Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country is the finest farewell a franchise has given its original cast, a picture of political intelligence and emotional satisfaction that sends Kirk, Spock, and the crew of the Enterprise into retirement with a dignity and a conviction the characters thoroughly deserve. Nicholas Meyer's return to the franchise after The Wrath of Khan is not quite as great a film as its predecessor, but it is a considerably more ambitious one in its political concerns, a work that uses the end of the Cold War as a direct analogy for the end of the Federation-Klingon conflict and that handles the analogy with a seriousness and a specificity that gives the picture a thematic weight the franchise's more conventionally adventurous entries have not always achieved. It is a film about the difficulty of peace, about the prejudices that make reconciliation harder than continued conflict, and it delivers this argument with a craft and a conviction that makes it the franchise's most politically intelligent entry.
At a Glance
Director: Nicholas Meyer
Runtime: 110 minutes
Starring: William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley, Christopher Plummer, Kim Cattrall
Release: 1991
Critics Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5 stars, a magnificent farewell)
Audience Rating: ★★★★½ (4.5/5 stars, the perfect send-off)
Review Breakdown
Plot
The Klingon moon Praxis explodes, crippling the Klingon Empire's energy production and forcing them to seek peace with the Federation. Kirk and the Enterprise are assigned to escort the Klingon Chancellor to peace negotiations, but the Chancellor is assassinated and Kirk and McCoy are framed for the murder. The plot is the franchise's most politically sophisticated, a thriller of intelligence that uses the Cold War analogy with a directness and a specificity that gives the picture a thematic weight the franchise's more conventionally adventurous entries have not always achieved.
Characters
Kirk's prejudice against the Klingons, rooted in the death of his son at Klingon hands, is the most honest element, a portrayal of a hero's capacity for bigotry that the franchise had not previously attempted with such directness. Shatner plays the character's prejudice and his eventual recognition of it with a conviction and a depth that makes this one of his strongest franchise performances. Christopher Plummer's General Chang is the franchise's finest villain since Khan, a Shakespearean Klingon of extraordinary theatrical presence and menace whose scenes crackle with an energy and an intelligence that elevates every exchange. Shatner and Nimoy are at the peak of their franchise work, and the picture gives them material that allows them to demonstrate a depth and a range the franchise's more action-focused entries do not always require. Plummer stands alongside Montalban's Khan as the franchise's finest antagonist.
Tone
Meyer pitches the picture as a political thriller with the franchise's characteristic adventure elements, and the approach is entirely successful. The Undiscovered Country moves with a purpose and an intelligence that makes its 110-minute runtime feel perfectly calibrated, and Meyer maintains the tension and the political engagement of the opening sequences across the entire length.
Meaning / Themes
The central concern is the difficulty of peace and the prejudices that make reconciliation harder than continued conflict. Kirk's journey from prejudice to acceptance is the franchise's most direct engagement with the question of whether people can change, and the picture handles this with a seriousness and a conviction that makes it feel significant rather than merely inspirational.
Direction
Meyer's direction is as assured and as intelligent as in The Wrath of Khan, with a command of pace, character, and tension that makes The Undiscovered Country the franchise's second-finest picture. Cliff Eidelman's score is the franchise's darkest and most atmospheric, a work of musical intelligence that suits the political thriller register with complete appropriateness.
Cultural Reception
The Undiscovered Country received outstanding reviews on its release and was a solid commercial success, grossing over $96 million worldwide. Critics praised the political intelligence, Plummer's villain, and the original cast's dignified farewell, and it is now regarded as the franchise's second-finest film and the most satisfying conclusion the original cast's cinematic run could have achieved. Its Cold War analogy has been consistently cited as the franchise's most sophisticated piece of political storytelling.
Who Should Watch
Essential viewing for Star Trek fans and a rewarding picture for anyone interested in political thriller cinema. Those who have followed the original cast through their cinematic run will find the most satisfying possible conclusion to their journey.
Final Verdict: The finest farewell a franchise has given its original cast, and the franchise's second-finest film. Nicholas Meyer's political intelligence, Christopher Plummer's extraordinary villain, and the original cast's dignified farewell make The Undiscovered Country a picture of distinction. Kirk's prejudice and his eventual recognition of it is the franchise's most honest character moment. A magnificent conclusion.
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