Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), PG, 1 hr, 47 min

Title: Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

Year: 1989

Franchise: Star Trek

Franchise #: 5

MPAA Rating / TV Parental Guidelines

MPAA Rating: PG

TV Parental Guidelines: TV-PG

Total Runtime

107 minutes (1 hour, 47 minutes)

Tagline

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

Main Cast

William Shatner – Captain James T. Kirk

Leonard Nimoy – Spock

DeForest Kelley – Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy

James Doohan – Scotty

George Takei – Sulu

Walter Koenig – Chekov

Nichelle Nichols – Uhura

Laurence Luckinbill – Sybok

Todd Bryant - Captain Klaa

Spice Williams-Crosby - Vixis

George Murdock - God of Sha Ka Ree

Nimbus III

David Warner – St. John Talbot (Terran Ambassador)

Cynthia Gouw - Caithlin Dar (Romulan Ambassador)

Charles Cooper - General Korrd (Klingon Ambassador)

Reviews

Overview

The Final Frontier has a lot of ambition, but it doesn’t quite stick the landing. Directed by William Shatner himself, the movie explores big spiritual questions—like the search for God—but gets bogged down by uneven tone, clunky effects, and humor that sometimes falls flat. That said, the movie has great character moments, especially between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. It’s not the strongest entry, but it tries to ask deeper questions than your average space adventure.

Family Friendliness

This one is fairly tame. There are a few mild action sequences, some fantasy-style violence, and a bit of spiritual/mystical imagery that might confuse younger viewers. No foul language or sexual content. Some younger kids might get bored by the dialogue-heavy parts, but nothing is outright offensive. It's safe for older kids and teens, especially those who already like Trek.

Christian Perspective

This movie dives straight into religious territory, with a plot centered around a false "God" figure at the center of the galaxy. While it doesn’t offer a biblically accurate portrayal of God (and shouldn’t be expected to), it actually reinforces an important point: not every spiritual voice is divine. The "god" here is exposed as a dangerous deceiver—echoing biblical warnings against false prophets (2 Corinthians 11:14-15, Matthew 24:24). Kirk’s skepticism—“What does God need with a starship?”—isn’t anti-religion; it’s critical thinking. It's a reminder to test every spirit (1 John 4:1).

Critics Ratings

IMDb: 5.4/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 51% Critic Score, 24% Audience Score

Metacritic: 43/100 Metascore, 6.4/10 User Score

Dove Foundation: Not officially rated; may raise spiritual confusion in younger viewers

My Rating: 5.5/10 – Thought-provoking ideas, but muddled execution and uneven tone hurt the experience.

Notable Scenes

“What does God need with a starship?” – Kirk challenges the entity posing as God, questioning its nature.

Campfire Song Scene: Kirk, Spock, and McCoy sing “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” by the fire—awkward but oddly endearing.

Sybok’s Emotional Healing: Sybok “heals” others by sharing their pain—raising philosophical and spiritual questions.

Kirk’s Resistance to Sybok: Kirk refuses to let go of his pain, declaring it makes him who he is.

God Entity Revealed: The being at the center of the galaxy attacks when its authority is questioned.

Spock Refuses to Kill Sybok: Spock won’t kill his brother, adding to the film’s moral complexity.

Scotty Knocks Himself Out: A humorous moment when Scotty confidently runs into a bulkhead.

Uhura’s Fan Dance: A distraction tactic during a rescue mission—cheesy but memorable.

Enterprise’s Return Flight: After surviving the ordeal, the crew reflects on their experience together.

Final Campfire Reflection: The film closes with the trio again at the fire, a quiet moment of peace.