大象传媒

One of Star Trek's strong points was its ability to ply small morality plays against an intergalactic backdrop, veering off course when it got ideas above its station. As 1979's "The Motion Picture" courted derision for its cerebral "2001" approach, "The Final Frontier" damages it's own cause with a high-brow 'Man's Search for God' story.

This fifth entry sees the Enterprise hijacked by a renegade Vulcan, Sybok - none other than Spock's half-brother. As Sybok coerces the crew, Kirk must wrestle back command before the Enterprise reaches its destination: Sha-ka-ri (Heaven) and Sybok's audience with 'You Know Who'.

Directed by Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner is hampered by a weak script and a clearly reduced effects budget. Yet, the film is peppered with decent character moments, including a nicely subdued opening campfire scene between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy and Spock's inner pain at his humanity. Lawrence Luckinbill's Sybok is charismatic and engaging, his scenes with Leonard Nimoy and DeForest Kelley a welcome interruption the plodding inevitability of the climax.

Shatner effectively works the themes of mortality and dealing with your past into the story, but they are ultimately overshadowed by the film's end, which, expectedly, is a damp squib. Astoundingly, there isn't even a decent space battle, which given this is Trek, is quite unforgivable.

Undoubtedly the weakest of all the Star Trek movies, "The Final Frontier" undoubtedly has an audience in die-hard Trekkers, but lacking the franchise's hallmark treats it would have undoubtedly benefited from simply doing what it's best at.

Check out more Star Trek movies. And if your're a bona fide Trekkie looking for more, take a look at Cult's pages for the Star Trek TV series.