Let's settle this once and for all.
What TOS cast movies are canon to you?
- Thread starter Commander Kielbasa
- Start date
Of course they're all canon. It's not my place to judge which are and which are not. If the studio says they are, then they are. End of discussion.
I have the ones I like to watch, and each has a weighted preference.
In order of least loved
TMP
TVH
TUC
TFF
TSfS
TWoK
TMP doesn’t really get a look in, it’s not entertainment, but it gave us the ring ship, sonic showers, Deltans, lumpy Klingons, and grizzly transporter accidents. The film is largely unwatchable, the plot is contrived, and the actors nuts show through the costumes. It’s my least favourite of all of Trek, but it’s still canon.
In order of least loved
TMP
TVH
TUC
TFF
TSfS
TWoK
TMP doesn’t really get a look in, it’s not entertainment, but it gave us the ring ship, sonic showers, Deltans, lumpy Klingons, and grizzly transporter accidents. The film is largely unwatchable, the plot is contrived, and the actors nuts show through the costumes. It’s my least favourite of all of Trek, but it’s still canon.
This. Canon is determined by the copyright holder. The copyright holder says they're canon.
And they all lived happily ever after.
The End.
I don't particularly consider STV to be in continuity, and frankly, I don't think that CBS/Paramount does, either. Let's face it, no one's really bending over backwards to incorporate references to Nimbus III into their work or clammoring to write the novel of Sybok's life story. Even though it's officially canon, everyone involved knows it's not very good and is fine with it just being quietly forgotten.
TMP is also an iffy case. Although it's grown on me over the years, it's definitely the odd man out when it comes to the TOS movies. V'Ger, Decker, and Illia are never really referenced again. Kirk and Spock are both presented in a way that's pretty much the antithesis of their TOS characterizations, and the look is unlike any of the other features. And honestly, outside of the appearances of the Enterprise refit and the Engineering containment suits (which were largely retained for budgetary reasons), not much else from TMP carried over to TWOK. You could pretty much ignore TMP and TWOK's story is more or less unchanged.
So TMP is a "take it or leave it" film for me, I suppose.
TMP is also an iffy case. Although it's grown on me over the years, it's definitely the odd man out when it comes to the TOS movies. V'Ger, Decker, and Illia are never really referenced again. Kirk and Spock are both presented in a way that's pretty much the antithesis of their TOS characterizations, and the look is unlike any of the other features. And honestly, outside of the appearances of the Enterprise refit and the Engineering containment suits (which were largely retained for budgetary reasons), not much else from TMP carried over to TWOK. You could pretty much ignore TMP and TWOK's story is more or less unchanged.
So TMP is a "take it or leave it" film for me, I suppose.
If it's a Trek movie, it's canon. I don't have to like them all. It's not some church where the high priest of trekism is going to ask you to make certain you believe that Star Trek V is a good movie and Enterprise really has that many decks. People get too caught up on canon.
UDUC?
Why would anyone consider TMP as uncanonical?
Literally there's no reason, because TPTB doesn't consider it uncanonical. Unless they don't understand what 'canon' means, which is a persistent problem.
Figuratively, because they don't like the film and/or consider it too inconsistent with what comes before/after in the franchise.
Pajama uniforms?
My Cannon is all the movies and the video game Klingon Academy as Star Trek 5.5.
Canon = The Complete Body of Works.
As described by the IP owners, Canon is what is seen onscreen. Therefore, all movies and tv shows are Canon.
Continuity is something else entirely. I don't know why this is still a thing.
As described by the IP owners, Canon is what is seen onscreen. Therefore, all movies and tv shows are Canon.
Continuity is something else entirely. I don't know why this is still a thing.
Exactly.
Possibly the best Trek movie, and certainly one I'd like to have seen more like.
That almost seems like it should be the mirror version of IDIC.
That was kinda the idea.....
Canon = The Complete Body of Works.
As described by the IP owners, Canon is what is seen onscreen. Therefore, all movies and tv shows are Canon.
Continuity is something else entirely. I don't know why this is still a thing.
Do people get confused by this because of the very well known urban legend that Gene Roddenbery considered Star Trek V to be loose canon just because he regretted it or didn't like it after the fact or something? "Apocryphal at best" was the phrase I recall attributed to him but I can't find the source anywhere... mostly reports from speeches Gene gave at conventions, but of course with no proof surviving.
Now I'm reading that Gene (who was barely alive long enough to even screen TUC) said that he hated all the racism in Star Trek VI as well and "went against the spirit of Star Trek"... which is hilarious since most of the Trek fans I know love TUC, including myself. The movie ends with the cessation of hostilities with the Klingons/Federation.... AND wraps up Kirk's arc of no longer hating Klingons for the death of his son and that's not optimistic enough???
