I-VI Movie Poll

[Willsky7]

I am of the opinion that TMP is the best Trek film, over all. But out of curiosity, and because I couldn't find a poll like this, I am curious what the majority of fans think is the best film, out of the original features, obviously WOK is probably at the top, but I would like a more scientific result.

 

[Galileo7]

TMP. Extremely special to me because it was the first time we saw TOS cast back together.

 

[Vger23]

This is extremely difficult for me, because I am definitely a TOS Movie Era fan. I grew up with the TOS movies and really came to love each one for what it is.

I voted Wrath of Khan, mainly because I think it is the best-made of the six movies and tells the tightest, most dramatic story.

That said...I really do "love" all of them to varying degrees.

I think TMP is one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing films ever made quite honestly. I love the character arcs for Kirk and Spock that parallels the self-discovery arc of V'Ger. The Enterprise is gorgeous, the music is outlandishly good...everything is great. It also has a very unique, epic feel that Star Trek never has achieved again. It's truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

TSFS is an instant favorite because it carries the themes of TWOK, but turns them on their head a bit (literally, with the "needs of the ONE" speech). It highlights the loyalty and the perseverance of "the family..." which has always been one of my favorite aspects of the TOS crew. Also, I think the amount of world-building that was accomplished in this movie is often overlooked. We are introduced to Spacedock, the Oberth-class, the Excelsior-class, the BoP, and Klingons that were the genesis of what TNG adapted.

TVH is pretty much in the same vane as TSFS in that it is a family / ensemble piece that has a great message and great sense of humor. This one probably has the least "re-watchability" for me, since my love of Trek largely stems from being on outer space adventures and not down on contemporary Earth...but this is still a great adventure that reminds me of the fish out of water time travel from TOS.

TFF is grossly under-appreciated and underrated IMHO. There are times where this has actually been my absolute favorite TOS movie...despite the glaring and cringe-worthy elements it contains. It explores the brotherhood and characters of the "Big Three" better than any of the other movies, and it has a plot very reminiscent of a fine TOS episode, which makes it immediately nostalgic and endearing to me. I like the further development of Spock through Sybok's introduction. The Observation Lounge Hidden Pains scene is in my top three in all of Star Trek. I also love the "false God" plot, which is right in line with classic Trek. It's a shame this wasn't polished significantly more by a more skillful screenwriter...and the incompetent visual effects are painful, but at it's core...this may be the most pure Trek movie of them all.

TUC hasn't held up as well for me, but it is a nice movie. The assassination scene is tense and very well done. I like Kirk and McCoy being off on a mission of their own. I think the "peace with the Klingons" is a nice way to have the original cast sign-off. This one probably survives more on nostalgia and sentiment than it actually being a "great movie"....but that's ok!

My ultimate ranking:

1. TWOK
2. TSFS
3. TMP
4. TFF
5. TUC
6. TVH

 

[Willsky7]

This is extremely difficult for me, because I am definitely a TOS Movie Era fan. I grew up with the TOS movies and really came to love each one for what it is.

I voted Wrath of Khan, mainly because I think it is the best-made of the six movies and tells the tightest, most dramatic story.

That said...I really do "love" all of them to varying degrees.

I think TMP is one of the most beautiful, mesmerizing films ever made quite honestly. I love the character arcs for Kirk and Spock that parallels the self-discovery arc of V'Ger. The Enterprise is gorgeous, the music is outlandishly good...everything is great. It also has a very unique, epic feel that Star Trek never has achieved again. It's truly a one-of-a-kind masterpiece.

TSFS is an instant favorite because it carries the themes of TWOK, but turns them on their head a bit (literally, with the "needs of the ONE" speech). It highlights the loyalty and the perseverance of "the family..." which has always been one of my favorite aspects of the TOS crew. Also, I think the amount of world-building that was accomplished in this movie is often overlooked. We are introduced to Spacedock, the Oberth-class, the Excelsior-class, the BoP, and Klingons that were the genesis of what TNG adapted.

TVH is pretty much in the same vane as TSFS in that it is a family / ensemble piece that has a great message and great sense of humor. This one probably has the least "re-watchability" for me, since my love of Trek largely stems from being on outer space adventures and not down on contemporary Earth...but this is still a great adventure that reminds me of the fish out of water time travel from TOS.

TFF is grossly under-appreciated and underrated IMHO. There are times where this has actually been my absolute favorite TOS movie...despite the glaring and cringe-worthy elements it contains. It explores the brotherhood and characters of the "Big Three" better than any of the other movies, and it has a plot very reminiscent of a fine TOS episode, which makes it immediately nostalgic and endearing to me. I like the further development of Spock through Sybok's introduction. The Observation Lounge Hidden Pains scene is in my top three in all of Star Trek. I also love the "false God" plot, which is right in line with classic Trek. It's a shame this wasn't polished significantly more by a more skillful screenwriter...and the incompetent visual effects are painful, but at it's core...this may be the most pure Trek movie of them all.

TUC hasn't held up as well for me, but it is a nice movie. The assassination scene is tense and very well done. I like Kirk and McCoy being off on a mission of their own. I think the "peace with the Klingons" is a nice way to have the original cast sign-off. This one probably survives more on nostalgia and sentiment than it actually being a "great movie"....but that's ok!

My ultimate ranking:

1. TWOK
2. TSFS
3. TMP
4. TFF
5. TUC
6. TVH

I agree with a lot of what your said, I do think that TFF is somewhat underrated but i would say it is the worst of the six. TWOK is a well made action, adventure movie, however it seems to be greatly overrated as a Star Trek film. Star Trek has always had two sides to it, it can be a generic sci fi action franchise at times and at others it dares to ask ethical questions and challenge social and political issues, and I believe it is the second side of Trek that makes it special and enduring. TWOK is just a well made sci fi film that deals with personal issues. TMP is not a perfect representation of the other side, but I would argue that it and TUC are the best example of that side in film. TMP deals with meeting, and being disappointed, by your creator. I find this wildly more interesting than Khan wanting revenge on Kirk.

 

[Vger23]

I agree with a lot of what your said, I do think that TFF is somewhat underrated but i would say it is the worst of the six. TWOK is a well made action, adventure movie, however it seems to be greatly overrated as a Star Trek film. Star Trek has always had two sides to it, it can be a generic sci fi action franchise at times and at others it dares to ask ethical questions and challenge social and political issues, and I believe it is the second side of Trek that makes it special and enduring. TWOK is just a well made sci fi film that deals with personal issues. TMP is not a perfect representation of the other side, but I would argue that it and TUC are the best example of that side in film. TMP deals with meeting, and being disappointed, by your creator. I find this wildly more interesting than Khan wanting revenge on Kirk.

I agree, but TWOK is more an exploration of Kirk (my favorite all-time Star Trek character) than it is a "revenge" story. It's about Kirk accepting his vulnerabilities and dealing with the consequences of his past actions. It introduces a family element to his character as well, that has him facing regrets about his life. It's about him literally accepting death rather than being the super-hero he's always been. It has him coming to terms with his own aging and mortality. It's that thematic content...expertly woven throughout the rest of the narrative, that makes this a great film for me. The "revenge" plot is just a catalyst for all that, and an effective one.

You can see in the other movies later in the franchise that they went after the TWOK plot, but not the substance and soul. Those movies weren't nearly as satisfying as a result!

 

[Willsky7]

I agree, but TWOK is more an exploration of Kirk (my favorite all-time Star Trek character) than it is a "revenge" story. It's about Kirk accepting his vulnerabilities and dealing with the consequences of his past actions. It introduces a family element to his character as well, that has him facing regrets about his life. It's about him literally accepting death rather than being the super-hero he's always been. It has him coming to terms with his own aging and mortality. It's that thematic content...expertly woven throughout the rest of the narrative, that makes this a great film for me. The "revenge" plot is just a catalyst for all that, and an effective one.

You can see in the other movies later in the franchise that they went after the TWOK plot, but not the substance and soul. Those movies weren't nearly as satisfying as a result!

My analysis of TWOK was very over simplified and you are right about it being a story that challenges Kirk as a character. And TWOK has had a great impact of the Star Trek franchise, nemesis and all 3 kelvin films are very similar to TWOK as far as plot goes. My problem with TWOK stems more from the cultural view of it as quintessential Star Trek rather than the movie itself. TWOK is a good movie but it's only only a partial view of the Star Trek franchise, and it has permanently affected the course of the franchise, at least as far as the films go, and I'm not sure it has had a positive effect.

 

[Vger23]

Agree- My take on it is that, relatively speaking, it is the best Star Trek movie. But, the unfortunate impact of that has been that other movies have consistently attempted to borrow elements from it to duplicate its success...and that has caused both those newer movies and, to some extent, the original template of TOWK, to be diminished as a result.

My analysis of TWOK was very over simplified and you are right about it being a story that challenges Kirk as a character. And TWOK has had a great impact of the Star Trek franchise, nemesis and all 3 kelvin films are very similar to TWOK as far as plot goes. My problem with TWOK stems more from the cultural view of it as quintessential Star Trek rather than the movie itself. TWOK is a good movie but it's only only a partial view of the Star Trek franchise, and it has permanently affected the course of the franchise, at least as far as the films go, and I'm not sure it has had a positive effect.

 

[BillJ]

TMP.

 

[DeepSpaceYorks]

Didn't need to think for a second, it's TMP.

 

[Bry_Sinclair]

1. TWOK
2. TUC
3. TSFS
4. TMP
5. TVH
6. TFF

 

[CorporalClegg]

TMP

WOK is a better film overall, but there's just something special about the original, its score and its camerawork.

 

[Mojochi]

I voted Khan, because it is without a doubt the winner, by that I mean it was the most victorious. 3 had more grandeur, 4 had more fun , 1 had more wonder, 6 had more closure, & 5 had the most similarity to the show, but 2? That was the one that made it all possible. It was the one that sold the world on Star Trek movies being a worthwhile thing.

I'm not entirely sure TMP did that. It actually disappointed much of the cinema going audience at the time. It failed to capture the Star Wars fervor of the time, & it also seemed rather derivative of 2001, in style, scope & pacing. That's why there was such a vast ovehaul for the next film. When Khan came out, it revitalized the whole thing in a very palpable way, by shifting the focus, & reinvesting everyone in the characters, in a more epic way than had ever been achieved on the show. THAT sucked everybody in.

I'm not sure I agree TMP was the best film of them all either. It did do very many things that were MUCH better than the others, but the one thing it didn't do was convey the personality that TWoK did. It was that personality that drove the rest of the film franchise. That contribution can not be overstated imho.

My analysis of TWOK was very over simplified and you are right about it being a story that challenges Kirk as a character. And TWOK has had a great impact of the Star Trek franchise, nemesis and all 3 kelvin films are very similar to TWOK as far as plot goes. My problem with TWOK stems more from the cultural view of it as quintessential Star Trek rather than the movie itself. TWOK is a good movie but it's only only a partial view of the Star Trek franchise, and it has permanently affected the course of the franchise, at least as far as the films go, and I'm not sure it has had a positive effect.

And it's hard to argue against that, but I can't fault the film for that. What I can do is recognize that such a greatness, that would be mimicked so much since, truly sings its praises better than any other truth. The reality is that when this tv series was carried for a decade after being cancelled, it wasn't just the stories, or sets that kept people invested, it was mostly the characters & their world, & while TMP was a masterful cinema experience, it gave up some of that familiarity to further the narrative. It was a repurposed pilot script for a new show, that very likely would've left behind much of the old style & flavor of the original show (Very much like TNG did)

As a result, I never truly felt like those TMP versions of Kirk, Spock, Bones etc... were fully representative of those characters. They just didn't act like them all that much, more stale or stifled, not as present, because they were not the focus of the film as much as exploring the unknown of space was (Which is a true to form way to interpret Star Trek too, but still fell a little flat, imho) Frankly, it felt like looking at TOS characters crammed into what would become a TNG format. In hindsight I can see that now, but at that time, no one knew exactly why it didn't fit, because the new narrative hadn't played out yet, if you follow me.

 

[Willsky7]

I voted Khan, because it is without a doubt the winner, by that I mean it was the most victorious. 3 had more grandeur, 4 had more fun , 1 had more wonder, 6 had more closure, & 5 had the most similarity to the show, but 2? That was the one that made it all possible. It was the one that sold the world on Star Trek movies being a worthwhile thing.

I'm not entirely sure TMP did that. It actually disappointed much of the cinema going audience at the time. It failed to capture the Star Wars fervor of the time, & it also seemed rather derivative of 2001, in style, scope & pacing. That's why there was such a vast ovehaul for the next film. When Khan came out, it revitalized the whole thing in a very palpable way, by shifting the focus, & reinvesting everyone in the characters, in a more epic way than had ever been achieved on the show. THAT sucked everybody in.

I'm not sure I agree TMP was the best film of them all either. It did do very many things that were MUCH better than the others, but the one thing it didn't do was convey the personality that TWoK did. It was that personality that drove the rest of the film franchise. That contribution can not be overstated imho.

And it's hard to argue against that, but I can't fault the film for that. What I can do is recognize that such a greatness, that would be mimicked so much since, truly sings its praises better than any other truth. The reality is that when this tv series was carried for a decade after being cancelled, it wasn't just the stories, or sets that kept people invested, it was mostly the characters & their world, & while TMP was a masterful cinema experience, it gave up some of that familiarity to further the narrative. It was a repurposed pilot script for a new show, that very likely would've left behind much of the old style & flavor of the original show (Very much like TNG did)

As a result, I never truly felt like those TMP versions of Kirk, Spock, Bones etc... were fully representative of those characters. They just didn't act like them all that much, more stale or stifled, not as present, because they were not the focus of the film as much as exploring the unknown of space was (Which is a true to form way to interpret Star Trek too, but still fell a little flat, imho) Frankly, it felt like looking at TOS characters crammed into what would become a TNG format. In hindsight I can see that now, but at that time, no one knew exactly why it didn't fit, because the new narrative hadn't played out yet, if you follow me.

I'm going to have to disagree with you about the characters. In the original series the only character that was truly unique was Spock, Kirk and McCoy and especially the less important crew members (uhura, sulu, Scotty, Chekhov) weren't all that special. McCoy was a sarcastic doctor, and Kirk was basically just an all American guy.

The only thing that made these characters different was that there really wasn't any interpersonal conflict, sure they expressed differences of opinion and were sarcastic with each other from time to time, but when it came down to it they cooperated and were mature when it came to solving problems. This is something that a lot of Star Trek fans have a problem with.

And it certainly wasn't the action and sets that got people interested in the show. TOS was especially low budget, this made the sets and action pretty unexciting.

So if it wasn't the action or the characters that made it so enduring then what was it? Well Star Trek is famous for creating political metaphors and exploring ethical questions. This is very unique to Star Trek. If it wasn't for this Star Trek would probably be an old sci-fi show that was lost to time (like lost in space, the twilight zone, Flash Gordon, buck rogers) and wouldn't have spawned 6 tv series, a cartoon series, 13 movies, hundreds of novels, many dozens of fan productions, conventions dedicated especially to it, and still be going.

 

[Mojochi]

I'm going to have to disagree with you about the characters. In the original series the only character that was truly unique was Spock, Kirk and McCoy and especially the less important crew members (uhura, sulu, Scotty, Chekhov) weren't all that special. McCoy was a sarcastic doctor, and Kirk was basically just an all American guy.

The only thing that made these characters different was that there really wasn't any interpersonal conflict, sure they expressed differences of opinion and were sarcastic with each other from time to time, but when it came down to it they cooperated and were mature when it came to solving problems. This is something that a lot of Star Trek fans have a problem with.

And it certainly wasn't the action and sets that got people interested in the show. TOS was especially low budget, this made the sets and action pretty unexciting.

So if it wasn't the action or the characters that made it so enduring then what was it? Well Star Trek is famous for creating political metaphors and exploring ethical questions. This is very unique to Star Trek. If it wasn't for this Star Trek would probably be an old sci-fi show that was lost to time (like lost in space, the twilight zone, Flash Gordon, buck rogers) and wouldn't have spawned 6 tv series, a cartoon series, 13 movies, hundreds of novels, many dozens of fan productions, conventions dedicated especially to it, and still be going.

How can you say Star Trek doesn't owe its success to those characters? Spock & Kirk are the Holmes & Watson of Sci-Fi. They may be two of the most iconic sci-fi characters in the history of sci-fi. They started conventions where people dressed like them. While creating metaphors & exploring ethical questions was certainly a calling card of Star Trek, it was hardly unique. Twilight Zone did that too, and also had a revival series in the 80s as well as a cinematic release.

However, it never developed the franchise that Star Trek did, because it didn't have those characters, in specific, Spock, Kirk, & Bones, who they still make movies about today. The characters don't all have to be unique. Being special is not what draws people to characters. They have to be relatable. I'd say dressing up like them at conventions is a fair indicator of how relatable they were. Star Trek was always about us liking those people, so that they could take us with them on adventures, & in the process learn about ourselves though metaphor, analogy & allegory.

 

[Willsky7]

How can you say Star Trek doesn't owe its success to those characters? Spock & Kirk are the Holmes & Watson of Sci-Fi. They may be two of the most iconic sci-fi characters in the history of sci-fi. They started conventions where people dressed like them. While creating metaphors & exploring ethical questions was certainly a calling card of Star Trek, it was hardly unique. Twilight Zone did that too, and also had a revival series in the 80s as well as a cinematic release.

However, it never developed the franchise that Star Trek did, because it didn't have those characters, in specific, Spock, Kirk, & Bones, who they still make movies about today. The characters don't all have to be unique. Being special is not what draws people to characters. They have to be relatable. I'd say dressing up like them at conventions is a fair indicator of how relatable they were. Star Trek was always about us liking those people, so that they could take us with them on adventures, & in the process learn about ourselves though metaphor, analogy & allegory.

I'm not trying to say they are bad characters, of course I love those characters. My point is, with the exception of Spock, that these characters aren't very unique. Kirk was the fearless and tough leader who always came out on top, and bones is a grouchy, sarcastic old man. Many characters, before and since, are Pretty similar to this, the commander from "Forbidden Planet" and Kirk are very similar.

I also think that you misunderstand what I meant when I talked about fan backlash. I don't think that these characters are unrelatable, but other fans find the character interaction in TOS and TNG to be unrelatable since there is very little interpersonal conflict. I have seen this commented upon here and elsewhere, notably red letter media's latest discovery video. I personally don't find this a problem, but clearly many do.

Part of the reason that I think people dress as these characters is because it's a world that you want to live in. People could look past the cheap sets, and the acting that was poor on occasion, because Star Trek is a world where humanity has over come our problems. The ethical and political side of Star Trek is what makes it such an awe inspiring vision of the future. This is why Kirk is more famous than Flash Gordon, because the world he inhabited rather than being a really unique character.

The twilight zone dose incorporate ethics and political metaphors into its plots. However keep two things in mind, the end result is bad (the twilight zone is a scary and dangerous world) and many (not all, but many) only work with the political atmosphere of the time. Sure there was plenty of political metaphors that only work in the 60's, during the Cold War, in Star Trek (trouble with tribbles, and the hippie episode with Chekhov ) but there was also ones that are more universal and work outside of it, arming a pre warp civilization because their enemies were given weapons and also just the fact that the bridge was full of diversity and even dealing with racism (that one works in the 60's, but also any other time in human history).
While I love the characters it's not them that make Star Trek truly great and unique, its the world that they occupy.

 

[inflatabledalek]

Predictable, but voted Khan.

Of the others, I'd say VI has aged the best. For a film that should be so very much of its time considering it's not subtle about its "Wall comes down in space" theme, it still feels very and sadly relevant with its themes of how people can do very stupid things out of fear of change and even otherwise decent folk can have bigotry ingrained into them by the culture they grew up in. Though it's also hopeful in the end, you don't have to be a dinosaur the world passes by, you can acknowledge your flaws and move forward.

They all have something to recommend them though. Even my least favourite, TMP, is a very pretty film and great to have on whilst ironing.

 

[Vger23]

Predictable, but voted Khan.

Of the others, I'd say VI has aged the best. For a film that should be so very much of its time considering it's not subtle about its "Wall comes down in space" theme, it still feels very and sadly relevant with its themes of how people can do very stupid things out of fear of change and even otherwise decent folk can have bigotry ingrained into them by the culture they grew up in. Though it's also hopeful in the end, you don't have to be a dinosaur the world passes by, you can acknowledge your flaws and move forward.

They all have something to recommend them though. Even my least favourite, TMP, is a very pretty film and great to have on whilst ironing.

Interestingly enough, I think VI is one of the weakest of the original cast movies. That doesn't mean it's a bad movie (it's all relative here...I love TUC!)...but I think it's just a little too rushed, sloppy and poorly edited for me to really love. I know they were under budget and time crunches, and I appreciate that...but it really hampers it in the "rewatchabliity" category.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

TMP FOREVER.

 

[2takesfrakes]

I am forever in awe of TMP. How did such an epic, aesthetically resplendent film like this ever find its way into the STAR TREK franchise, much less as a Paramount Picture offering? Even the lengthy dive into the V'GER cloud is artistically meritorious and I've learned to recapture my sense of wonder during this sequence and my expression's always the same as the cast's, pretty much. I cannot praise this film enough ... even Shatner appears as Larger Than Life, in the most complimentary way I can describe. It's a very elegant piece of Cinematic Art ... so it's got my vote!

After that, TSFS comes a very close second, for me. Robert Fletcher does not disappoint with his redesigns to the Napoleonic tunic outfits and his costuming work throughout is first rate. I'm deeply infatuated with the way Vulcan, itself, is presented in this movie. Never before, or since, has it seemed so properly mysterious and majestic. The BoP swoops down and my jaw drops, its just so stunning. In fact, once T'Lar works her magic, there's a long-held shot of Mount Seleya, at sunrise ... it's nothing short of spectacular! Theatrical, Shakespearean themes permeate throughout and the tonality of this movie is just perfect. TSFS, however, is flawed by Bennett's functional, serviceable script.

Whilst there's humour in this movie, everybody only says what they have to, in order to advance the story. Shatner's performance of Kirk's reaction to his son's sacrifice is often praised, but who's David in this movie? Audiences never get to find out ... not really. Kirk's loss could've been so much more impactful and profound, but ... that's entertainment, for you, I guess. Nevertheless, when Genesis turns to hell, it's the coolest looking planet sequence in the entire franchise. And Christopher Lloyd -- wow! -- he changed how we perceive the Klingons, forever.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.

It was a vast improvement from TMP which was something other than Star Trek IMO. The movie had more going for it with Kirk steering the narrative; his midlife crisis, an adversary who won't rest until he gets vengeance, a project which can save lives but in the wrong hands can be used as a weapon of mass destruction. Spock has an eager student who wants to be a great officer, is now under Kirk's wing--she shared his failure, his triumph, and his tragedy in one great space adventure.

What more of an example of a film which represented what TOS was at it's core? Action, some drama, laughter, and suspense. I didn't say II was the best Trek film, that falls under The Voyage Home; but this thread is not posted as a countdown list which some has done. ST II: The Wrath of Khan is my favorite because it's a base where a good writer and producer could go anywhere with it.
There's always possibilities and that didn't mean The Search for Spock and another crap hazard called The Final Frontier, but the possibilities of seeing where those characters engage to boldly go where no man (This also meant women for those who don't know) has gone before.