Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Director:

William Shatner

Writers (WGA):

Gene Roddenberry (creator: based on "Star Trek")
William Shatner (story) ...
(more)

Release Date:

9 June 1989 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

The Enterprise is back. This time, have they gone too far?

Plot:

Capt. Kirk and his crew must deal with Mr. Spock's half brother who hijacks the Enterprise for an obsessive search for God.

Plot Keywords:

Captain | Vulcan | Climbing | Futuristic | Teleportation

Awards:

3 wins & 3 nominations

Cast

William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Captain Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy
James Doohan	...	Capt. Montgomery "Scotty" Scott
Walter Koenig	...	Cmdr. Pavel Chekov
Nichelle Nichols	...	Cmdr. Uhura
George Takei	...	Cmdr. Hikaru Sulu
David Warner	...	St. John Talbot
Laurence Luckinbill	...	Sybok
Charles Cooper	...	Gen. Korrd
Cynthia Gouw	...	Caithlin Dar
Todd Bryant	...	Capt. Klaa
Spice Williams-Crosby	...	Vixis (as Spice Williams)
Rex Holman	...	J'onn
George Murdock	...	God
Jonathan Simpson	...	Young Sarek
Beverly Hart	...	High Priestess
Steve Susskind	...	Pitchman
Harve Bennett	...	Adm. Robert Bennett
Cynthia Blaise	...	Young Amanda Grayson
Bill Quinn	...	David McCoy
Melanie Shatner	...	Yeoman
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Gene Cross	...	Sybok Warrior (uncredited)
Carey Scott	...	Young Spock (uncredited)
Mike Smithson	...	Klingon helmsman (uncredited)

Directed by
William Shatner

Writing credits (WGA)
Gene Roddenberry		(creator: based on "Star Trek")
William Shatner		(story) &
Harve Bennett		(story) &
David Loughery		(story)
David Loughery		(screenplay)

Produced by
Harve Bennett	....	producer
Brooke Breton	....	associate producer
Mel Efros	....	co-producer
Gene Roddenberry	....	executive producer
Ralph Winter	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Jerry Goldsmith

Cinematography by
Andrew Laszlo		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
Peter E. Berger		(as Peter Berger)

Casting by
Bill Shepard

Production Design by
Herman F. Zimmerman		(as Herman Zimmerman)

Art Direction by
Nilo Rodis-Jamero

Set Decoration by
John M. Dwyer

Costume Design by
Nilo Rodis-Jamero

Makeup Department
Janice Alexander	....	special makeup artist (as Jan Alexander)
Allan A. Apone	....	special makeup designer
Bruce Barlow	....	assistant hair stylist
Erin Brasfield	....	special makeup effects artist
Ellis Burman Jr.	....	special makeup effects artist (as Ellis Burman)
Hazel Catmull	....	hair stylist
Jeff Dawn	....	makeup artist
Wes Dawn	....	makeup artist
Katalin Elek	....	special makeup artist
Donna Barrett Gilbert	....	hair stylist
Edouard F. Henriques	....	special makeup artist
Rolf John Keppler	....	special makeup artist
Michael Mills	....	special makeup artist
Kenny Myers	....	special makeup
Brian Wade	....	prosthetic makeup designer: Klingon and Vulcan
Roland Blancaflor	....	foam latex technician (uncredited)

Production Management
Mel Efros	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Burt Burnam	....	second assistant director (as Burt 'Skip' Burman)
Robert Carmichael	....	second unit director
George Fortmuller	....	second assistant director
James Lansbury	....	second assistant director
Paul F. Schlichting	....	dga trainee
Douglas E. Wise	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Richard J. Bayard	....	construction coordinator
James H. Betts	....	production painter
Anthony Brockliss	....	assistant art director
Gary Clark	....	paint foreperson
Antoinette J. Gordon	....	set designer
Don Hulett	....	property master
Kurt V. Hulett	....	property master
Michael Kellough	....	set construction: model unit
John Matheson	....	construction foreperson
Richard McKenzie	....	set designer
Eric Moore	....	property master: model unit
Andrew Neskoromny	....	set designer
Michael Okuda	....	scenic artist
Rick Sternbach	....	illustrator
Barton M. Susman	....	lead person
Cari Thomas	....	scenic artist
Robert Van Dyke	....	propmaker gangboss
Sandy Veneziano	....	assistant art director
Ron Wilkinson	....	set designer (as Ronald Wilkinson)
Ed Miarecki	....	props (uncredited)
Victor M. Shannon	....	plasterer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Gary Alexander	....	sound re-recording mixer
Wayne Allwine	....	sound effects editor
Scott Austin	....	sound recordist
Ron Bartlett	....	foley editor
Michael J. Benavente	....	sound effects editor
Destiny Borden	....	assistant sound editor
Greg Curda	....	foley mixer
Ken Dufva	....	foley artist
Ken Dufva	....	foley editor
John Dunn	....	sound effects editor
David Lee Fein	....	foley editor
Warren Hamilton Jr.	....	sound effects editor
Doug Hemphill	....	sound re-recording mixer
Alan Howarth	....	special sound effects
Chris Jenkins	....	sound re-recording mixer
Ken J. Johnson	....	sound effects recordist
Angie Luckey	....	assistant sound editor
Mark A. Mangini	....	sound effects
Mark A. Mangini	....	supervising sound editor
Stewart D. McDonald Jr.	....	utility sound technician
David Moreno	....	sound effects recordist
Andrew Patterson	....	adr editor
Sonny Pettijohn	....	assistant sound editor
John Pospisil	....	special sound effects (as John P.)
David M. Ronne	....	sound mixer
John B. Schuyler	....	boom operator
Solange S. Schwalbe	....	foley editor
David Spence	....	sound effects editor
Bill Voigtlander	....	adr editor
J.D. Ward	....	sound recordist
David A. Whittaker	....	sound effects editor

Special Effects by
Mike Edmonson	....	pyrotechnician
Mike Edmonson	....	special effects supervisor
John McLeod	....	special effects technician
Mike Reedy	....	special effects technician
Michael A. Tice	....	special effects technician
Michael Wood	....	special effects supervisor

Visual Effects by
John Alagna	....	senior optical layout: optical unit (as John Alagua)
Eric Angelson	....	visual effects coordinator
Valerie Baiardi	....	effects animator: optical unit
Patricia Barry	....	assistant producer: special visual effects
Stewart Brown	....	precision printer: optical unit
David Bruce	....	animation stand camera operator: model unit
Don Canfield	....	motion control operator
Paul Clemente	....	unit coordinator: model unit (as Paul Michael Clemente)
David Drapkin	....	animation stand camera operator: model unit
Rachel A. Drapkin	....	unit manager: model unit
Syd Dutton	....	matte painter
Michael Faerman	....	production executive: model unit
Bran Ferren	....	visual effects
John Gaeta	....	chief lighting technician: model unit
Mike Gerzevitz	....	chief lighting technician: model unit
Louis Goold	....	optical layout: optical unit
Gregory Harker	....	senior animation stand photographer: optical unit
Barry Hyman	....	title and opticals
Maria Konwicka	....	2D artist: model unit
Peter Kuran	....	special optical effects: VCE
Susan Le Ber	....	purchasing agent: special visual effects
Veronica E. Lesser	....	2D artist: model unit
Robert Lyons	....	motion control camera operator: model unit
Daniel Mauke	....	fabricator: model unit
David V. Mei	....	senior model maker: model unit
George Muhs	....	visual effects
Don Nolan	....	optical layout: optical unit
Thomas Quinn	....	motion control support: model unit
Edward Lee Rapp	....	motion control and animation producer: model unit
Dick Rauh	....	effects animation supervisor: optical unit
Jack Riedel	....	senior motion control photographer: model unit
Robert Rowohlt	....	senior optical photographer: optical unit
Mark Sawicki	....	matte photographer
Noel Scheinberg	....	optical coordinator: model unit
Robert Schulze	....	optical photographer: optical unit
James Shelly	....	general manager: special visual effects
Tom Snowden	....	optical layout: optical unit
Eddie Stewart	....	precision printer: optical unit
Michael Sullivan	....	model photography design and lighting: model unit
Dick Swanek	....	optical supervisor: optical unit
Michael Tabacco	....	model maker: model unit
Peterson Tooke	....	motion control stage manager: model unit
Susan Trembly	....	2D supervisor: model unit
Michael Ventresco	....	senior effects animator: optical unit
Valentine Vignes	....	assistant model wrangler: model unit
Peter Wallach	....	motion control and animation supervisor: model unit
Liz Wassel	....	2D artist: model unit
Mitch Wilson	....	senior optical timer: optical unit
Tim Zach	....	decals and graphics: model unit
Jammie Friday	....	animator: VCE, Inc. (uncredited)
Gregory Jein	....	model constructor (uncredited)

Stunts
Gregory J. Barnett	....	stunt double: Leonard Nimoy (as Greg Barnett)
Kenny Bates	....	high fall stunt (as Ken Bates)
David Burton	....	stunts
David R. Ellis	....	stunts (as David Richard Ellis)
Linda Fetters	....	stunts
James M. Halty	....	stunts
Freddie Hice	....	stunts
Tommy J. Huff	....	stunts (as Thomas Huff)
Terry Jackson	....	stunts
John McLeod	....	stunt rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Joyce McNeal	....	stunts (as Joyce L. McNeal)
Tom Morga	....	stunts
Frank Orsatti	....	stunts
Bernie Pock	....	stunt rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Don Pulford	....	stunt double: William Shatner
Air Randall	....	stunts
Bruce Randall	....	stunts (as Bruce Wayne Randall)
R.A. Rondell	....	stunts
Tom Wetterman	....	stunts
Glenn R. Wilder	....	stunt coordinator
Scott Wilder	....	stunts
Dick Ziker	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Patric J. Abaravich	....	lighting technician
Miles Ambrose	....	electrical technician: live action effects unit
Bruce Birmelin	....	still photographer
Philip Caplan	....	camera operator
Lex DuPont	....	assistant camera: Yosemite climbing sequence
Jon Falkengren	....	dolly grip
Bob Francis	....	electrical technician: live action effects unit
John Frith	....	electrical technician: live action effects unit
Phil Gosiewski	....	camera operator: live action effects unit
Richard Hartley	....	assistant chief lighting technician
Carmon H. Howell	....	first company grip
Sunny Johnson	....	grip
Paul Jordan	....	electrical engineering: live action effects unit
Bill Killey	....	camera operator: Yosemite climbing sequence
Burton Lindemoen	....	second company grip
Richard Craig Meinardus	....	first assistant camera
Seth Nathanson	....	electrical engineering: live action effects unit
Ken Nishino	....	first assistant camera (as Kenneth Nishino)
Don Nygren	....	chief lighting technician (as Donald O. Nygren)
Keith Peterman	....	camera operator
Dennis Seawright	....	second assistant camera (as Dennis B. Seawright)
Eric Stich	....	electrical engineering: live action effects unit
Bob Stradling	....	assistant camera: Yosemite climbing sequence
Rob Sweeney	....	first assistant climbing photographer: Yosemite climbing sequence
Jeffrey Thorin	....	second assistant camera
Joseph F. Valentine	....	camera operator: Yosemite climbing sequence
Bruce Vaughn	....	assistant camera: live-action effects unit
Tom Weston	....	photographer: live action effects unit
Frost Wilkinson	....	photographer: live action effects unit

Animation Department
Joe Dubs	....	computer animation and tactical displays
Jim Gerken	....	computer animation and tactical displays
Jeff McGrath	....	computer animation and tactical displays
Linda Miller	....	computer animation and tactical displays

Casting Department
Barbara Harris	....	voice casting

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Dan Bronson	....	key costumer
John D. Bronson	....	wardrobe: men
Joseph Markham	....	wardrobe: men
Sue Moore	....	wardrobe: women
Raymond Phelps	....	wardrobe: men
Dodie Shepard	....	costume supervisor

Editorial Department
Christopher E. Bennett	....	apprentice film editor
John Haggar	....	assistant film editor
Robert Raring	....	color timer
George C. Villaseñor	....	assistant film editor

Music Department
Bruce Botnick	....	score mixer
Alexander Courage	....	composer: additional music (from "Star Trek")
Kenneth Hall	....	music editor (as Ken Hall)
Dan Kuramoto	....	composer: song "The Moon is a Window to Heaven"
Arthur Morton	....	orchestrator

Transportation Department
Raymond A. McLaughlin	....	transportation coordinator
Gaston Veilleux	....	transportation captain

Other crew
Dale Bard	....	technical advisor: Yosemite climbing sequence
Nick Baum	....	computer engineering: live action effects unit
Charles Beichman	....	scientific advisor: infared processing and analysis center, Jet Propulsion Lab, Pasadena (as Dr. Charles A. Beichman)
Charlene Bergman	....	assistant: Mr. Bennett
Judy Biggs	....	production assistant
Kimberly Boyle	....	secretary to Mr. Bennett
Werner Braun	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Jim Bridwell	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Rebeca Brookshire	....	assistant: Mr. Winter
Deborah L. Campbell	....	production assistant
Robert Carmichael	....	director: Yosemite climbing sequence
James Collins	....	production assistant
Susan Coursey	....	assistant: Mr. Ferren
Tony Criscione	....	assistant production auditor
Phillip Cullem	....	mechanical fabricator: live action effects unit
Tom Dupont	....	paramedic: Yosemite climbing sequence
Marie Elder	....	assistant production auditor
Kinnereth Ellentuck	....	film librarian: live action effects unit
Terry J. Erdmann	....	unit publicist
Jim Evans	....	coordinator: Yosemite climbing sequence
Mary Jo Fernandez	....	assistant: Mr. Shatner
E.M. Fredric	....	assistant: Mr. Shatner (as Eva Marie Friedrick)
Bob Gains	....	climbing double: William Shatner, Yosemite climbing sequence
Ben Gorman	....	prosthetics: 'Klingon' and 'Vulcan'
Steven Haire	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Chester Hartwell	....	equipmant manager: live action effects unit
Clint Hope	....	special projects supervisor: live action effects unit
Troy Johnson	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Wendell Johnson	....	production assistant
Thomas B. Jones	....	craft service
Robert Kohut	....	mechanical fabricator: live action effects unit
Valerie Mickaelian Kucera	....	production coordinator
Otto Leichliter	....	computer engineering: live action effects unit
Michael Mann	....	location manager
Susan McCrae	....	production assistant: Yosemite climbing sequence
Nadim Melkonian	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Dean Miller	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Marc Okrand	....	dialog consultant: Klingon
Don Petrie	....	production auditor
Ron Pipes	....	prosthetics: 'Klingon' and 'Vulcan'
Sean Plunkett	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Corky Randall	....	wrangler
Gene Roddenberry	....	executive consultant
Stephen J. Ross	....	producer: Yosemite climbing sequence
Bill Russell	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Susan Sackett	....	assistant: Mr. Roddenberry
Walter Shipley	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Paul Sibley	....	climbing rigger: Yosemite climbing sequence
Marion Tumen	....	script supervisor
Brian Wade	....	prosthetics: 'Klingon' and 'Vulcan'
Alan D. Webb	....	process projection support: live action effects unit
Ron Webster	....	computer engineering: live action effects unit
Michael Weis	....	technical advisor: Yosemite climbing sequence
Ken Wisner	....	mechanical engineering: live action effects unit
Mitch Jones	....	production assistant (uncredited)
Greg Knapp	....	medic (uncredited)
Philip Weyland	....	stand-in (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Paramount Pictures (presents)

Distributors

• Paramount Pictures (1989) (USA) (theatrical)
• CIC-Taft Home Video
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1991) (USA) (TV) (broadcast premiere)
• Paramount Home Video (1995) (USA) (laserdisc)
• Paramount Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Paramount Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• Paramount Pictures Corporation (Canada) (2009) (Canada) (video) (Blu-Ray Disc)
• René Malo Vidéo-Malofilm Video (1992) (Canada) (VHS)

Special Effects

• Associates and Ferren
• Makeup Effects Laboratories

Other Companies

• Carl Zeiss  electron microscopy and image processing equipmant provided by
• Denali Productions Inc.  Yosemite climbing sequence
• Epic Records  soundtrack
• Glen Glenn Studios  sound recording
• Gregory Jein Inc.  new spacecraft models designer
• Illusion Arts  matte paintings
• Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)  stock optical recomposites
• Kraft Foods Inc.  marshmallows and dispencer
• Levi Strauss & Co.  denim and casual clothing provided by
• Novocom Inc.  computer animation
• Novocom Inc.  tactical display
• Record Plant Scoring  music recorded at
• Reel People Inc.  negative cutting
• Richard Snell Make-Up Designs  klingon and vulcan prosthetics
• Todd-AO Scoring Stage  sound recording
• Westheimer Company  titles and opticals

Runtime:

107 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Klingon

Color:

Color (Technicolor) | Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints) | Dolby SR (35 mm prints)

Certification:

Italy:T | Canada:PG (Ontario) | South Korea:12 | Brazil:Livre | Canada:G (Régie du Cinéma Québec) | Australia:PG | Finland:K-11 (DVD rating) | UK:PG | USA:PG | West Germany:12 | Netherlands:AL | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

In McCoy's first scene, where he complains about Kirk's rock climbing, he says "If I'm not careful, I'll end up talking to myself." McCoy said the exact same thing in the original series episode "Star Trek: The Corbomite Maneuver (#1.10)" (1966).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Obvious double in the upside-down shot of Bones running toward Kirk after his fall from the mountain.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Sybok: I thought weapons were forbidden on this planet. Besides, I can't believe you'd kill me for a field of empty holes.
J'Onn: It's all I have.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Futurama: Where No Fan Has Gone Before (#4.12)" (2002)

Soundtrack:

Fanfare from Star Trek Television Series

Bad idea, badly executed in a bad film

I find it almost touching how Star Trek fans try desperately to like this film in spite of its unbelievable number of flaws.

To begin with, none of the familiar characters are really in character so to speak. Scotty is depicted as a bumbling tinkerer instead of the competent engineer he was in the original series. Uhura...Gods, I can't even think about what they did to her character. All of her dialog was painful to listen to. McCoy seemed like a neurotic stepfather to Kirk instead of his trusted friend. Spock...well, let's just say that Leonard Nimoy was terribly wasted. He was given bad dialog ("I do not believe you have grasped the gravity of your situation Captain." Gravity, get it? Get it?) and made almost into a buffoon. Kirk...oh man, don't get me started. William Shatner is a hammy actor to begin with, so to allow him to direct really is to invite disaster which is what we got.

The plot is beyond ridiculous. Giving Spock a brother is a pretty desperate story line and unnecessarily soap operaish. But hey, let's go with it. The search for God. Again, a weak plot basis. You don't think so? OK, let's go with that too. So assuming that the two aforementioned plot elements are sound, what's wrong with the script? Well, for one thing, it recycles way too much. The Enterprise, for example, is yet again, not working properly. Are we to assume that Starfleet would send a grossly malfunctioning ship with a skeleton crew into a potentially dangerous situation just because they want James Kirk to handle the situation? If that's the case, then why not put him on a better ship as an adviser? Adding to that...the crew is grossly incompetent. Scotty has the ship in pieces (and apparently is cloddish enough to bump his head knocking himself into unconsciousness WHILE there are hostiles on board!), no one seem to notice the Klingon ship decloaking at a crucial moment (despite the fact that the sensors are clearly showing the ship in weapons range) and the crew all seem way too familiar with each other. In other words, there is no sense of discipline. If this is the flagship of Starfleet, then it's a wonder that the Klingons hadn't already overthrown the Federation.

As to the personal struggles with pain, it was crap. Lawrence Luckenbill is a competent actor, but even he couldn't save this turkey. In short no one could. Of all the people involved, I imagine Leonard Nimoy is the most embarrassed by it. I hope he is, anyway.

Thank god the original cast didn't bow out on this cloddish opus.