Star Trek Review: THE PARADISE SYNDROME

Director Jud Taylor's, "THE PARADISE SYNDROME," is a powerful, emotionally affecting Sci-Fi yarn. Taylor also directed the classic "Trek" episodes: "Wink of an Eye", "The Cloud Minders", and "The Mark of Gideon". He also directed episodes of "The Man From UNCLE".

A key gimmick in the episode, (which is fairly lame), revolves around the convenient fact that the audio tones used to hail the Enterprise, via the communicator are, by sure coincidence, the same tones that happen open up the alien obelisk's audio "lock". Writer Margaret Armen, ("The Cloud Minders", "The Gamesters of Triskelion"), should have gone for something less simplistic here.

Shatner does look good with longer hair, sideburns, and buckskin clothing. Under Taylor's firm direction, Shatner gives us an interesting look at a much different Kirk who is hung up on a woman, and knows nothing of the Enterprise.

Sabrina Scharf ("Daniel Boone", "The Man From U.N.C.L.E.") is warm and desirable as the alien woman, Miramanee. We care about her character and feel Kirk's pain when she dies.

The FX here mainly involve the asteroid, traveling through space and it's repulsion away from the alien world. The FX are adequate, but not impressive.

"THE PARADISE SYNDROME" should be fairly watchable for most Sci-Fi fans. Captain Kirk/William Shatner fans will dig this one.

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