Favorite Star Trek film director?

[Rush Limborg]

Abrams. Because, love or hate the scripts or lens flares he works with, he's got a great sense of pacing and how to use the camera to dramatic effect.

This. And as an aspiring filmmaker myself, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the moment in Into Darkness near the beginning, when Kirk's face fills the screen, asking, "What would he do?" Slow, slight pan and change of focus, as McCoy (closer to the camera) now fills the screen, saying, "He'd let you die." Slight pan and change of focus back to Kirk, as he takes in Bones's words....

It's so understated, and yet so powerful--and it perfectly captures the emotions of the moment--and watching that, I thought, "I don't care what anyone else says...THAT is the work of a great director!"

JJ gets my vote. And personally...I don't have a problem with the lens flares.

 

[Kirkman1987]

Nicholas Meyer. TWOK and TUC are among the best films in the bunch. Listening to the commentaries and interviews it's clear hat Meyer understood and respected the characters. Although Gene disapproved, I loved his more naval bent to the series (It was always there, but Meyer greatly expanded those parallels).

as a quick note, and this doesn't factor into my ranking, I loved his Sherlock Holmes books.

 

[Greg Cox]

Nicholas Meyer. TWOK and TUC are among the best films in the bunch. Listening to the commentaries and interviews it's clear hat Meyer understood and respected the characters. Although Gene disapproved, I loved his more naval bent to the series (It was always there, but Meyer greatly expanded those parallels).

as a quick note, and this doesn't factor into my ranking, I loved his Sherlock Holmes books.

And don't forget Time After Time.

 

[J.T.B.]

Wise was the best director and TMP the best-directed. But he came from a generation where directors weren't "stars" and didn't call attention to themselves, and people didn't go to movies to say "Look at that directing!" What he does is straightforward, deceptively simple, effective and great storytelling.

 

[Admiral James Kirk]

That's not really true. Wise was an editor for Orson Welles' and Welles was a rockstar amongst directors before there was such a thing as a rock star.

 

[J.T.B.]

That's not really true. Wise was an editor for Orson Welles' and Welles was a rockstar amongst directors before there was such a thing as a rock star.

Well... yep, I've got to concede on Welles.

 

[Greg Cox]

That's not really true. Wise was an editor for Orson Welles' and Welles was a rockstar amongst directors before there was such a thing as a rock star.

Well... yep, I've got to concede on Welles.

I'd throw in Hitchcock as an early superstar director as well.

 

[Kinokima]

^ there were a lot more if you go by the auteur theory lol

 

[Rush Limborg]

(Data voice): Indeed. I must also offer the examples of Howard Hawks, John Ford, Sam Fuller, Billy Wilder, Frank Capra, Cecile B. DeMille...

 

[GNDN]

Had to go with Meyer. While I feel TUC itself is somewhat overrated, I do feel that Meyer overall gave us the best mix of character, intrigue, and action.

Wise gave us a fully formed future reality, though rather sterile and lacking in the very humanity the story tried to embrace. I place the blame more on Roddenberry's evolving image of the future he was trying to write about, but Wise was at the helm directing the actors. I adore the film, but not my favorite direction (editing did no favors here either)

TWOK came with a literal vengeance, retaking the pace, the fun, the humanity and the foibles of our beloved crew. Still my favorite film of the series, although far from the most technically advanced or deepest of story lines, this gave us a simultaneously vulnerable and pompous Kirk.

Nimoy's outings contributed great character, respect for the original series and a wonderful romp with TVH. Understated, proficient, and very impressive for a freshman director.

Shatner -- what can I say, boundless enthusiasm but never bought the story, the guest aliens or the Kirk/Spock dynamic here. This is a cartoon. Some moments of interest, but not a cohesive whole. The budget may be partially to blame, but it is also the director's job to work within the limits set by TPTB (see TWOK)

Carson did a good job with the script he was handed. The Ent-D never looked better and again there are some nice moments, but nothing to break free of the cookie-cutter script.

Frakes gave us all the enthusiasm Shatner had, but worked much more successfully within the scope of the productions he was given. Talented, assured, and very well-done, that is till he was handed the mess that INS became.

Baird can handle action schlock, but please stay far, far away from ST

Abrams has brought the series into the 21st century of big-budget, big-action movie making and does an impeccable job at it. Financially successful, well received by the larger audience, pays homage to the trappings of TOS, but, like Shatner, is making cartoons, just highly entertaining, incredibly polished, very fun cartoons

 

[Galileo7]

...
Shatner -- what can I say, boundless enthusiasm but never bought the story, the guest aliens or the Kirk/Spock dynamic here. This is a cartoon. Some moments of interest, but not a cohesive whole. The budget may be partially to blame, but it is also the director's job to work within the limits set by TPTB (see TWOK)

....

Shatner impressed me with the scenes he filmed in the new set of a full-scale 1701-A hangar deck with two shuttlecrafts. Simply awesome.

 

[dub]

Had to go with Meyer. While I feel TUC itself is somewhat overrated, I do feel that Meyer overall gave us the best mix of character, intrigue, and action.

Wise gave us a fully formed future reality, though rather sterile and lacking in the very humanity the story tried to embrace. I place the blame more on Roddenberry's evolving image of the future he was trying to write about, but Wise was at the helm directing the actors. I adore the film, but not my favorite direction (editing did no favors here either)

TWOK came with a literal vengeance, retaking the pace, the fun, the humanity and the foibles of our beloved crew. Still my favorite film of the series, although far from the most technically advanced or deepest of story lines, this gave us a simultaneously vulnerable and pompous Kirk.

Nimoy's outings contributed great character, respect for the original series and a wonderful romp with TVH. Understated, proficient, and very impressive for a freshman director.

Shatner -- what can I say, boundless enthusiasm but never bought the story, the guest aliens or the Kirk/Spock dynamic here. This is a cartoon. Some moments of interest, but not a cohesive whole. The budget may be partially to blame, but it is also the director's job to work within the limits set by TPTB (see TWOK)

Carson did a good job with the script he was handed. The Ent-D never looked better and again there are some nice moments, but nothing to break free of the cookie-cutter script.

Frakes gave us all the enthusiasm Shatner had, but worked much more successfully within the scope of the productions he was given. Talented, assured, and very well-done, that is till he was handed the mess that INS became.

Baird can handle action schlock, but please stay far, far away from ST

Abrams has brought the series into the 21st century of big-budget, big-action movie making and does an impeccable job at it. Financially successful, well received by the larger audience, pays homage to the trappings of TOS, but, like Shatner, is making cartoons, just highly entertaining, incredibly polished, very fun cartoons

I agree 100% with your assessment. +1 on every point. Well said.

 

[CoveTom]

Abrams. Because, love or hate the scripts or lens flares he works with, he's got a great sense of pacing and how to use the camera to dramatic effect. For all his talent and experience Wise was out of his element on TMP. The rest aren't career directors and all suffer from deficiencies in their overall direction even if they excel in one aspect or another.

Eh, I don't know. Abrams' directing style leaves me unenthused. I'm not sure that's an indictment of Abrams, though, but more of what style is expected today of big, blockbuster action films.

I was watching Independence Day last night -- one of my favorite of the big blockbuster films -- and afterward I started thinking about how dramatically filmmaking has changed in less than 20 years. Yes, Independence Day was big on action and special effects and all the other hallmarks of summer blockbusters. But it wasn't filmed in a way that made you think the director had ADD. Action scenes didn't have to have a camera angle change every 1.2 seconds.

I find that the frentic pace of modern filmmaking, especially of action scenes, is so fast as to make it difficult to follow what's actually happenening. Pair that up with other modern Hollywood techniques of the day, like ShakyCam, and it makes it difficult for me to watch a modern film.

 

[dub]

I was watching Independence Day last night -- one of my favorite of the big blockbuster films -- and afterward I started thinking about how dramatically filmmaking has changed in less than 20 years. Yes, Independence Day was big on action and special effects and all the other hallmarks of summer blockbusters. But it wasn't filmed in a way that made you think the director had ADD. Action scenes didn't have to have a camera angle change every 1.2 seconds.

I find that the frentic pace of modern filmmaking, especially of action scenes, is so fast as to make it difficult to follow what's actually happenening. Pair that up with other modern Hollywood techniques of the day, like ShakyCam, and it makes it difficult for me to watch a modern film.

LOL, and I also agree with this post...and is Independence Day really nearly 20 years old? Wow. I feel old. I remember seeing that in the theater. It made me cry, though I think I was feeling homesick at the time so I was a little emotional anyway.

 

[Maurice]

A number of you are conflating direction with editorial and script.

 

[Kinokima]

A number of you are conflating direction with editorial and script.

A director is often heavily involved with both.

 

[Maurice]

^^^Yes, often but not always, and the act of directing isn't the same as working with the writer in preproduction.

 

[Anika Hanson]

Nicholas Meyer.

Honourable mentions (in no order)

Leonard Nimoy
Jonathan Frakes
Suart Baird
JJ Abrams

 

[jpv2000]

Glad to see Meyer with such a lead. I think it is well deserved.

 

[Trek Survivor]

Not surprised but disappointed Meyer is winning.

I voted for Nimoy, as I thought he directed two of the more enjoyable.