Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

release year: 1989
genre: science fiction
viewing setting: home streaming 7/27/26

synopsis: A renegade Vulcan with weird powers to calm troubled people manages to take over the Enterprise and direct it to the galaxy's center in search of God.

impressions: I don't know if the idea here was to question the existence of a divine being, or to prove it, or to disprove it. Whatever the case, this was basically stupid. I didn't like the approach of the antagonist Sybok, I didn't like how easily he converted most people to his way of thinking, I didn't like how easily he took over the ship, and I didn't like the unclear nature and powers of the being they finally found at the end. It made little sense and the basic plot mirrored a number of the episodes from the original series. I think I now know why I never, ever saw this one in almost forty years.

acting: Aside from the classic crew, there was only one newcomer this time: Lawrence Luckinbill was the prophet-like Sybok, who bore some resemblance to a cult leader.

final word: Largely pointless and aimless entry in the otherwise-strong series.

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