STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY

William Shatner as Captain Kirk

STAR TREK VI: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY (1991). Director: Nicholas Meyer. 

Captain James Kirk (William Shatner of Dead Man's Island), who blames the untrustworthy Klingons for the death of his son, is outraged when he learns there is to be a peace treaty with the barbarian-like aliens. Worse, he is to invite the Klingon delegation aboard the enterprise. Dinner is awkward, but things take a turn for the worse when the Enterprise apparently fires on the Klingon ship, and Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) is killed. Trying to help matters and figure out what happened, instead Kirk and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) find themselves put on trial for assassination! 

Kim Cattrall on the bridge of the Enterprise

The Undiscovered Country -- "the undiscovered country, the future" is from Hamlet -- was the last of the theatrical Trek movies to feature the original cast all by themselves, although Shatner and others appeared with Patrick Stewart in Star Trek: Generations. The film is fast-moving and entertaining, although there are times when the script allows Kirk/Shatner to be a little too "cutesy." Otherwise the performances are good enough -- Leonard Nimoy [Zombies of the Stratosphere] and Janes Doohan are aboard -- and the actors playing Klingons, including Warner, are especially notable: Christopher Plummer as Chang and Rosanna DeSoto as Gorkon's daughter, Azetbur, among others. Sulu (George Takei) is now captain of his own ship, with Grace Lee Whitney as his communications officer. (Christian Slater also has a small part as a crew member of Sulu's ship). Iman makes an impression as a shapeshifter who helps Kirk and McCoy get out of the prison mines on an icy planet where they are incarcerated. Kim Cattrall is also memorable as a new Vulcan crew member on the Enterprise. Nichelle Nichols has a little more to do as Uhura. 

During their dinner together, Chang remarks that "you have not experienced Shakespeare until you have read him in the original Klingon." Of course, one might wonder if the Klingons would even be familiar with Shakespeare or have any interest in reading him, but this is undoubtedly an in-joke among several. The FX work in the film is excellent, and Cliff Eidelman's score, especially the dynamic theme music, is also memorable. 

Verdict: Semi swan song for the original Star Trek crew. ***.