Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Remastered) (2010)

Let me explain

-Spoiler Warning-

The first version of the film was shown in theaters.

The second version was shown on all home video formats. This version includes a couple of additional footage to certain key scenes, and a few new scenes all together.

Spock has more Dialogue in the top brass meeting.

A scene taking place in the President's office where Col. West presents his plan to sneak into Klingon territory and rescue Kirk and McCoy.

Spock and Scotty checking the torpedo inventory before Valeris informs them that the Chancellor's Daughter is now the current klingon chancellor.

The klingon assassin at the climax of the film turns out to be Col. West.

The Third version of the film is shown on this Special Collector's Edition DVD. This version includes all the material from the second version, and a few minor changes to certain scenes and effects.

When Martia gets shot, a disruption sound effect is removed to make her scream more apparent.

Valeris's interrogation scene has been entirely reedited. There are now close up shots of Kirk and McCoy when they speak their lines instead of being in wide shots. When Spock and Valeris name a particular conspirator, the face of that person briefly appears in a flashback like style.

Do I prefer this version of the film? Sure. I personally believe that Valeris's interrogation scene is much more dramatic with the flashback shots. It really helps the viewers who aren't good with names understand who Spock and Valeris are talking about, and adds a little more tension near the end of the film.

I hoped this information helps you out in spotting what has been changed. If there is anything I missed, please feel free to contact me.

Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country, no better way to finish the movies with all of The Original Series characters. In my opinion, this was the best of their movies. The writers and producers really did a wonderful job with this one. It was great to see Sulu become Captain Sulu and get his own ship. Which later helped Voyager do an anniversary episode with Lt. Cmdr Tuvok having been a member of his crew. Kim Cattral as a Vulcan. Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), playing his grandfather. Rene Auberjunous (Odo) as Col West, a couple years before Deep Space Nine. Many other notable Star Trek names making appearances in this great movie. Everything was great about this movie, from the state dinner with the Romulan ale, to the search of the Enterprise for the assassins. The space battle was one of the best treks ever put on screen. If you're one of the ten or less people on the planet who've not seen this, buy it, rent it or borrow it. This is the finest example of what Gene Roddenberry intended Star Trek to be.

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Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, released in 1991 a few months after the Silver Anniversary of the original television series and the death of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, is a suspenseful and adventure-packed "final voyage" for Capt. James T. Kirk and the Starship Enterprise.

Coming on the heels of the less-than-stellar Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and the resignation of Harve Bennett as producer of the feature films, Paramount turned to actor/producer Leonard Nimoy and director/screenwriter Nicholas Meyer (Time After Time, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) to save the foundering franchise and give fans something worthy of a 25th-anniversary celebration. After looking at various options, they decided on a Star Trek version of the end of the Cold War.

The Undiscovered Country (the title is a Shakespearean reference to death and was Meyer's first choice for the title of Star Trek II) capitalizes on the similarities of the U.S.-Soviet standoff to the long-standing not-quite-war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire. Fittingly, the film begins with a bang when, in a Chernobyl-like accident, the Klingon's main energy production source on the moon of Praxis explodes.

The explosion sends both literal and political shock waves across the galaxy. The physical subspace wave buffets the USS Excelsior, now commanded by former Enterprise helmsman Hikaru Sulu (George Takei). Capt. Sulu, in the tradition of good Starfleet captains, offers assistance but is rebuffed by the Klingon High Command.

Nevertheless, three months later, Sulu's former shipmates, including Capt. Kirk (William Shatner), Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (the late DeForest Kelley), Capt. Montgomery Scott (James Doohan) and Cmdrs. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) are summoned to a top secret level meeting. "The Klingon Empire," they are told by Starfleet's commanding admiral, "has less than 50 years to live." Praxis' explosion has depleted the ozone layer of the Klingons' homeworld and polluted the atmosphere. Heavy expenditures on weapons and bases has weakened the Klingon economy and the cleanup is beyond their means. A special envoy has been appointed by the Federation to begin negotiations with Chancellor Gorkon, leader of the Klingon High Council. To the shock of Kirk and his officers, that envoy is Enterprise first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

And when Kirk is assigned to escort Gorkon's ship into Federation space for a summit on Earth with the Federation president (That 70's Show's Kurtwood Smith), he's shocked and angry. Not only are the senior officers due to retire in a few months, but Kirk is still bitter about his son's death at the hands of the Klingons several years before. But the good captain has been issued his orders, and like it or not, he will do his duty.

Little does he know that a massive conspiracy to undermine the peace negotiations is underway, planned by those in the Federation and the Klingon Empire who have a lot to lose if peace breaks out. And soon, Kirk and the Enterprise crew are caught in a web of deceit and intrigue that will place their lives in jeopardy....and shatter the last best hope for galactic peace.

The film features a fine performance by Sex in the City's sultry Kim Catrall as Lt. Valeris, Spock's full-Vulcan protege with a hidden agenda of her own, as well as a wonderfully over-the-top appearance by Christopher Plummer as a dastardly, Shakespeare-quoting Klingon general. The Undiscovered Country also acknowledges the legitimacy of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and with an appearance by ST-TNG actor Michael Dorn as Col. Worf (the grandfather, one surmises, of the Enterprise-D's Lt. Worf, Dorn's "regular" role), the two generations are bridged on the silver screen. ("Unification, Parts I and II," guest starring Leonard Nimoy, had aired a few weeks before the film's premiere and included a few subtle references to its storyline.)

Star Trek VI's home video, laserdisc and first DVD releases contain the longer edited-for-home-viewing version which includes two deleted scenes featuring Rene Auberjonois (who would later be cast as Odo in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine) as Col. West. Paramount has released a barebones DVD since 1998, but a 2-disc Collector's Edition is forthcoming.

Read Best Reviews of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (Remastered) (2010) Here

Wrath of Kahn is the quintessential Star Trek movie. The Undiscovered Country comes close at being just as good.

As for this blu-ray version of the movie there is little I can say that is negative. My only gripe is that they changed the box art (although it makes sense for them as they are trying to re-image Star Trek). The video and audio transfer is near flawless. This disc is also loaded with special features. So far I have only watched the Farewell video to Bones as well as a few of the behind the scenes. It is really good to see that they tried really hard to make this blu-ray jam packed full of stuff for the fans rather than a rehash bare bones release. I have this movie on VHS, DVD and now blu-ray and each version has been worth every penny.

Get this movie and let your inner nerd take over!

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Following the disastrous critical and box office reception of Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, Paramount could have easily dropped the original cast in favor of The Next Generation. However, sentiment prevailed and Nicholas Meyer, who directed The Wrath of Khan (still the most popular film with most Trekkers) and who co-wrote The Voyage Home (still the highest grossing Trek film), was called in. He, along with Leonard Nimoy, fashioned a script which features most of what has made Trek endure through the years: a relevant story drawing on then current events (i.e., the lightning paced changes in the relationship between the United States and the then Soviet Union, which precipitated the end of the Cold War), with plenty of action, drama, humor (appropriate humor, not slapstick) and character development. Thus, the original cast would be able to exit the franchise with their heads held high.

The pacing of this film is much smoother than the earlier films (even Treks II & IV took too long to get moving) starting swiftly and accelerating to the pulse-pounding conclusion. The overall tone of the film is darker and edgier than any previous Trek (perhaps the filmmakers were taking a cue from 1989s Batman, which obliterated Star Trek V at the box office). The directing is fluid, with Meyer's camera swooping around the bridge (a notoriously difficult set to film in) and the other sets, and the editing is tight. Although the story primarily (and correctly) focuses the action on the triumvirate of Kirk, Spock & McCoy, the supporting cast is given plenty to do as well. Sulu, in particular--finally Captain of his own ship--has greater involvement. Guest star Christopher Plummer molds General Chang into Trek's best villain since Khan, and David Warner makes a lends an air of dignity as Chancellor Gorkon (the name is an amalgamation of Gorbachev and Lincoln). There are a few additions from the theatrical version which have appeared on all video versions: The Colonel West plotline was not in the original film (perhaps Paramount thought the parallel to Colonel Oliver North was too obvious). For this DVD, there are also few small alterations during the Spock/Valeris Mind Meld scene.

All of the charm of Classic Trek is here: a final needling exchange between Spock & McCoy; the occasional, almost improvised humor; characters being thrown every which way on the bridge during battle; Kirk kissing a beautiful female; one last bit of scenery chewing from Shatner, who holds his own against fellow hamosaurus Plummer; and, finally, a bittersweet ending.

The visual effects of The Undiscovered Country (a reference to Shakespeare) hold up well, with very little use of stock shots (three effects shots from this film would later be used in 1994s Star Trek Generations). The score by Cliff Eidelmann accentuates the activities on screen, without overshadowing them, and adds to the dark atmosphere of the film.

The transfer on this DVD is excellent, with the colors, especially the maroon uniform jackets, crisp & vibrant--an improvement over the previous DVD, and light years ahead of the VHS and LaserDisc editions. Since the film was shot in "matted" Super 35, rather than Panavision, the aspect ratio is not as wide as the other Trek films. The sound is detailed with plenty of punch.

The bonus features are the best of any Trek film so far, including featurettes on the evolution of the story, prejudice in the Trek universe, Shatner's "reunion" with Plummer (back in the 1950s, Shatner understudied for Plummer in Henry V), and a moving tribute to the late DeForest Kelley.

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