After completing my first run of films I-VI I have this to say...

[Terran_Empire]

These films are vastly underrated by mainstream critics. I walked in expecting campy fun and walked out thoroughly impressed and surprised by how well these films do at just being good films and not simply exercises in fanfare.

I'll give my mind on each picture and then rank them from greatest to least great.

TMP:
Not my favorite but definitely watchable. It starts out very strong, and i'll admit that at first I was simply distracted by the sheer scale of the film for the first 30 minutes.

Afterwards though the slow pace of the film catches up with it and it starts to drags it heels. The acting was...off. I feel that everyone from Bill to Leonard to Walter...it was just odd and off in a way I cannot describe accurately. Plot-wise it was at it's heart Nomad V2.0 with better effects and worse uniforms. It wasn't bad movie though and it was as enjoyable as any decent episode of TOS and the ending was rather solid too.

STII-WoK:
It lived up to the hype and it didn't at the same time. Nicholas Meyer is a total genius, that much is certain, and every scene and frame of this move was outstandingly directed yet...a few glaring issues hold it back from that pedestal of being the "greatest Trek film", a title that it is often accredited with.

Throughout the film I was hoping that Khan would stop being so maniacal and instead be more suave, more sadistic, more dark. Sure we can factor in how he might have been driven to insanity from his experiences on Ceti Alpha V but it seems comes off as being a bit out of character. Kirk's son was introduced in a pretty damn convenient way but in light of how it really sets up the future films i'm willing to excuse that.

The uniforms were ingenious though. Almost makes me want to get one and dress up for the next comic-con or something, almost. The final nebula action sequence and finding out how they actually put that together without computer effects...mind was blown. On top of that they pioneered actual computer effects too and you just have to sit back and clap.

ST III-SfP:
I really liked this one...a lot. The attention to detail left me awestruck, namely the starbase hangar environment and the scenes that take place there really gave me the goose bumps. That chase sequence was done so well, right down to the interior differences from the older Enterprise to the brand spanking new Excelsior...just well done.

The acting though...that is what I remember this film for. Shatner namely was particularly great in this one, i'm sure even his critics have to admit, I actually felt the pain Kirk had and subsequent rage when David gets killed. Robin Curtis makes Saavik an enjoyable character where before it was a flat and unnecessary role.

Favorite part about this film? Christopher Lloyd. Kruge has to be the most likable and yet the most Klingon, Klingon I can recall after 79 episodes and 6 films. One of those villains that you love to seen on screen, and whose sheer charisma and insanity actually make him very believable.

ST IV-VH:
Just a fun film and genuinely funny. I think this one holds up with STVI as being just "good movies" period, and not just good Star Trek or Sci-fi movies.

How can you not fall in love with Catherine Hicks? This jumpy, annoying, beautiful, caring woman drove this film as much as Bill or Leonard did in every way. A true main actress performance that will endure with time.

I think a lot of the success this film enjoyed can be attributed to the screen-play. The situations and adventures of the crew in San Fran is not just surreal but they are well thought out and executed with brilliance. Leonard proved to me that he is a true artist on both sides of the camera. How can a movie build up so much drama and lead up to such a great climax without even having an antagonist or conventional villain? Amazing.

ST V-FF:
This movie gets such a bad rap and I feel it's largely undeserved. Aside from the questionable effects and slightly out of character roles for the Enterprise's crew it was actually a pretty good star trek movie.

To be honest I think a lot of flak comes after Bill directing this one simply being he's Bill Shatner. Whatever. I felt it had good pacing and solid crisis development that even the great Robert Wise couldn't churn out in TMP. Furthermore, the scene where Sybok shows McCoy his dying father, and Spock being born...no one could have done that better than how it was done. Powerful stuff.

Speaking of Sybok...Laurence Luckinbill delivered such a memorable performance to a character that few others could have even attempted. He was really the lifeblood of the picture.

Finally...in one of the last scenes, where Kirk confronts "God"....it actually sent chills down my spine. Well done.

ST VI-UC:
This is exactly everything I've always wanted in a Star Trek film. Political intrigue, assassinations and trials, starship battles, great effects, amazing camera-work, great acting, tasteful and genuine humor, expert use of Shakespeare, incredible pacing...you simply cannot ask for anything more than what we get in ST VI...Nick Meyer...wow....you should have been picked to do the new films, you are a legend. This movie could be watched by anyone, regardless of whether they are or are not a Trek fan, and the beautiful message of this film would resonate all the same.

The final scene with the Enterprise and Excelsior side by side with the nearby star as a backdrop...if I was in touch with my feminine side I think i'd have shed a tear...was completely blown away from start to finish with VI.

And so...it's no surprise then which film gets my #1 spot:

(#1 being the greatest)

1: The Undiscovered Country

2: The Search for Spock

3. The Voyage Home

4. The Wrath of Khan

5. The Final Frontier

6. The Motion Picture​

 

[RookieBatman]

STII-WoK:
Throughout the film I was hoping that Khan would stop being so maniacal and instead be more suave, more sadistic, more dark. Sure we can factor in how he might have been driven to insanity from his experiences on Ceti Alpha V but it seems comes off as being a bit out of character.

This is exactly how I feel, and as blasphemous as it may be to say, it pretty much ruins the movie for me at this point. When I was a kid, I saw TWoK before Space Seed, and so when I finally saw the show, I was expecting it to be more like the movie and was bored by how little action there was. But as an adult, I realized the action was all internal; the whole thing was essentially a chess game between Kirk and Khan. Khan is written as being every bit as smart and cunning as Kirk, almost written like he's the star of the show, and really the only thing that prevents him from winning is McGivers betraying him to save the crew's lives. In the movie, on the other hand, he's the fullest embodiment of the shallow mustache-twirling villain (well, maybe second only to Nero), and I really can't even watch it now without thinking about how much of a missed opportunity it was, that it could've been such a cunning chess match (which would still involve plenty of combat), instead of just a dumb, loud action movie with a lot of yelling.

Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of good character moments on the part of the heroes, but in Space Seed, Khan was a character too. Here, he's just a talking plot device, and that's an enormous waste.


Also, since you rated TMP the lowest, I'm curious; which version did you watch?

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

ST V-FF:

Finally...in one of the last scenes, where Kirk confronts "God"....it actually sent chills down my spine. Well done.

I've always been a huge fan of that scene, as well. I think The Final Frontier had the potential to be the ultimate Trek movie and I really wish it could get a cosmic do-over.

 

[Terran_Empire]

STII-WoK:
Throughout the film I was hoping that Khan would stop being so maniacal and instead be more suave, more sadistic, more dark. Sure we can factor in how he might have been driven to insanity from his experiences on Ceti Alpha V but it seems comes off as being a bit out of character.

This is exactly how I feel, and as blasphemous as it may be to say, it pretty much ruins the movie for me at this point. When I was a kid, I saw TWoK before Space Seed, and so when I finally saw the show, I was expecting it to be more like the movie and was bored by how little action there was. But as an adult, I realized the action was all internal; the whole thing was essentially a chess game between Kirk and Khan. Khan is written as being every bit as smart and cunning as Kirk, almost written like he's the star of the show, and really the only thing that prevents him from winning is McGivers betraying him to save the crew's lives. In the movie, on the other hand, he's the fullest embodiment of the shallow mustache-twirling villain (well, maybe second only to Nero), and I really can't even watch it now without thinking about how much of a missed opportunity it was, that it could've been such a cunning chess match (which would still involve plenty of combat), instead of just a dumb, loud action movie with a lot of yelling.

Don't get me wrong, there are still a lot of good character moments on the part of the heroes, but in Space Seed, Khan was a character too. Here, he's just a talking plot device, and that's an enormous waste.


Also, since you rated TMP the lowest, I'm curious; which version did you watch?

Glad to see i'm not alone on the Khan front.

I was watching the films on the Blu-ray version of the original motion picture collection. I think this release had the original theatrical version of TMP?

 

[RookieBatman]

I was watching the films on the Blu-ray version of the original motion picture collection. I think this release had the original theatrical version of TMP?

That's right. Most fans agree that the theatrical cut is the weakest version of TMP. I was just saying on this other thread, the theatrical edit takes out basically all of the good character moments that give the movie its heart. If you watch the SLV, or at least the DE, I think you'll be very pleasantly surprised at how much more alive and three-dimensional the characters feel.

 

[One Lucky Red Shirt]

Hey terran i agree with on ur reviews. I would rank TWOK either first or second though. If you can check out either the SLV r DE of TMP. It adds to the film. TMP might be the slowest film but damn its got the best opening. The soundtrack is killer too.

Im 100% with u on TFF. Sybok saved the film. Love the scenes when he tries to release the trio pain. It was very good to get some background on McCoy past. Loved the Shat speech about pain cant be taken away with the wave of a magic wand. I need my pain! Its all good stuff. What does god need with a starship? TFF is way too underrated.

 

[EnriqueH]

Holy shit, Terran.

I finished TOS before you and you beat me to the end of TOS movies? Did you skip TAS?

Well, I guess it has taken me a little longer to get through the movies.

 

[Terran_Empire]

Holy shit, Terran.

I finished TOS before you and you beat me to the end of TOS movies? Did you skip TAS?

Well, I guess it has taken me a little longer to get through the movies.

haha It appears that way!

Speaking of I just watched the first episode of TAS a few hours ago. Love the voice acting but the animation is horrendous . I think i'll watch TAS and season 1 of TNG in a parallel.

At the recommendations of fellow members here I will re-watch TMP with the director's and/or SLV cut but i'm going to have to give it a few weeks before I just back on that.

 

[eyeresist]

I'm 100% with u on TFF. Sybok saved the film. Love the scenes when he tries to release the trio pain. It was very good to get some background on McCoy past. Loved the Shat speech about pain cant be taken away with the wave of a magic wand. I need my pain! Its all good stuff. What does god need with a starship? TFF is way too underrated.

Yes, if you cut away some dross there is some great stuff in TFF. Apart from that great scene of Sybok trying to win over the trinity, I love all that camping-in-the-woods stuff. Who needs plot when you can just hang out with the characters having a few laughs?
And Kirk explaining why he knew he wouldn't die is an iconic Trek moment for me.

I should probably try to re-evaluate TSFS in the same way. I found it ultimately disappointing, but there were some great bits along the way.

OTOH, Save the Whales has palled for me over the years....

 

[dub]

I don't agree with everything you say, but what an enjoyable and thoughtful set of reviews!

 

[Franklin]

I had the same feeling about the acting being "off" in TMP. It could have been because of a lot of things associated with script troubles, a director not familiar with Trek, and even the actors just getting into the swing of being the characters, again. But I think it mostly had to do with the story, and the attempt to have the characters be more serious and act more like "real life" people (for lack of a better way of putting it). No one seemed to be having any fun, and to me, that is a critical component of any Trek. As much as I love Trek, it's just not meant to be taken as seriously as TMP took itself.

I also agree that Khan in TWOK was not multi-dimensional enough for me for someone who was a superman. He was an obsessed wacked-out genius and not much more. Montalban nailed it as written for him, but Khan in "Space Seed" and Khan in STID were more complete characters.

 

[plynch]

I had the same feeling about the acting being "off" in TMP. It could have been because of a lot of things associated with script troubles, a director not familiar with Trek, and even the actors just getting into the swing of being the characters, again. But I think it mostly had to do with the story, and the attempt to have the characters be more serious and act more like "real life" people (for lack of a better way of putting it). No one seemed to be having any fun, and to me, that is a critical component of any Trek.

Hence "The Motion Picture." This is a FILM. SERIOUS. TREK a la 2001. How the CREATOR intended it before those pesky network suits stepped in and RUINED it all!! (I actually like the film, however.)

 

[Lance]

Interesting to read these, Terran_empire!

TMP:
Not my favorite but definitely watchable. It starts out very strong, and i'll admit that at first I was simply distracted by the sheer scale of the film for the first 30 minutes.

Afterwards though the slow pace of the film catches up with it and it starts to drags it heels. The acting was...off. I feel that everyone from Bill to Leonard to Walter...it was just odd and off in a way I cannot describe accurately.

It's long been discussed that the characters seem to be lacking something in TMP, but I've long wondered if an often overlooked factor is simply the passage of time since TOS? 'Reunion episodes' of television classics often lack the sense of chemistry that existed between the actors in the original works, partly because it's hard for them to recapture something like that ten years (or however long) later. And TMP is, in essence, Star Trek's Reunion Special. Contrast with TWOK, where it had been considerably less time since everybody had last worked with each other (it had been only a couple years since TMP rather than a whole decade!), so the sense of camaraderie came a lot easier to them all for that one.

I think the script of TMP has got lots of lovely moments for the characters, but the essence of the camaraderie from TOS just doesn't leap off the screen in TMP quite like it does in the next movie. I think it was the ten year gap. The actors were all kind of figuring out how to work with each other again.

 

[plynch]

Spock is obvioiusly written colder. All their dialogue on the bridge was re-recorded (looped), probably in sound booths, not actually talking to each other on a set. Same problem as with TAS and its "dead" feel, interaction-wise.

 

[Smellmet]

It's long been discussed that the characters seem to be lacking something in TMP, but I've long wondered if an often overlooked factor is simply the passage of time since TOS? 'Reunion episodes' of television classics often lack the sense of chemistry that existed between the actors in the original works, partly because it's hard for them to recapture something like that ten years (or however long) later. And TMP is, in essence, Star Trek's Reunion Special. Contrast with TWOK, where it had been considerably less time since everybody had last worked with each other (it had been only a couple years since TMP rather than a whole decade!), so the sense of camaraderie came a lot easier to them all for that one.

I think the script of TMP has got lots of lovely moments for the characters, but the essence of the camaraderie from TOS just doesn't leap off the screen in TMP quite like it does in the next movie. I think it was the ten year gap. The actors were all kind of figuring out how to work with each other again.

I rewatched it last weekend and whilst to some you may seem like you're making excuses for it, I think this holds a lot of water, if I didn't see my best friends for a number of years I'm sure I would be a little 'different' with them for a while.

 

[drt]

I wonder if it would have played better setting events 10 years later to mirror real time?

Of course, then it doesn't make sense to still have Sulu, Uhura and Checkov still be on Enterprise. Although, it might have been interesting to put Sulu into the Decker role as the Enterprise captain demoted to make way for Kirk.

 

[Smellmet]

I think that would have worked. There's no reason Chekov and Sulu couldn't have still been there - they could have both been promoted and stayed with the ship, it always bugged me that the cast looked so much older than what was suggested to be the gap in time anyway, especially Nimoy and particularly Shatner who had totally different hair.

 

[Mojochi]

Interesting to read these, Terran_empire!

TMP:
Not my favorite but definitely watchable. It starts out very strong, and i'll admit that at first I was simply distracted by the sheer scale of the film for the first 30 minutes.

Afterwards though the slow pace of the film catches up with it and it starts to drags it heels. The acting was...off. I feel that everyone from Bill to Leonard to Walter...it was just odd and off in a way I cannot describe accurately.

It's long been discussed that the characters seem to be lacking something in TMP, but I've long wondered if an often overlooked factor is simply the passage of time since TOS? 'Reunion episodes' of television classics often lack the sense of chemistry that existed between the actors in the original works, partly because it's hard for them to recapture something like that ten years (or however long) later. And TMP is, in essence, Star Trek's Reunion Special. Contrast with TWOK, where it had been considerably less time since everybody had last worked with each other (it had been only a couple years since TMP rather than a whole decade!), so the sense of camaraderie came a lot easier to them all for that one.

I think the script of TMP has got lots of lovely moments for the characters, but the essence of the camaraderie from TOS just doesn't leap off the screen in TMP quite like it does in the next movie. I think it was the ten year gap. The actors were all kind of figuring out how to work with each other again.

I always felt that it was a conscious effort as well, with the intention being to make the production more serious than the 60s show had been. That seemed to be the intention with TNG as well, less campy. The movie script is based on the pilot for the Phase II project that fell through, & the Phase II project, after being reworked, eventually became TNG. Therefore, in hindsight, TMP comes off to me as though they were trying to make a TNG era production with the TOS actors, who clearly don't fit that mold. Everyone came off stiff, unemotional, and disconnected

 

[dub]

it always bugged me that the cast looked so much older than what was suggested to be the gap in time anyway, especially Nimoy and particularly Shatner who had totally different hair.

He had different "hair" for every film, so there should have been at least 15 canonical years between each.

 

[Smellmet]

I like to divide it into 2 distinct styles. TOS style and Shatfro.