Finally the 'old' Star Trek cast started to acknowledge their age and realized they had served their purpose. This self awareness helped to make this movie a fitting conclusion for the 'old' Star Trek cast and movies series, though some of them still appeared in the following Star Trek movie "Star Trek: Generations", in some minor roles however.

Even though this movie is very much consistent with the style and atmosphere of the earlier Star Trek movies, it also still manages to feel like a more modern genre movie. The set, effects and make-up are better looking than ever before, allowing this movie to also work out as one of the more 'convincing' Star Trek productions.

It by no means is a spectacular science-fiction movie, in the sense of that it's featuring lots of space battles or ground battles in it but it still feels like a big science-fiction movie, probably due to the gravity of its story, the fact that it's taking place at a bunch of different locations and because it features many different aliens in it.

You could even say that in some ways this is being more of a political orientated movie than an action or science-fiction one really. They are busy avoiding a war, instead of fighting or beginning one. And this is an approach that works out well and still as something very exciting and often tense as well. It's a fast paced movie, in which plenty is happening, so please don't think it's dull, though my description of it probably makes it sound that way.

The movie got directed by Nicholas Meyer, who also wrote a previous, very entertaining Star Trek movie, "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home". He appeared to be a director/writer who knew how to put fun and life into the Star Trek universe, which was something some of the other older Star Trek movies were surely missing. He's still better known as the guy who also directed "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan", which in my opinion is actually the weaker movie when compared to this one but I know I'm a minority on this.

Besides being fun, the story is also being a clever and tight one. It besides gives a lot of the crew members a moment to shine, so this is not just being the Kirk & Spock show, as used to be the case with a lot of the other movies. Some of the actors really took a step back this time, allowing some of the others to have their moment to shine, which also seemed like a fitting thing to do, knowing this would be the last Star Trek movie featuring all of the original cast members.

Next to always having the regular cast members, all of the Star Trek movies often featured a well known actor as the movie its main villain. In this particular it was Christopher Plummer, who played a Klingon with an apparent Asian background. Yes, weird but oh well, it's Christopher Plummer, so it's still a role that works out and he's actually being a pretty good villain for this movie.

A great movie to end the series with, for the original cast members.

8/10

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Perhaps you could say that this movie suffers from the fact that the movie "The Mission" got released 5 years earlier. Both movies feature a similar concept, with as a big difference that "The Mission" had more star-power behind it. But is it better or worse than "The Mission"? In my opinion there isn't all that much difference, though "The Mission" still remains a slightly better movie due to all of its professionalism involved.

I'm of course not saying that this movie isn't a professional one. It really is a very well made movie, that is good looking and told in a good and intriguing. I just have to say that religion isn't exactly my cup of tea, so the main subjects of the movie just didn't really appeal to me, though the movie still worked out as something interesting enough for me.

Thing that makes this movie interesting is its cultural clash, between the and the Jesuit priests and the Canadian Indians. Sometimes their difference lead to something good and they start learning from each other but mostly it leads to something ugly and violent. The movie does hold back a bit though at times, no doubt because otherwise the Indian community would had felt angered and offended by the way they got depicted in this movie. It doesn't make the whole movie experience any less interesting or good to watch though.

It basically is being a respectful movie to both sides, by showing everything from the two opposite sides. It helps to create an understanding for both of the sides as well, which makes you condemn no one either. You can understand both sides and all of their motivations and actions, whether you agree with them or not.

It was interesting to see this movie taking place in Canada, instead of America or somewhere in the Rainforest. Canada has a totally different feeling and look to it, which works out as something refreshing and also beautiful to look at. The natural environments are all great looking and get beautifully brought to the screen by director Bruce Beresford and cinematographer Peter James.

Another things that adds to the atmosphere of the movie is the musical score by Georges Delerue, that works out as something haunting and beautiful for the movie.

It really is a quite intriguing movie to watch, even when you really aren't into its subject.

7/10

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(Review originally written at 30 July 2008)

This movie was way too formulaic for me to enjoy. It's a very standard thriller by the numbers, that basically doesn't feature anything new or surprising and is one that is like hundred of other genres movies, especially like those made around the same time period.

The movie is not just bad because it's so formulaic, it perhaps is even more due to the fact that the story is just so predictable. Seriously, the big twist? Who didn't see that one coming? It's no surprise, it's predictable and you just wait for it to happen. The movie often also gets quite ridicules. The 'villain' of the movie is basically the worst conman ever. He makes some gigantic mistakes and just does things that make no sense what so ever for the movie its story. Some sequences are obviously put in there to make him look evil but its so pointless all and adds nothing to the story. The movie also made me think like; 'Why didn't the Goldie Hawn character just called, or had gone to the police'. Seriously, there were several occasions in the movie that she could had easily convinced the police of her findings but instead she puts herself and her little daughter needlessly in danger.

It's not like this movie is completely horrible or anything but for a genre piece it isn't anything special enough. It's the reason why you're still better off not watching this movie, even though you most likely won't be bored when you still do so. Even though the story is just bad and filled with way too many questions and plot holes, it's still a fast moving one. The movie feels much shorter than it in fact truly is.

And yes, Goldie Hawn is a good actress but to she seemed out of place in this movie. She of course also isn't helped much by the movie its lacking script. She's just too naive at times and for no reason very cold and distant to the people she herself went to for help, to unravel the movie its 'big and shocking' mystery. The movie just doesn't always make you like her, or care about her character enough. The movie would had also been better of if they didn't cast John Heard. Not that he's a bad actor but it would had made the story perhaps a bit more surprising and at least not as predictable as it is now, if they had cast a more unknown name for the role. Besides, John Heard is a sort of actor that often seems to play the same type of roles in movies and also his looks never seem to change, not even now when he's getting older.

Perhaps only watchable once but even then it's a forgettable one.

5/10