Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review

Paramount's release of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier on 4K UHD Blu-ray, leveraging a new 4K scan of the original camera negatives and master interpositive elements, brings a palpable upgrade to its video presentation, enhancing film authenticity, detail clarity, and color vibrancy with remarkable finesse. The transfer excels in delivering fine grain that enhances the filmic texture without overpowering, underpinned by an exemplary sharpness that breathes life into every frame. Fabric textures, facial details, and environmental elements are showcased with an unprecedented clarity, showcasing the lush visuals of Yosemite National Park and the vivid yet dusty expanses of Nimbus III with striking detail. Despite a few softer shots attributable to the original production's photographic choices, the overall presentation is notably superior to previous releases, making this UHD transfer a visual revelation.

Color grading via Dolby Vision significantly enriches the viewing experience, imbuing the film with bold, lifelike colors that pop off the screen. The nuanced application of HDR technology revitalizes scene compositions with enhanced contrast and black levels, presenting space scenes, character uniforms, and alien landscapes with a depth and dynamism previously unseen. Particularly impressive are the improvements in black tones and shadow detail, which add a new layer of immersion to dark scenes while maintaining clear visibility of critical details. Despite the limitations of some special effects that betray their age more starkly against the pristine backdrop of highly detailed real-world sequences, the overall visual fidelity is a testament to Paramount's commitment to preserving the film's cinematic essence.

This technical marvel extends beyond mere image clarity, as the presentation reaffirms the film as a product of its time yet seen through a new lens—quite literally. The inherent photochemical grain retains the original cinematic texture, enhancing rather than detracting from the viewing experience. While some visual effects may not benefit from the clarity provided by this transfer, revealing their dated nature, it's a small price for such an encompassing improvement in visual quality. Space sequences, alien landscapes, and even the more earthly locales of Star Trek V are rendered with a vibrancy and clarity that pay homage to the film's artistic intentions, ensuring that, despite its controversies and challenges, The Final Frontier is given the respect it deserves in this latest home video incarnation.

The "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" 4K UHD Blu-ray release opts for continuity in its audio presentation, maintaining the Dolby TrueHD 7.1 lossless mix initially featured in the 2009 Blu-ray version, rather than venturing into the more contemporary Dolby Atmos territory. This decision, while potentially disappointing for some audiophiles eager for an object-based audio experience, does not detract from the overall quality of the soundtrack. The mix is lauded for its clarity and dynamic range, offering an immersive auditory experience that excels with Jerry Goldsmith's score leading the charge. The soundtrack actively utilizes the surround channels, producing a broad soundstage that brings to life the film’s various elements, from ambient effects to the more direct sounds like dialogue, which remains crisp and well-prioritized throughout.

Jerry Goldsmith's return as composer is a significant highlight, his score providing a rich and proud accompaniment that arguably elevates the film beyond its visual narrative. The audio mix leverages Goldsmith's compositions to great effect, ensuring that the music is forefront and center, driving the film's emotional and dramatic tones while seamlessly blending with ambient sound effects, such as the turbo lift's operations or the crackling of lightning. Dialogue, despite being slightly less emphasized in comparison to other mixes in the series, remains clear and intelligible, ensuring that character interactions are not lost amidst the score and sound effects.

Technical specifications aside, it’s worth noting that additional audio options are provided, including German 5.1 Dolby TrueHD and multiple Dolby Digital options in various languages, catering to an international audience. Subtitles are extensive, covering a wide range of languages for both the film and the commentary tracks, adding an inclusive layer to the viewing experience. Despite the absence of a new Atmos mix, the 7.1 TrueHD soundtrack delivers a comprehensive and satisfying audio experience that compliments the visual presentation of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" on 4K UHD Blu-ray, showcasing particularly well-executed segments like Uhura's siren song and the engaging space combat sequences with rich bass and smooth panning across channels.

The 4K UHD release of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" offers aficionados a comprehensive dive into the legacy of this polarizing entry in the Star Trek saga. With the inclusion of both 4K and Blu-ray discs, purchasers receive a visually remastered experience alongside a wealth of supplementary features that echo the thoroughness of previous editions. Noteworthy among these are the insightful commentary tracks by William Shatner and various Star Trek insiders, offering a deep dive into the creative processes behind the film. The Blu-ray disc is particularly rich in content, harboring everything from production documentaries to deleted scenes and tributes, ensuring that both new and seasoned collectors find substantial value. While there are no new extras added, the repackaging of these extensive materials ensures that the 4K UHD release stands as a definitive collection for enthusiasts looking to explore the depths of "The Final Frontier".

Extras included in this disc:

AUDIO COMMENTARIES

• Commentary by William Shatner and Liz Shatner
• Commentary by Michael & Denise Okuda, Judith & Garfield Reeves-Stevens, and Daren Dochterman

LIBRARY COMPUTER

PRODUCTION

• Harve Bennett’s Pitch to Sales Team
• The Journey: A Behind-The-Scenes Documentary
• Makeup Tests
• Pre-Visualization Models
• Rockman in the Raw
• Star Trek V Press Conference

THE STAR TREK UNIVERSE

• Herman Zimmerman: A Tribute
• Original Interview: William Shatner
• Cosmic Thoughts
• That Klingon Couple
• A Green Future?
• Star Trek Honors NASA
• Hollywood Walk of Fame: James Doohan
• Starfleet Academy SCISEC Brief 005: Nimbus III

DELETED SCENES

• Mount Rushmore
• Insults
• Behold Paradise
• Spock’s Pain

PRODUCTION GALLERY

THE GAG REEL

STORYBOARDS

• Sha Ka Ree
• The Face of God
• Escape

THEATRICAL TRAILERS

TV SPOTS

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier," under the helm of William Shatner, sought to venture back to the franchise's ambitious science fiction roots, embarking on a quest that juxtaposed theological intrigue with the essence of exploration that has long defined Star Trek. Shatner, drawing inspiration from his deep integration within the original series, aimed to craft a narrative that was as grandiose in concept as it was audacious in its spiritual and existential inquiry. The film's narrative, centered around the Enterprise's pursuit of a renegade Vulcan with messianic visions leading to the very edge of the galaxy, promised an unparalleled adventure. Yet, this expedition to uncover divinity, laced with Shatner's intent to mingle grand scale with introspective depth, was marred from its inception by a myriad of production challenges and contentious interventions that diluted its lofty aspirations.

Paramount's imposition of a leaner runtime and budget constraints, coupled with an external visual effects house not equipped to realize Shatner's imaginative visual tableau, severely compromised the film's ambitious scope. Despite the adverse conditions, the intrinsic character dynamics, particularly the nuanced portrayal of the core trio - Kirk, Spock, and McCoy - shone through, offering moments of profound connection that underscored their enduring bond amidst the turmoil. Their interactions, brimming with authenticity and depth, stood as testimony to the enduring essence of Star Trek, even when enshrouded in a narrative and production process fraught with compromise and controversy.

"Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" strived for an epic narrative scale unseen since "The Motion Picture," wrestling with complex themes while endeavoring to marry action with philosophical depth. However, its execution fell short of its visionary ambitions due to external pressures and budgetary limitations, yielding a film that, while flawed, remains a fascinating artifact within the Star Trek continuum. Its attempt to navigate the grandiose with the intimate, though imperfect, reflects a courageous albeit tumultuous chapter in the franchise's storied evolution, offering glimpses of brilliance amid a constellation of what might have been.

Paramount's 4K UHD Blu-ray presentation of "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" significantly elevates the film's visual and auditory experience, presenting a stark contrast to its previously criticized editions. Despite the film's challenging legacy within the Star Trek saga, marked by myriad production woes and the contentious reception of William Shatner's directorial debut, the 4K restoration breathes new life into its cinematic quality. This edition showcases an impressively filmic texture, liberated from the prior Blu-ray's drawbacks such as edge enhancement and overblown highlights. The visual improvements are especially notable in the faithful rendering of effects shots—save for those irremediably marred by the original production's limitations. Additionally, the preservation of the beloved 7.1 audio track, along with a comprehensive collection of supplementary materials, underscores Paramount's commitment to honoring the film's place within the Star Trek pantheon.

This new presentation might not revolutionize perceptions of "The Final Frontier" as a narrative venture; the film retains its polarizing elements, oscillating between moments of brilliance and evident flaws in execution. Nonetheless, there is an undeniable enhancement in its watchability, attributed to the meticulous restoration that allows for a newfound appreciation of its craft and ambition. Paramount's efforts have ensured that both completists and a segment of fans willing to reevaluate the movie are offered a version that is unmissable, presenting it in a light that befits its lineage among Star Trek's cinematic outings.

In conclusion, while "Star Trek V: The Final Frontier" continues to be a divisive chapter in the franchise's storied history, the 4K UHD Blu-ray release represents a significant step forward in its visual and audio presentation. Paramount's dedication to enhancing the film's quality, coupled with a sense of completeness provided by the vast array of special features, crafts a compelling case for its inclusion in fans' collections. Although it may never reach the revered status of its predecessors or successors, this release reaffirms the film's unique place within the Star Trek universe and offers an opportunity for a reassessment of its ambitious, albeit flawed, exploration.