I was thinking of this in terms of something Stan Lee once said, that every comic book is someone's first comic book and wondered, is every film in the STAR TREK series someone's favorite? For example, as maligned as it is, is THE FINAL FRONTIER someone's favorite TREK movie? I find it hard to pick a top favorite from the series, but I'm the fan who winds up watching the odd-numbered entries more than then more popular even numbered. Not sure why, maybe I appreciate their ambitions, even if their reach exceeded their grasp. In that case, THE MOTION PICTURE or SEARCH FOR SPOCK might wind up as my favorite from the series.
I'm not sure I have any particular favorite, just like I can't name a single episode as my all around top choice. Each film has things I like, and things I don't like. None of them is perfect.
OK, good to know, for some reason I was thinking of that today, after listening the Mission Podcast on TREK V. It's one of those movies that is mostly dismissed, then there are those who find some winning aspects to it (Big Three scenes), but I don't think I've ever seen it listed as someone's absolute favorite.
Just on this board I've seen every single film listed as at least one person's favorite, at least up through 2009. I don't spend much time in the new movies forum, so I dunno if anyone there has listed STID as their fave.
I'd have to say Undiscovered Country is my favorite of the older trek movies. Not to knock anyone's taste, but is be surprised to hear V: the final frontier listed as anyone's favorite trek movie. It's honestly the only one I cant really get through in one sitting bad pretty much the only one I avoid re watching.
I think Stan was onto something. In my experience, nothing is so obscure or unloved that it isn't somebody's favorite movie, comic book, TV show, whatever. Sometimes it's just a matter of imprinting on something at an impressionable age--or finding something that really strikes a nerve at a certain point in your life. Horse Feathers remains my all-time favorite Marx Bros. movie, undoubtedly because it was the the first one I'd ever seen . . . and you never forget your first time.
I've seen that said on several threads in the NuTrek Forum, so the same applies. We live in a big world, so yes, no matter how much some of us dislike some of the Trek outings, there will be those who love them, and they deserve our respect. EDIT: that sounds a bit more 'us vs them' than I intended. Don't know how to reword that other than to say we should be tolerant of differing opinions. But that just sounds preachy, so...
Battlefield: Earth is my favorite film from that franchise! I know its a terrible movie, but I have a soft spot for it. Soooo much cheese!
While Star Trek II is not only my all time favorite Star Trek movie, but one of my all time favorite Sci Fi movies, it is impossible for me to watch it without first watching TMP, and following it up with TSFS. For me, that is a near-perfect trilogy, and literally three of my all time favorite movies, regardless of genre. Also, I think of all the Trek films, they hold up the best. TVH was fun in its day, but I don't think it holds up as well. I could ALMOST be happy watching TVH, and just completely fast forward from the point they arrive in 1986, to the point where they sling shot back to the 23rd century. First Contact was great back in the day, but is starting to show its age, and doesn't hold up as well as the first three. But is still watchable. TUC is a good send off movie, but to me, TUC should have been Star Trek 5, and ended the TOS franchise then and there. TFF, like Generations, has its moments but is somewhat flawed, and is painful at times to watch. But at least still watchable. Nemesis FX holds up, but the plot problems I had with it in 2002 are still problems for me today, though I judge it less harshly, now. It still had some good moments. Insurrection watches more or less like a glorified mediocre TNG episode, but the HMS Pinafore and the gorch bits makes me want to vomit every time. I accept Star Trek 2009 as a good movie, but I can't stand STID. Unless Star Trek 3 (2016) redeems the Abramsverse for me, I am just going to consider Star Trek 2009 a one-off, self contained story set in an alternate timeline, much like In a Mirror, Darkly.
I love all* of the Star Trek films Though my top 2 are: The Voyage Home Insurrection *nemesis would be so much btter if there was no mention of B4 *'09 and ST:ID I don't consider Star Trek
I think we got to have just one person say they love STV the best and we'll have success. There's people out there who've never seen the first 10 so either ST09 or STID's gotta be their favourite. I reckon Shatner's favourite's gonna be STV.
Every movie has got its own unique pros and cons. It shouldn't surprise anyone that there would certainly be people out there who like the movies that they don't, and vice versa. Different people can get different things out of the movies that they watch. Really I have little time for 'the fan consensus'. I value hearing differing opinions.