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Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition)

Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered Country (Special Edition)

List Price: $19.99
Your Price: $15.99
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: I love the movie, BUT...
Review: If ever there was a perfect signoff for one of pop culture's greatest hits, 'Star Trek VI' comes pretty close to the pinnacle. Although once again centered on the superstar trio of Jim, Spock, & Bones, the supporting crew members had a few shining moments as well. Heck, Sulu got an entire spaceship to command! And what's classic-crew Star Trek without a few scenes of slightly over-the-top & somewhat hammy acting? Christopher Plummer's Klingon General Chang steals the show in this department as he exchanges insincere niceties with our stalwart (if somewhat rotund) Captain Kirk. Of course, the fact that Shatner was Plummer's understudy during their days as Shakespearean actors might've helped their little battles of will, words, and photon torpedoes work as well as they did. Then again, maybe not. Who knows? Oh yeah, let's not forget Michael Dorn playing one of his ancestors (Kirk & McCoy's attorney at their trial) to provide yet another link between the first two series (along with guest shots by McCoy, Sarek, Spock, & Scotty on TNG).

Then there's the allegory angle, with the Klingon Empire's crisis paralleling the then-almost-concurrent collapse of the Soviet Union. Leave it up to Star Trek to take current events and remake 'em into a pretty rousing bit of space opera! Throw in a smidgeon of 'whodunit' mystery as the Enterprise crew searches for the conspirators who are trying to destroy any chances of peace between the two galactic superpowers, and you've got... well... you'll just hafta see it for yourself. Fortunately it's an even-numbered sequel, so you know it's worth at least a rental!

But, I bet you're wondering why I gave the 'Star Trek VI' DVD only 2 stars after stating how much I enjoyed it. My reason for this: the particular DVD presentation shown here (just the movie with only 2 trailers for special features) is about to become obsolete. Paramount will be releasing special edition discs of alla' the Trek flicks on a monthly to bi-monthly basis throughout the next year or so (as of my writing this). So if you're itchin' to grab this, be patient and wait 'til it comes out in the deluxe edition. Or get it as part of the Special-Edition movie DVD collection box set that Paramount will no doubt be releasing after they're done with the single releases. Don't say I didn't warn ya...

'Late

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: ... for the movie, regarding whether to buy the DVD...
Review: If you are a Trek fan, yeah, this is a brilliant movie, I have seen it fifty times and I never get tired of it. It has a compelling plot, first rate acting a brilliant script and it marked the triumphant directorial return of ST II: WOK's Nicholas Meyer. That however is not the reason I am writing this review. While I would certainly reccomend renting this DVD to experience the movie itself in the widescreen format with the improved picture and sound quality, I would like to warn you not to waste the money buying it. This current DVD does not have a the usual special features that are standard in the DVD versions of other movies. The studio has put out the Director's Edition DVD sets for the first three Star Trek movies, with the fourth due out in early March. These are double disc sets, with numerous tracks of audio commentary, as well as written commentary(bottom of tv screen) optional French dubbing and/or subtitles (Why no Spanish, I don't know) as well as a load of interesting special features on the other disc. The only problem is that they were released months apart from one another. Bearing that in mind, the director's edition of this won't likely be out until the end of this year or the beginning of next year. Nontheless, it will make the one available here obselete. To sum it up, rent this to enjoy the movie, but wait for the special edition before purchasing it, it will be worth the wait.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Not the Average Star Trek Movie
Review: Personally I feel this was the best of the Star Trek movies, It was a good movie for both trekkies and non-trekkies with a good message and great directing.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: This One Got Discovered
Review: Excluding Star Trek 2, this has got to be my favorite. Probably because like Star Trek 2, this is a great combination of story and action. Some of it confuses me though. Ok, these few Klingons and federation people that hate to see this peace between the 2 races, decide to "team up" to keep hating each other. I may have overlooked this and may be wrong, but after watching this movie probably 20 times, I still can't find another answer to this. Ok, now for the rest of the movie - fabulous. Gorkon and Chang are excellent. I love Chang's use of Shakespeare throughout the film. I just wish we could have seen more of the person that Gorkon was before he was killed. We only got to meet the chancellor for about 10 minutes then that's it, but he seemed as a good man. Klingon ship firing when cloaked, gotta love that. Excelsior with Captain Sulu, gotta love that. It's good to see him in command, I thought it would seem wierd cause we are so use to him being at the helm, but he seems to fit in nicely. The final battle scene is terriffic, special effect after special effect. Of course when the Klingon ship becomes visible, there's not much of a battle anymore. I don't know what else to say. You'd think there is more to say about this one since it is very good, but it's one of those films you just love to watch.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: To Boldly save the day, and retire on top.
Review: THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY is the last Star Trek Movie with the entire original cast, and after WRATH OF KHAN, it is the best action/adventure Trek movie with our old favorites. I don't think they could have ended it better. In THE UNDISCOVERED COUNTRY, after a space disaster threaten's the Klingon's homeworld, Spock convinces a bitter Kirk to escort the Klingon's Chancellor to a peace talk on Earth, which would end many years of bad blood between the two nations. All is going well until the Chancellor's ship is mysteriously attacked and the Chancellor is killed. With the Enterprise to blame for the deed, Kirk and McCoy are arrested and are sentenced to life imprisonment at a Klingon gulag, and it is up to Spock and the rest of the crew to uncover the culprits and rescue Kirk and McCoy before the wrong doers at large can do more harm. The story is very rich with twists and turns, the sets, special fx, spaceships and action scenes are all terrific and look great, I might even add that one of TREK's all time greatest star fights is in it, with the Enterprise in a torpedo battle with an invisible starship. This movie does nothing to disprove a TREK movie fact, the even numbered ones are the best. No Trek fan should go without this one on their shelf, it's great and fun.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the best in the series finally gets it's just deserts
Review: After the disappointment that was Star Trek V, Star Trek II director Nicholas Meyer returned to the helm to bring us this final journey of the original Trek crew. Star Trek VI finds the Federation attempting a peace treaty with the Klingons, but soon Captain Kirk finds himself framed for the murder of the Klingon's chancelor. This is the kind of classic Trek thats fans yearned for, and Meyer uses the same formula he had with Star Trek II mixing intelligent storytelling with a Shakespearian space opera, all of which makes this installment light years beyond the dismal Final Frontier. Excellent casting elevates the film as well, including a scene chewing Christopher Plummer as the Klingon Chang, David Warner as Chancelor Gorkon, a pre-Sex in the City Kim Catrall, and a cameo by Christian Slater as an officer on the USS Excelsior. Paramount has thankfully (and finally) released a Special Edition DVD of the film, packed with all the extra's it deserves. Hopefully now they'll have the good sense to give Generations, First COntact, and Insurrection the same treatment.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Fun send-off to original cast
Review: My Rating: 3.5/5.0 stars.

After Star Trek V, which DID stink (sorry, Bill!), the powers that be did what everyone would hope they did: hire back Nick Meyer, who directed Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, to do a rescue. And while this movie does not hit the high standard set by that film, it is a very respectable bit of sci-fi fun and ended the whole series on a positive note.

If Meyer can be faulted for anything, it is for trying to stuff too much, well, STUFF in one film. This movie has political intrigue, an assassination plot, a murder mystery (!), some courtroom drama (!!), a prison break (!!!), a cat-and-mouse starship battle (shades of Khan?), then caps everything off with the wrap-up of the political intruge/multiple assassination plotline you almost forgot about with all the other stuff in-between. As Meyer might have said, but as far as I know never did, "Oy, vey!"

On the upside, almost everything is well done, so the end result is a fun Star Trek movie that, much like "The Wrath of Khan," is also very accessible, even if it lacks the sheer visceral punch of that Star Trek high-water-mark. Kudos, too, for the DVD extras, which have been consistently excellent in the latest run of Paramount 2-DVD Star Trek sets.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: I love the movie, BUT...
Review: If ever there was a perfect signoff for one of pop culture's greatest hits, 'Star Trek VI' comes pretty close to the pinnacle. Although once again centered on the superstar trio of Jim, Spock, & Bones, the supporting crew members had a few shining moments as well. Heck, Sulu got an entire spaceship to command! And what's classic-crew Star Trek without a few scenes of slightly over-the-top & somewhat hammy acting? Christopher Plummer's Klingon General Chang steals the show in this department as he exchanges insincere niceties with our stalwart (if somewhat rotund) Captain Kirk. Of course, the fact that Shatner was Plummer's understudy during their days as Shakespearean actors might've helped their little battles of will, words, and photon torpedoes work as well as they did. Then again, maybe not. Who knows? Oh yeah, let's not forget Michael Dorn playing one of his ancestors (Kirk & McCoy's attorney at their trial) to provide yet another link between the first two series (along with guest shots by McCoy, Sarek, Spock, & Scotty on TNG).

Then there's the allegory angle, with the Klingon Empire's crisis paralleling the then-almost-concurrent collapse of the Soviet Union. Leave it up to Star Trek to take current events and remake 'em into a pretty rousing bit of space opera! Throw in a smidgeon of 'whodunit' mystery as the Enterprise crew searches for the conspirators who are trying to destroy any chances of peace between the two galactic superpowers, and you've got... well... you'll just hafta see it for yourself. Fortunately it's an even-numbered sequel, so you know it's worth at least a rental!

But, I bet you're wondering why I gave the 'Star Trek VI' DVD only 2 stars after stating how much I enjoyed it. My reason for this: the particular DVD presentation shown here (just the movie with only 2 trailers for special features) is about to become obsolete. Paramount will be releasing special edition discs of alla' the Trek flicks on a monthly to bi-monthly basis throughout the next year or so (as of my writing this). So if you're itchin' to grab this, be patient and wait 'til it comes out in the deluxe edition. Or get it as part of the Special-Edition movie DVD collection box set that Paramount will no doubt be releasing after they're done with the single releases. Don't say I didn't warn ya...

'Late

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A fitting sendoff
Review: Nick Meyer's "Undiscovered Country" is a terrific movie which involves witty dialogue, a terrific plot, great special effects (for that day and age), a complimentary score by Cliff Eidelman, and surprisingly good acting. I was only eight when the film was released in '91, but when they special edition DVD's were released, I decided it would be best to buy just my favorites, and this one is on the list.

Why? Well, the script takes you for a good ride for close to two hours and never lets up - I mean never. There aren't many scripts that can do that. What impressed me the most is the acting. The actors aren't the same, campy, over-dramatic ones which they were claimed to be during the run of the television series. These are actors that pretty much know that this is the last movie in the franchise that made them stars, and they give down to earth and funny performances. It's almost like five grandparents and a grandma acting, with all that wisdom and wit. Shatner's performance was the greatest. This isn't the actor that released a horrible CD and is still impersonated - this is William Shatner at his best. Christopher Plummer is also incredible as the villain Chang. The trial scene is a great piece of acting for him.

True, the premise is based on the post-Cold War collapse of Russia, but isn't this how Trek was started after all? The Federation was NATO, the Klingons were Russians, and the Romulans Japanese? Roddenberry took our world, made races out of countries, and boom, we have "Star Trek." Many people who believe that "Trek" is unrealistic must do is look to our history to believe how wrong they are. Either way, this movie is a fitting sendoff that features the crew, and is what I believe right up there with the second movie as one of the best.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Great finale for original cast
Review: This sixth edition of the Star Trek movie series is probably (along with Star Trek II) the best ever to hit the big screen. Nicholas Meyer also directed the Wrath of Khan and it makes sense to give him the reigns of this film as well since Star Trek II was a true classic. The plot for Star Trek VI parallels the decline and fall of the Soviet Union of the early 1990s and the film takes a page out of the current events of the time. Lots of good acting, dialog, and special effects in addition to a great supporting cast of David Warner, Christopher Plummer and Deep Space Nine's Rene Auberjonois. The plot will leaving you guessing till the very end. Also the special edition has loads of extras such as the making of the film and documentaries. A must for any Star Trek fan.


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