There really is something about the even numbered TOS movies. And to be fair a lot of it is probably Nicholas Meyer who directed II and VI and wrote IV and VI. The Undiscovered Country feels like the perfect way to conclude a series like this. Just the fact that it is mostly about Kirk learning he was wrong about something puts it so far ahead of V and it is unreal. The fight in zero gravity probably would have benefited from some modern computer graphics, but the shots of the ships in combat look totally top notch. There is something about the way the Enterprise model takes damage that really makes it feel so much more real.
The Undiscovered Country opens with Captain Sulu enjoying a cup of tea on the bridge of the Excelsior. He is congratulating himself on completing a successful three year cruise on the Excelsior. Suddenly the ship is rocked by a massive shock wave. The Klingon moon Praxis has exploded! We cut to a briefing on earth attended by a bunch of Admirals and the senior crew of the Enterprise. Spock explains that since Praxis exploded it has doomed the Klingon homeworld to destruction within 50 years. Spock has reached out to the chancellor of the Klingon High Council to negotiate peace with the Federation. Spock has volunteered Kirk and the Enterprise to escort the Chancellor to peace negotiations. Kirk is pissed, but has little choice in the matter.
The Enterprise rendezvous with a Klingon battle cruiser and Kirk invites Chancellor Gorkon over for dinner. Things don't go great as Kirk can't help constantly bickering with the Klingon General Chang. After dinner Kirk is retreating to his quarters when he is summoned to the bridge by Spock. There is a radiation surge coming from the Enterprise or possibly very near by. Suddenly two torpedoes appear to fire from the Enterprise and strike the Klingon vessel. It is heavily damaged and two people in helmets and Federation uniforms beam over and start killing Klingons left and right. The make there way to Gorkon and kill him before beaming away. The Klingons recover enough to bring their ship about and prepare to fire, but Kirk surrenders and beams over with McCoy to see if they can help. Despite McCoys best efforts Gorkon dies and the two of them are arrested.
The Klingons will only agree to continue peace negotiations if the Federation lets them bring Kirk and McCoy to trial. There is little doubt they will be convicted and sure enough they are both sent to a dilithium mine on a barren, snow covered asteroid. Prison life isn't great and when Kirk isn't getting into fights he is hanging out with a shapeshifter. With the aid of the shapeshifter they escape, but it was of course a trap. Luckily Spock planted a tracker on Kirk so he manages to beam them to safety just in time. Back on the Enterprise the two assassins are found dead but Kirk manages to trick the assassin into revealing herself, it is their new Vulcan science officer! Spock is so pissed he mindmelds with her against her will and figures out that there is an admiral in starfleet among others leading the plot.
The Enterprise must now rush to the peace negotiations to stop another assassination. Spock has correctly guessed that there is a Klingon bird of prey which can fire while cloaked. After taking some direct hits with the Excelsior showing up to help Spock and McCoy rig a torpedo to find the bird of prey. They blow it out of space and beam down to the conference just in time to save the President of the Federation and restore hope for the future.
Review: Not Wrath of Khan, but as close as the movies ever came. It also isn't quite as personal a story as Journey, but it gets close there too. Some of the antics searching the ship seem a little silly, but that is about all I can think of to complain about.
9 out of 10
No comments:
Post a Comment