3. Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) C + (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelly) After a lengthy hiatus the "Star Trek" franchise returned with this special effects extravaganza! We're reunited with our heroes from the Starship Enterprise as they face the mysterious menace approaching Earth. I know this film gets a bad time from fans and rightfully so. It has a lot of flaws. It isn't awful though, and the special effects were cutting edge for their time. The score is beautiful. The Enterprise is awesome to see. I do get a small sense of wonder and awe that fans probably felt after no "Star Trek" for so long. We're going through something like that now. The performances are decent. The idea is ambitious but kind of falls flat. I do get an appreciation for this film upon continued viewings. I remember being disappointed the first time I saw this as a kid on VHS or TV after reading and hearing so much about it. I still really hope one day that will get a novelization of "The God Thing". Unlikely but there are always possibilities.
4. Star Trek III: The Search For Spock (1984) C (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForrest Kelly, Christopher Lloyd) . This is one of my least liked Star Trek films. It had a lot to live up to though following the mammoth hit that was "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" and despite some fine performances from Christopher Lloyd and Robin Curtis (yea I'm one of the few who likes her as Saavik) this film doesn't do anything for me. One of it's shinning moments though is of course the famous, stealing the Enterprise scene, just the drama of that scene combined with James Horner's swelling score is just fantastic. There is the typical Trek humour in this film but it isn't enough to save the film. It feels like a transitional film. The ending though is incredibly emotional.
5. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) (B+) (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, and DeForest Kelly). For a long time when I was first discovering Star Trek as a young teen, this was my favourite of the original series films. It had everything. Action, adventure, comedy, emotional moments, a genuine romance. The score is light hearted and beautiful and there is also a genuine message in this movie. Leonard Nimoy does a wonderful job directing this movie. I have always liked Catherine Hicks, Gillian Taylor. I always thought she would have made an interesting romantic partner for Kirk. They chose though not to follow up on that.