Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
A charismatic Vulcan cult leader believes he'll find God at the universe's center, and hijacks the Enterprise to get there. The crew go willingly, relieved of their "pain" by Sybok, but Kirk is hard to break, and McCoy and Spock stay true. Even "God" can't separate these three.
Two things. One: this is a terrible movie. We won't argue with this consensus. Two: this is a movie we very much enjoy watching. It's just as funny as The Voyage Home, though not for the right reasons. One hilarious, bizarre, illogical, inappropriate, exuberant idea comes after another, more or less frying your brain after the first hour. (And we haven't even met "God" yet.) What have we got? There's campfire sing-a-longs, Kirk's "Go Climb a Rock" t-shirt, blobby space vehicles, rocket boots, baffling elevator-shaft numbering systems, nerve-pinched horses, totally ineffective, easily-brainwashed diplomats, marshmallow machines, bellowing super beings, Scotty and Uhura in luv (what?), Uhura fan dancing, triple-breasted cat ladies, "I NEED my PAIN!", easy-to-penetrate Great Barriers, a planet at the center of the universe that looks like (lo and behold) the California desert, Plan B, plaques on the ship echoing the opening credits (so they know this "boldly go" thing inside the Star Trek universe too), popular literary references - we could go on, but this will suffice.
As for things that are actually good, we'll say Mr. Luckinbill does the best he can with Sybok, and McCoy's moment of pain has a true sadness and weight. That's it really. Everything else is silly. One thing We really do like, however, is the significance in Kirk, Spock, and McCoy's never splitting up. Except for Kirk's final confrontation with "God", they're in every scene together. This implies that indeed they're more than coworkers, but friends and family, with compassion and loyalty that any true God would recognize, but this evil super being can't see. He underestimates them - a mistake.
Themes: The return to Eden (as opposed to paradise, an important theological distinction), the universality of myth, loyalty, redemption.
Production: Industrial Light & Magic was busy, so the effects return to a TOS state of cheapness. All planet surfaces are, as mentioned, the California desert. The musical themes from the first film are recycled, and those neutral non-uniforms do not flatter the aging cast's figures. (Even Nimoy looks a little pudgy here.) There are a few standout moments - Sybok riding out of the mist, the Bird of Prey suddenly appearing over Kirk - but on balance, bad.
Spock: For the first time since The Motion Picture, Nimoy didn't have complete control over his character's actions, which is fairly clear. Spock reverts back to his pre-death characterization, not a major problem but a missed opportunity for change. (All is forgiven next film.) Spock isn't proud of his human heritage, which constitutes his "pain." Sybok's probing would have made perfect sense in TOS, but in The Voyage Home, the Vulcan is at peace with all aspects of his nature. Why open old wounds? Lack of creativity and perception, for starters.
Spock's refusal to shoot Sybok under Kirk's orders also caused Nimoy some distress, but clearly he can't be expected to shoot his own brother. He's still eminently loyal to Kirk. The Vulcan gets some "cute" moments to ease the tension, like the antigrav boots, the marshmellon machine, and a return of the Vulcan lyre. However, in the past it's sounded like a harp, and here, like a guitar. Continuity, out the window.