3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
After William Shatner’s less-than-stellar Star Trek V The Final Frontier, Nicolas Meyer, director of The Wrath of Khan, returned to the directorial chair for The Undiscovered Country, as a poignant final farewell for the main ‘Trek cast and parable for the real world events of Glasnost and the ending of The Cold War.
As the world had to come to terms with Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union so, too did the Federation have to come to with a Klingon Empire critically wounded by the destruction of Praxis, one of the moons of the Klingon home-world Qo’noS.
Kirk, being in no mind to help them after they murdered his son, David, in Star Trek III, is put in a very compromising position as he and the Enterprise are tasked to escort a Klingon peace envoy through Federation space.
Needless to say things don’t go to plan. After a hilariously awkward dinner, the ambassador is murdered, Kirk and Bones are framed for the crime and sent to a Klingon gulag, with the rest of the crew barred from affecting a rescue attempt.
Meyer cleverly spices up the ‘Trek movie formula, throwing in a murder mystery aboard the Enterprise, a prison drama with Kirk and bones in the “Alien graveyard” and tense, submarine style combat, just as he did with Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, as the Enterprise-A faces off against an invisible Klingon Bird of Prey that can fire while cloaked.
