ON THE VERGE OF PEACE. ON THE BRINK OF WAR.
What makes the sixth chapter one of the most enjoyable in the series is the improved, elaborate visual effects as well as a screenplay featuring a story quite like a mystery novel.
The big question is how was it possible for the Enterprise to attack a Klingon peace delegation when no one in the crew seemed to have anything to do with it? The whole thing is of course a trap; the story is evenly divided between events on the ship and the murder trial of Kirk (William Shatner) and McCoy (DeForest Kelley).
Crew members are starting to show their age but are still in good shape, so I’m pleased to see them sign off in such a dignified way.
1991-U.S. 109 min. Color. Widescreen. Directed by Nicholas Meyer. Screenplay: Nicholas Meyer, Denny Martin Flinn. Cast: William Shatner (James Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Leonard “Bones” McCoy), James Doohan, Walter Koenig, Nichelle Nichols, George Takei, Kim Cattrall, Christopher Plummer, David Warner, Iman, Christian Slater.
Trivia: Co-executive produced by Nimoy. Jack Palance was offered a role. Followed by Star Trek Generations (1994).
Last word: “When Paramount asked Leonard to supervise or executive-produce Star Trek VI, he found himself looking at a world that was changing a lot. Some of your listeners may or may have been kids when the wall came down, in Berlin, when the Soviet Union suddenly collapsed like Alka-Seltzer. There may even be people for whom the Soviet Union itself is a somewhat hazy, you know, memory: what was this? But there were two super-powers for the bulk of the 20th century facing each other eyeball to eyeball. Some would argue that World War II was merely an interruption in their confrontation. The communists versus the capitalists. And when it all fell apart, and we were faced with a brave new world, these were the themes that were interesting to Leonard, who said to me, you know, to what extent are the crew of the Enterprise defined by the existence, the fact of their enemies? And who are they if you take away their enemies? Which was certainly a microcosmic example of what we were all going through in 1990 when the Soviet Union was disappearing. And we were going, well now what do we do? Now what are we going to contemplate? Who are we? And this was the jumping-off point for the film.” (Meyer, Groucho Reviews)