Star Trek 6

The ÒTrekÓ films almost made a fatal mistake with part ÒV,Ó which disappointed even die-hard fans with its out-of-character stabs at humor and lapses in sci-fi logic. So itÕs no surprise the studio turned to the two men responsible for the successful even-numbered films in the franchise to pull their collective fat out of the fire and give the original Enterprise crew a more respectful send off. Leonard Nimoy and Nicholas Meyer were never afraid to mess with creator Gene RoddenberryÕs vision, which made their films more accessible to audiences that couldnÕt understand the Trek universe. Parallels to 20th century life abound, and, in the case of ÒStar Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country,Ó are often the jumping off point for a metaphorical discussion on current affairs. The hot topic in 1991 was the demise of the communist regime and the uneasy peace between two superpowers. ÒTrek VIÓ transposes the idea to outer space with the wall coming down between the Klingon and Federation empires. But forcing old enemies to hold hands and play nice is just as difficult in the year 3000 as it is today. Kirk (William ShatnerÉdo I really need to tell you?), whose son was murdered by Klingons in ÒTrek 3,Ó is selected to meet and greet the Klingon ambassador (David Warner) as a showing of good faith. But when said ambassador is assassinated in a zero-gravity bloodbath, Kirk and McCoy take the fall and end up breaking rocks on a frozen prison planet. Meanwhile, Spock and the Enterprise crew work to unravel a conspiracy that threatens to destroy the negotiations for peace and bring about full-scale war. ÒTrek VI,Ó while not as engaging as some of the previous installments, is largely successful thanks to KirkÕs crisis of conscience and ShatnerÕs more subdued performance. Director Nicholas Meyer still stages his fair share of outer-space battles and telegraphed punches, but his real knack is giving the characters a history to fall back on. KirkÕs angry response when informed of the Klingon EmpireÕs imminent death ( ÒLet them die!Ó) gives the film enough emotional momentum to carry it through the phony monsters and Chris PlummerÕs hammy Shakespearean turn as Chang. Despite the none-too-subtle political commentary, ÒTrek VI,Ó at its best moments, feels just like an episode of the old series. And thatÕs perhaps the best way for the Enterprise crew to finally be remembered. THE FEATURES: Paramount has done a superlative job on each and every Trek special edition DVD. And ÒTrek VIÓ is the cream of the crop, not in the sheer number of features, but in the quality of those included. On disc one, Nicholas Meyer and screenwriting partner Denny Martin Flinn provide a running Trek commentary. This is perhaps best enjoyed simultaneously with the OkudaÕs text commentary as Meyer tends to philosophize quite a bit, while the Okuda track digs into the minutia of the production. Disc two contains the bulk of the bonus features, starting with ÒThe Perils of Peacemaking,Ó a well-supported introduction to 1990 world politics and the direct influence on the plot of ÒTrek VI.Ó Ambassador Gorkin is a dead-ringer for Gorbechev, and his assassination has echoes of all the tragic peacemakers throughout history. Educational and fascinating stuff. ÒStories from Star Trek VIÓ (six featurettes than can be accessed as a Òplay allÓ documentary) is the meat and potatoes of the disc. Running just short of an hour, it hits on MeyerÕs initial ideas (or lack thereof), KirkÕs blatant prejudice (which Shatner and Roddenberry fiercely objected to), the casting coup of Chris Plummer, and even the composition of the filmÕs Òhigh school photoÓ-style final shot. Sub-headings under ÒThe Star Trek UniverseÓ include: Conversations with Nicholas Meyer (his working style, his take on Trek, etc.), Klingons: Conjuring the Legend (a cool short-order history of the changing look and culture of TrekÕs favorite bad guys), Federation Operatives (a profile of actors in the film who appeared in other Trek projects), PennyÕs Toy Box (a tour of the props from the film), and Together Again (Shatner and Chris Plummer reminisce about performing Shakespeare in CanadaÉto be or not to be, ehÉthatÕs the question, hoser!) The remaining extras are more specific and less interesting to the layman: original cast interviews at the time of the filmÕs release, a 1991 convention presentation by Meyer, trailers, production galleries, storyboards. Except for the DeForest Kelly Tribute, which captures his life and death in a heartfelt 15-minute segment. FINAL SCORE: ÒTrek VIÓ finds the Enterprise crew not quite so bold as their salad days. But the familiarity of cast and crew reaps the rewards some juicy dialogue and an element of modern-day relevance that the serious was serious lacking. WeÕve seen these types of extras before on past Trek discs, too, but never quite so polished. Chalk it up to sentimentalism, but there seems to be sense of professional closure here that saved the best special edition DVD for last.