37 Years Later, Captain Kirk’s Second Enterprise Doing The Impossible Still Makes No Sense

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Despite being a bold attempt, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, directed by and starring William Shatner, remains confusing even today, 37 years after its 1989 release. The film, conceived by Shatner himself, wasn’t successful at the box office and currently has a low rating of 22% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an audience score of 25%.

In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Captain Kirk’s starship, the Enterprise-A, was taken over by Sybok, a Vulcan outcast and Spock’s half-brother. Sybok wanted the ship to reach the Great Barrier in the center of the galaxy, believing he could find God on the legendary planet Sha Ka Ree.

When the crew of the Enterprise—Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy, along with Sybok—visited Sha Ka Ree, they didn’t encounter a divine being. Instead, they found a powerful alien pretending to be a god, who needed a starship to break free from his imprisonment. However, to allow the story to reach its disappointing ending in Star Trek V, the Enterprise acted in a way that didn’t make sense, highlighting the problems with William Shatner’s only attempt at directing a Star Trek movie.

Captain Kirk’s USS Enterprise-A Did The Impossible In Star Trek V

After Sybok seized control of the USS Enterprise-A, the film Star Trek V originally planned for a grand journey to the galactic core, guarded by the Great Barrier. However, the Enterprise’s trip to the Barrier – lasting just 6.7 hours at Warp 7, or roughly 40 minutes of screen time – felt rushed and underdeveloped in the final cut of Star Trek V.

Okay, let’s talk about the logistics of this one. The movie begins with Sybok operating from Nimbus III, this supposed haven of peace conveniently located right on the edge of the Neutral Zone. Then, things get…fast. The Enterprise, despite being established as having some technical issues, manages to warp from the Neutral Zone to the center of the galaxy in under seven hours! It’s a bit of a stretch, even for science fiction, and honestly, the film just kind of glosses over how that’s even possible. As a critic, I’m willing to suspend disbelief, but this felt a little too convenient.

In Star Trek V, the filmmakers prioritized moving the story forward over believable events. This was especially clear when the Enterprise reached the Great Barrier. Despite a warning from Mr. Sulu that it was impassable, the ship and a pursuing Klingon Bird-of-Prey both passed through it quickly and without any trouble.

Star Trek V doesn’t bother to explain any of its plot holes, and feels carelessly made. The Enterprise-A’s unbelievably fast trip to Sha Ka Ree and its return, along with the fact that Captain Kirk’s ship somehow has 78 decks despite being a Constitution-class vessel, are prime examples of the film’s sloppy attention to detail.

USS Enterprise-A Had A Surprising Movie Arc In 3 Star Trek Movies

The USS Enterprise-A, captained by James T. Kirk, starred in three Star Trek movies – the same number as the original, upgraded USS Enterprise NCC-1701. Kirk’s second ship had a compelling story across those three films, highlighted by successfully breaking through the seemingly impenetrable Great Barrier.

The USS Enterprise-A first appeared at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, and it had a lot of technical issues right away. Scotty (James Doohan) was still working to fix them when Star Trek V: The Final Frontier began. However, it’s worth remembering that the Enterprise-A successfully traveled to the center of the galaxy and back – a truly remarkable feat.

In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Captain Kirk and the Enterprise completed a crucial mission: establishing peace between the Klingons and the United Federation of Planets. Following this, the USS Enterprise-A was retired after just seven years of service. This was a relatively short lifespan compared to the original Enterprise, which served for forty years after launching in 2245 and underwent several upgrades.

I surprisingly like Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, even though it has a lot of problems. The story about the Enterprise-A going to Sha Ka Ree doesn’t really make sense, but it’s best not to overthink it. Still, I find William Shatner’s Star Trek movie to be a fun and comforting watch.

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2026-05-14 22:10