, great Hollywood composer, Jerry Goldsmith who composed the original Star Trek: The Motion Picture. And his score here is fairly similar to that as he reprises the same theme, which is very memorable and would go on to be used for theme of the Star Trek: Next Generation TV show. Overall its a pretty good one and has some good passages that suit the film and definitely remains one of the better aspects of it. 

FLAWS (Warning: this section my contain spoilers!)

Getting on to the flaws of the film...yes STV:TFF has its share.

For starters one of the biggest niggles is to do with the useless addition of the enemy Klingon captain Klaa, who is far from menacing and is a bit of a joke as far as baddies goes, he decides to pursue Kirk for his own personal glory.  However when Klaa catches up with the Enterprise, the Klingon ambassador stops him from carrying out his attack, and he is told off like a schoolboy and forced to apologise to Kirk. And he's a far cry from Christopher Lloyd's way more effective General Kruge that was in Star Trek III.  

The group dynamic of Kirk, Spock and McCoy does work well in the film, but I do find it a bit difficult to digest that they would spend their shore leave together, as something just doesn't sit right with that.  Surely you would think as McCoy suggests "All that time we spend on the ship getting on each others nerves, and what do we do?  We go on vacation together!" that they would want to spend their shore leave apart. So, I have to say this never sat right with me. 

I also think there are some really cheesy daft inclusions such as in the scene where Enterprise breaches the great barrier and Kirk says "If this happening then life is a dream" and we see a giant steering wheel and below is a sign that says "To boldly gone where no man has gone before". Its just a really cringy moment in the film that we could have easily done without for sure.

And further to this I cannot forget to menion Uhura's very cringey and cheesy exotic dance, which is awful to watch and I'm surprised that Shatner even let it pass into the film itself. I mean come on! I don't and I'm sure many other Star Trek fans (well I'm more a casual one) want to really see Uhura do this especially as she is nearer the age of 60 at this point (well she was 57!). 

The film is also hampered badly by its special effects which look woefully cheap compared to the effects of the previous film. This is especially noticable during the Klingon and Enterprise space battles as well as the effects for Enterprise pushing through the Great Barrier lightning storms, which is mixed in with some weird psychedelic colours a la 2001: A Space Odyssey only nowhere near as good!

And lastly the main villain piece of the film turns out to be (PLOT SPOILER) the God of Sha Ka Ree who is no more than a powerful existential being that wants to escape its planet, and it makes for a rather hasty decision to turn him into a baddie, which leads to the film's rather poorly concieved climax.  Although this scene leads into a funny line from Kirk when Klaa's klingon vessel appears and aims its gun at Kirk who says "so its me you want, you Klingon bastards!" before he is beamed up and rescued. 

And that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier remains one of the weakest entries in the franchise as it suffers from being very cheesy in places with some silly dialogue, weak special effects and a woeful secondary villain in Klingon Captain Klaa. Sybok however does fair better as a main antagonist even if he too is a bit cheesy in the film and the regular Enterprise cast all do pretty well in their roles once again. Its also great to see Jerry Goldsmith return to the series to compose the soundtrack even if it isn't one of the better films. 

So, overall Star Trek V is far from the best film in the series but it does still have some enjoyable moments that make it a curates egg of sorts and there are still worse films in the series.

So, I will rate it:

5.9 out of 10

So, that's it for  now and I will be back with another post soon!

Until then live long and prosper!