The Motion Picture (Director's Cut) = B-
The first installment of the ubiquitous movie series is methodical, cerebral, sweeping, operatic and elevates itself to lofty goals, while following a similar formula that worked for 2001: A Space Odyssey. Not here, however. Our characters are here and look a lot like they did before, but they're not really behaving like they did in the Original Series, with far too somber and serious a tone for the entire length of the movie. Little to no relief from our characters, their interactions felt dampened and artificial. The only character who looked flawless, in my opinion, was the Enterprise herself. Gorgeous design in and out, and a beauty to behold. That being said, there are some snags along the way, and it becomes obvious that the execution isn't quite up to snuff as the movie's ideals, and the film suffers for it. The Director's Cut is far superior to the original, fixing audio and video issues, sfx work and technical problems of the original.
The Wrath Of Khan = B
The second installment in the Star Trek movie series is far more lively and engaging. The high, lofty ideals are traded in for red uniforms and increasing Kirk swagger. The movie isn't dumb by any means, but it has decided that people want slam/bang and are willing to deliver. Ricardo Montalban's Khan is over the top and deliciously acted. It is my opinion that Khan set the bar for Trek villains that has yet to be equalled. Aside from the ham and cheese sandwich of Kirk and Khan as foes, the visuals are terrific, offering great new opportunities for top of the line special effects of the day. The battle scenes are numerous, the acting over the top but fun to watch, the storyline summed up in an entire sentence, and the ending poignant and heartfelt. Overall a fantastic second entry to the Star Trek franchise, and a hope of better things to come.
The Search For Spock = C
The Search For Spock was a lock. It was going to happen, and so this movie served more as a vehicle for TWOK's resolution. The plot is serviceable, the cast as fun as ever, the action toned down somewhat, but still keyed up and exciting. Christopher Lloyd's Captain Kruge leaves an aftertaste, but can still ham it up very well. He's no equal of Khan by any means, but he is still a decent adversary. The slight surprise of losing David, although I had an inkling when I realized that Saavik dying was unlikely, and Spock was certainly not going to die, so I figured it had to be the guy we saw only one movie before who came out of nowhere as Kirk's relative. That never bodes well, it seems. Fair plot, fair action, decent fun.
The Voyage Home = B+
The fourth movie in our Star Trek lineup, Voyage gives us a chance to breathe easy as the last three movies were so serious, people were probably starting to wonder where the hell the humor from TOS had gone. It is found in abundance here. The plot is simple and the message made inordinately obvious, but it works here. It is merely the backdrop for our dear friends to do their thing, and boy do they do it well. Lighthearted with a sprinkle of serious moments, this movie is accessible and fun for everyone, Trek and non-Trek fan alike. Definitely a classic, probably the most fun movie of the original cast.
The Final Frontier = B+
The fifth movie along the line of Trek movies, this one is maligned by so many, yet I found some of the best moments in TOS movie history here. The big Three have never been better, and the connection to their roots is strong and consistent. There are some technical issues, and I believe the movie doesn't get a fair shake because of the inept and turgid work of Bran Ferren, along with a Writer's Guild strike and numerous behind the scenes issues with Paramount Brass (make it more funny!) and crew (hey, let's steal these uniforms and sets!), the budget fell out from under Shatner, and the end result was what you see on screen. However, the heart was there, and the characters were there, and while the story was flimsy, the ideals were there, and combined, it overpowers for me, the poor SFX and inconsistent writing. For all his faults, William Shatner understands the characters and what makes them tick, particular the scene in which they share their secret pain. Luckinbill's Sybok was understated and low key save for a few slightly off center laughs, and I enjoyed him as the vehicle for teaching a lesson, not as some villain. Wonderful movie.
The Undiscovered Country = B-
The sixth and last full cast movie, there's more allegory (and outright referral!) to the Cold War and the relationship between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The sets are dark, the casting and acting is dark, with Christopher Plummer's Chang bringing in the most rogueish performance. The movie is essentially a taut political thriller with elements of Star Trek added to sweeten the pot. I enjoyed it very much, as I like taut political thrillers and this was a good fusion for me. It was nice to see the actors moving on, and as I will say for all of these movies, I just love the atmosphere and feel of the original cast movies. They come alive and manage to flesh out this universe we see before us in six 2 hour installments. Solid movie with some plot holes and slightly contrived sequences, but good nonetheless.
Generations = C-
I know what they were trying to do, I know where they were trying to go, I just think they missed the mark. That's not to say GEN is a poor movie, it just tried too hard and failed on that level. Shoddy characters, poor lighting on set, glaring plot holes, and an emotion chip. That being said, it was nice to see Kirk and Picard meet, to see a few favorites on screen once more before they faded away. This movie was a mixed bag for me.
First Contact = B
What is considered the second most popular Star Trek movie of the first ten, maybe even a tie with TWOK, this movie has it all. Time Travel, explosions, a new starship, a new look and feel, the TNG crew and the Borg, baby. The Borg are back and they're big here. A fun, exciting action packed movie with great characterization, fun sequences with one Zefram Cochrane, and a drunk Counselor Troi, I had a lot of fun with this movie and it's still one of my favorites, although it has slowly dropped a few pegs on the ladder. Still fun, still exciting, a few minor plot holes and one major one, and a fun ride meeting Vulcans for the first time.
Insurrection = D
Okay. The idea of the movie was well founded and solid. The execution was nothing short of laughable. This movie felt more like a two part episode, and I know for certain I'm not the only one who felt that way. We're not even talking spectacular 5th and 6th season TNG, but moderately okay late 2nd season TNG. I just did not feel for these characters in this movie, and I could not have cared any less about the Ba'ku or the Son'a. Normally a pure delight, F. Murray Abraham's Ru'afo was a terrible villain. Aside from face stretches and looking impatient, there wasn't much from him to indicate he was any sort of adversary worth screen time. Poor pacing, wafer thin plot, bad writing, Klingon zits, Data as a floatation device. Blech. There were a few good moments in the movie, but aside from that, it fell very flat.
Nemesis = F
Terrible plot, terrible execution, terrible acting, terrible action sequences. The only thing this movie had going for it were special effects. The characters from TNG I had loved since my childhood were strangely absent here, replaced with action heroes and unwitty dialogue that fell so flat with each sentence, I thought at one point, we'd see someone standing off to the side reading the script to the various actors as they quoted their lines. It was phoned in, hammed up and had some of the most glaring, contrived and shallow plot points ever witnessed in a Trek movie. This movie should have been a stellar end to a stellar cast. Instead, they were just spaced.
Star Trek = A
A fresh start to an aging franchise, one nearly killed by the inanely conceived Nemesis, Star Trek catches the spark of the original series and builds it into a roaring fire. Great characterization, great action sequences, great fun. Star Trek introduces us to our old heroes but with a new breath of life in each one, inhabited by some new actors whom we are generally unfamiliar with in this setting. This new universe is bold, exciting and takes huge risks, something I believe Star Trek hadn't accomplished in more than 40 years. Eric Bana's Nero may not be the most adversarial villain, but he gets the job done. Billions of lives extinguished under his insane vendetta, a universe irrevocably altered, a timeline knocked off kilter to follow a new, unknown path into the future. Great visuals, fantastic characters, witty dialogue, comedic action sequences, hallmarks to the original series, and for me, a huge thrill ride worth seeing over and over again. The plot may seem thin, but introductory movies tend to have little in the way of plot, as there is so much to do, which is why they are so busy. In two hours, these movies have to introduce you to new characters, get you to connect with them, tell a story and make it engaging, something that I believe Star Trek has accomplished most superbly. Is it flawless? No, but it is enjoyable, exciting, bold, thrilling, engrossing, heartfelt, and strives to attain some lofty goals, all while bringing our beloved heroes down to earth, as it were, and get you involved. In my opinion, a complete success.
J.