 | ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids. |
 | OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age. |
 | NOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age. |
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
- Review Date: January 9, 2008
- PG
- Genre: Science Fiction
- 1989
Common Sense Media says
Worst in series; some tricky religious content.
Parents say
Kids say
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that some critics have interpreted an unsubtle anti-religious message here. The villain is a religious fanatic with a barbaric flock of pilgrims and a fondness for mind control. As for the vague, godlike being (perhaps even the God) he seeks, it comes across as a manipulative, power-crazed alien-monster menace. There is also drinking, mild curse words, and some fist-fighting and ray-gun violence. A brief subplot involves physician-assisted euthanasia (portraying it more or less with disfavor).
What's the story?
The first four Star Trek movies flow neatly into each other to tell one continuous saga, wrapped up in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Now the series starts over from scratch. But Starfleet still orders Captain Kirk and his crew from their camping trip and marshmallow roasts (!?) to speed to a desert planet, where ambassadors of the Klingon and Romulan Empires have been taken hostage. The Enterprise is thus lured into a trap and hijacked by Sybok (Lawrence Luckinbill), Mr. Spock's long-lost brother, a renegade cult leader. Sybok intends to literally find heaven and God by taking the ship into a forbidden zone of space.
Is it any good?
With uneven scripting and f/x, STAR TREK V is generally considered the least worthwhile among the big-screen adaptations, and feels like a slipshod, just-before cancellation episode of the original TV series. Great to see the classic cast interacting, and there's a revelation about Dr. McCoy that explains the spacegoing physician's grouchy House-like attitude. But the rest is mediocre. In V's defense, the previous three Star Trek movies were a tough act to follow.
The journey to this "Final Frontier" resolves in unsatisfactory fashion, with lots of ray-gun blasts but few answers. In fact, it's easy (and, unfortunately, makes the most sense) to interpret the movie as a photon torpedo-salvo against religion.
What families can talk about
Families can talk about the tone of this movie. Is it anti-religious? Producer Gene Roddenberry (not the only major contributor to Star Trek, but a leading figure) is often counted among celebrity atheists. Yet nonfiction books have also been written about the "spirituality" of Trek. How does sci-fi in general regard traditional religion? How do kid-favorites like The Golden Compass and Harry Potter regard religion?
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Kid, 12 years old
January 16, 2011
AGE
Weaker and weaker she soars, Captain
Strip teasing and an alien with three breasts feature alongside some tricky religious comment and a lot of swearing.
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AGE
Star Trek 5 has not relgious issues!
Religion is not an issue in this movie! I had not seen this movie yet, but in my opinion, there are not religous issues in this movie!
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AGE
An alright movie
This is an okay Star Trek movie. Unfortunatley you see Uhura strip and an alien with no clothes (This enables you to see some things which are not suitable for young children). Words including "a**" and "b***ard" are used.
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AGE
I Must Be the Only One, But...
I thought this movie was great, and the best in the series so far, outside of KHAN. There are great positive messages, acting, and a great script. I found no "religious" content offending. There are some shots of people being hit by vapor rays, but nothing graphic. There are also some "d**n"s, "h*ll"s, "bas*ard"s, and one "a*s".
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| Topics: | adventures, space and aliens |
| Studio: | Paramount Pictures |
| Director: | William Shatner |
| Cast: | James Doohan, Leonard Nimoy, William Shatner |
| Genre: | Science Fiction |
| Run time: | 108 minutes |
| Theatrical release date: | June 9, 1989 |
| DVD release date: | October 14, 2003 |
| MPAA rating: | PG |
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