Agony Booth reviews Star Trek V: The Final Frontier

[Brutal Strudel]

The review mis-uses the phrase "begs the question" but that's a mistake so common that it will soon cease to be a mistake.

Seriously, though, this review does mention the one thing right in this otherwise dismal piece of sewage: Lawrence Luckinbill's performance. All else--with the possible exception of McCoy's pain flashback--is irredeemable.

 

[Trekker4747]

"Sybok: ... Spock's brother. [citation needed]"

 

[cardinal biggles]

Seriously, Grant, you need to chill out and stop taking everything so personally. People are mocking a movie, they aren't mugging your grandmother or strangling your pet cat.

 

[Vonstadt]

Just finished reading the review and it was funny and witty and actually captured how I felt when the kitty lady got tossed into ..err onto the so called pool table and just died....i think...

It was a fun read and though I like STV it was nice to see it "mistied"

Vons

 

[Count Zero]

(especially those written by the site founder),

Woah, woah, woah. Wait. It's possible to think Albert isn't funny? Jeez. He's one of my favorite of the bunch.

He's my favourite recapper, too.

 

[Cyke101]

Seriously, who is going to give a thoughtful review to TFF? Only hardcore fans would read it.

I happen to like TMP, but Harlan Ellison's nasty, biting evicaration of it remains wonderfully entertaining to me. Just because I like something doesn't mean I can't have a laugh at its expense.

Truth. I cringe at the sheer amount of my own favorite films that Rifftrax rips apart... yet they end up making me cry from sheer hilarity. The Dark Knight is probably one of the best examples of this, a film that doesn't really lend itself to a lot of humor because of the subject material, and yet the Rifftrax crew pull it off very well.

 

[Grant]

That SOB did what to my cat? He's dead meat.

No I get it. People find great sport in mocking TFF and Nemesis. But, it's a comedy review not a serious review of the merits of the movie. There are way too many fans of the movie to think that they are finding good points in a movie that has none.

 

[Cyke101]

That SOB did what to my cat? He's dead meat.

No I get it. People find great sport in mocking TFF and Nemesis. But, it's a comedy review not a serious review of the merits of the movie. There are way too many fans of the movie to think that they are finding good points in a movie that has none.

Frankly, the funniest riffs I've seen often involve what I consider to be among the best of Trek films. Le Wrath di Khan is the latest classic.

 

[Christopher]

No I get it. People find great sport in mocking TFF and Nemesis. But, it's a comedy review not a serious review of the merits of the movie. There are way too many fans of the movie to think that they are finding good points in a movie that has none.

I get the sense you're being sarcastic when you say "I get it," because you still seem to be suggesting that the tone is hostile and petty. If you really read the Agony Booth recap of ST V, then you should know that the recapper does acknowledge several good points about the film, such as giving a positive appraisal of Laurence Luckinbill's performance.

 

[Candlelight]

Seriously, Grant, you need to chill out and stop taking everything so personally. People are mocking a movie, they aren't mugging your grandmother or strangling your pet cat.

I did however mug his cat.

Does that count?

 

[Captain Al]

Seriously, who is going to give a thoughtful review to TFF? Only hardcore fans would read it.

I happen to like TMP, but Harlan Ellison's nasty, biting evicaration of it remains wonderfully entertaining to me. Just because I like something doesn't mean I can't have a laugh at its expense.

I'm not sure I would consider myself a "hardcore fan" of TFF, but I will grudgingly admit that I didn't not enjoy the movie. But it did have its shard of problems, and the Agony Booth did well to point many of them out. I liked the Agony Booth recap, which took me over two hours to read, because recaps/reviews/discussions like those help me to enjoy a movie more.

Where was this Harlan Ellison eviscertation of TMP? Is it posted online someplace? Being a hardcore fan of TMP, I'd like to read it.

 

[Maurice]

Where was this Harlan Ellison eviscertation of TMP? Is it posted online someplace? Being a hardcore fan of TMP, I'd like to read it.

It was printed in Starlog in early 1980. I have it in my morgue. I don't know that it's online anywhere.

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

I googled for it a while ago, I didn't find anything, but perhaps there is a master here with google-fu stronger than I.

 

[ancient]

Well, I love TFF, but that doesn't keep me from being able to make fun of it. The same goes for Batman Forever, I love that movie, but it is very mockable.

Woah, woah, woah. Wait. It's possible to think Albert isn't funny? Jeez. He's one of my favorite of the bunch.

I think that of all the reviewers, he's the one who's most often just snide and insulting rather than comedic. And he often mocks things in a way that betrays his own ignorance.

Agreed. Albert's not very funny. He also happens to be a complete asshole, and not the self-aware kind of asshole, like Dennis. Dude takes himself waay too seriously, and he's such a drama queen about everything. I find that kind of ironic, since there are plenty of good reviewers working over there. They must have a higher tolerance for his constant attitude than I do.

 

[GalaxyX]

Reading the review now. Some things I have been able to gather:

1. It's way too long. I agree with the editing bit. There are some good jokes, but too much reading.

2. I had no idea that the "Bourbon + Beans is an explosive combination" was a fart joke. I though Kirk meant it as being a combination with a "Kick" to it. The things we learn.

3. The asian Romulan chick in real life is a hottie!!! The movie does a total disservice to her, as she looks hideous in the film.

4. " because they get a call about the shenanigans going on at Nimbus III and immediately decide to go check it out. Wow, they have even less to do than the people on Captain Archer’s Enterprise. because they get a call about the shenanigans going on at Nimbus III and immediately decide to go check it out. Wow, they have even less to do than the people on Captain Archer’s Enterprise."

That's EXACTLY what the biggest problem with Enterprise was. They have NOTHING to do (I could tell they were out of ideas when they had Hoshi research Malcolm's "favorite food" being a major part of that episode)

Still reading it. It's a long read.

 

[Trekker4747]

1. It's way too long. I agree with the editing bit. There are some good jokes, but too much reading.

You must hate books, then.

It's not a review. It's a recap. A recount of the movie's events. For a 90 minute movie, yeah, it's going to take a few pages of text.

 

[trevanian]

Where was this Harlan Ellison eviscertation of TMP?

He could have been LOADS meaner; dig up his takeouts on OUTLAND if you want to see him really angry.

I think the TMP review is mostly pretty evenhanded. I don't agree with all of it, but probably 70%; main dif is that I see it as something that tried and failed, where he sees it mainly as exploitation (I see his point, but I see flickers of maturity when I watch bits out of context, esp in the Decker/Kirk exchanges.)

 

[Level 2 Diagnostic]

too much reading.

It's funny how someone can sell a 350-page book of recaps of Steven Seagal movies and no one cares, but the minute someone does the exact same thing on the web and offers it free of charge, everyone is suddenly up in arms about it being too long. You should be happy that people are spending their spare time posting this much free content. And it's not like you're obligated to read it all.

 

[Cyke101]

too much reading.

It's funny how someone can sell a 350-page book of recaps of Steven Seagal movies and no one cares, but the minute someone does the exact same thing on the web and offers it free of charge, everyone is suddenly up in arms about it being too long. You should be happy that people are spending their spare time posting this much free content. And it's not like you're obligated to read it all.

Then again, there's something to be said about the value of clear but concise writing thanks to good self-editing. I bring that up because it's been brought up in just about every Walter Cronkite obituary

 

[Maurice]

Where was this Harlan Ellison eviscertation of TMP?

He could have been LOADS meaner; dig up his takeouts on OUTLAND if you want to see him really angry.

I think the TMP review is mostly pretty evenhanded. I don't agree with all of it, but probably 70%; main dif is that I see it as something that tried and failed, where he sees it mainly as exploitation (I see his point, but I see flickers of maturity when I watch bits out of context, esp in the Decker/Kirk exchanges.)

Yes. It's unfortunate that for all his spot-on criticism he makes some really boneheaded mistakes of his own in the review. He comments on a supposed editorial/continuity mistake, not realizing he's seeing a shot in a mirror. Or maybe he was dozing at that point in the film.