Much respect for putting STID at number one. It's not my favorite Trek movie, but it's up there. Highly underrated.
Poll Which is your favourite star trek movie?
- Thread starter DocCrusher
- Start date
The Final Frontier.
Seems the most like the original series to me and I like what Shatner did with it.
What other film can make the claim of having anything remotely as charming and endearing to be merchandised from it as the automated 'marshmelon' dispenser.
Wow, I think I still have this in the kitchen. In either case, I remember it directly from my childhood.
I flip-flop between TWOK and FC, with TUC taking third place.
For me
1. TUC
2. TWOK
3a. FC
3b GQ
1. TUC
2. TWOK
3a. FC
3b GQ
Much respect for putting STID at number one. It's not my favorite Trek movie, but it's up there. Highly underrated.
I'd go so far to say it's CRIMINALLY underrated
I'd go so far to say it's CRIMINALLY underrated
Into Darkness is well up there. It's without doubt the most exciting Trek movie for me. An absolute roller-coaster ride on first viewing on the big screen.
It's got plenty of faults, sure, but it's a ballsy, balls-out entry into the franchise. I find it hugely rewatchable.
Agreed. It's not perfect, but it's definitely a bold film. And like you said, hugely rewatchable. I return to STID often. It's a lot of fun.
From most to least, with reasoning only loopy peeps like me can provideth:
1. TWOK*: Builds beautifully on the past, nobody tops Ricardo
2. TSFS*: Definitely shows the spirit of Kirk's era while doing something epic on the big screen
3. TUC: Also tries to be big and epic, good coda, wish they didn't reuse and redress all the TNG sets
4. Beyond: Has a nice epic story, great use of the characters, and the rap music felt germane to the storyline. Krall was pretty cool, much of the movie was. Felt like "Into Darkness" done right. Re-viewings add more sense to the movie's start with the destruction of the Enterprise.
5. TMP: The most true sci-fi of the bunch, a shame the f/x people got sacked since there was no real proper showing of Vger's exterior... in 1979, it was huge. And the f/x are amazing. Still feels like a TV episode on the big screen, but it's solid
6. Final Frontier: Hit or miss but the big three get a lot of scenes that feel like 60s Trek... some good ideas got lost due to behind the scenes problems (many not Shatner, especially when comedy was required - Paramount wanted that $$$$, and when the movie got serious one could quickly tell the change in tone and it went up ).
7. Voyage Home: The humor hasn't consistently dated well...
8. Generations: Hit or miss, but was the first since TWOK to deal with mortality. Excise the Xmas Nexus fluff, tighten some dialogue, let Kirk have the tragedy ending instead of a boring five minute death speech that felt longer than what people who slept through TMP were feeling...
9. Into Darkness: Cut out the magic blood and the cringeworthy Kirk/Khan pally spacesuit scenes in the middle and there's largely a decent movie that manages to redo Khan's origins somewhat nicely, as well as a double double bluff and a social issue with terrorism. Definitely makes up for ST2009's foibles. While I understand they were trying to recapture the lightning of Khan in a constrained 2 hour movie format, and the only other times that began to work involved General Chang, Krall, and arguably the Borg Queen, Khan ends up being hit or miss despite the retooled origins. And if you want Khan to appear genuinely menacing instead of a generic heavy/campy cartoon, simply replace Benedict Cumberbatch with a giant stick of celery or carrot. He works so much better in "Sherlock", in STID there's only an actor phoning it in for a paycheck and sleepwalking through a big screen exposure.
10. Insurrection: Very hit or miss but feels like the TNG crew, at lease until they talk about bewbies and those are not important and how Picard is McClane, etc. Get rid of Gilbert and Sullivans song. Put in more historical accuracy and not OD on the Baku/Sona subplot's details, or just do a total rewrite...
11. First Contact: One big misfire and logic gaffe after another, yet all made memorable by very innovative direction. Just buy Orbison's oobie doobie album instead of watching Troi pretend she's high on ouzo and doobie. I was conscious to more than half the problems in the theater, but Red Letter Media tells the rest -- and in its usual sense of style...
12. Nemesis. Makes FC look like tightly written bulletproof Shakespeare by comparison. Nothing redeeming whatsoever. Even Troi's shiny new powers are out of nowhere. The fact people cheered in the theater only when a character on screen said "Kirk Maneuver" was pretty bad, it's like everyone time-warped back to 1987 and using TOS as a crutch again...
13. ST2009: Where do I begin... product placements, shallow, superficial, using TOS as a crutch, stupid callback scenes... just like Nemesis in those regards except this time people weren't paying attention. Movie also feels like what they did for the 1990s Brady Bunch movies, take a bunch of scenes from the original, put them in a blender, and use those as a plot. The only thing missing was Davy Jones' wig for Chekov.
* yes, there are continuity gaffes. But thgat's true for all franchises and even Star Wars was written on the fly, since Leia was frenching her brother (in more than one movie too, whoops) and didn't ever get to find out who big daddy was... so I can handle the oddities not mopped up
1. TWOK*: Builds beautifully on the past, nobody tops Ricardo
2. TSFS*: Definitely shows the spirit of Kirk's era while doing something epic on the big screen
3. TUC: Also tries to be big and epic, good coda, wish they didn't reuse and redress all the TNG sets
4. Beyond: Has a nice epic story, great use of the characters, and the rap music felt germane to the storyline. Krall was pretty cool, much of the movie was. Felt like "Into Darkness" done right. Re-viewings add more sense to the movie's start with the destruction of the Enterprise.
5. TMP: The most true sci-fi of the bunch, a shame the f/x people got sacked since there was no real proper showing of Vger's exterior... in 1979, it was huge. And the f/x are amazing. Still feels like a TV episode on the big screen, but it's solid
6. Final Frontier: Hit or miss but the big three get a lot of scenes that feel like 60s Trek... some good ideas got lost due to behind the scenes problems (many not Shatner, especially when comedy was required - Paramount wanted that $$$$, and when the movie got serious one could quickly tell the change in tone and it went up ).
7. Voyage Home: The humor hasn't consistently dated well...
8. Generations: Hit or miss, but was the first since TWOK to deal with mortality. Excise the Xmas Nexus fluff, tighten some dialogue, let Kirk have the tragedy ending instead of a boring five minute death speech that felt longer than what people who slept through TMP were feeling...
9. Into Darkness: Cut out the magic blood and the cringeworthy Kirk/Khan pally spacesuit scenes in the middle and there's largely a decent movie that manages to redo Khan's origins somewhat nicely, as well as a double double bluff and a social issue with terrorism. Definitely makes up for ST2009's foibles. While I understand they were trying to recapture the lightning of Khan in a constrained 2 hour movie format, and the only other times that began to work involved General Chang, Krall, and arguably the Borg Queen, Khan ends up being hit or miss despite the retooled origins. And if you want Khan to appear genuinely menacing instead of a generic heavy/campy cartoon, simply replace Benedict Cumberbatch with a giant stick of celery or carrot. He works so much better in "Sherlock", in STID there's only an actor phoning it in for a paycheck and sleepwalking through a big screen exposure.
10. Insurrection: Very hit or miss but feels like the TNG crew, at lease until they talk about bewbies and those are not important and how Picard is McClane, etc. Get rid of Gilbert and Sullivans song. Put in more historical accuracy and not OD on the Baku/Sona subplot's details, or just do a total rewrite...
11. First Contact: One big misfire and logic gaffe after another, yet all made memorable by very innovative direction. Just buy Orbison's oobie doobie album instead of watching Troi pretend she's high on ouzo and doobie. I was conscious to more than half the problems in the theater, but Red Letter Media tells the rest -- and in its usual sense of style...
12. Nemesis. Makes FC look like tightly written bulletproof Shakespeare by comparison. Nothing redeeming whatsoever. Even Troi's shiny new powers are out of nowhere. The fact people cheered in the theater only when a character on screen said "Kirk Maneuver" was pretty bad, it's like everyone time-warped back to 1987 and using TOS as a crutch again...
13. ST2009: Where do I begin... product placements, shallow, superficial, using TOS as a crutch, stupid callback scenes... just like Nemesis in those regards except this time people weren't paying attention. Movie also feels like what they did for the 1990s Brady Bunch movies, take a bunch of scenes from the original, put them in a blender, and use those as a plot. The only thing missing was Davy Jones' wig for Chekov.
* yes, there are continuity gaffes. But thgat's true for all franchises and even Star Wars was written on the fly, since Leia was frenching her brother (in more than one movie too, whoops) and didn't ever get to find out who big daddy was... so I can handle the oddities not mopped up
maybe the humor in voyage home hasnt dated well but it takes you right back to that time.. even if you weren't born then it gives you a real glimpse of the 80s/70s and the culture, it's so cosy.
Into Darkness' story could've been a lot better, but Geez, I don't believe I've ever seen a Star Trek film looked that good...ever. I felt that film--visually-- should be the template to how Trek films should look. The Warp Speed, the Klingon world, the pretty nebula in space, the interior designs of the Enterprise, and showing sexy ladies from scene to scene- - Gene Roddenberry would've leap out of his grave and personally thanked JJ Abrams.I'd go so far to say it's CRIMINALLY underrated
ST:ID was a pretty looking movie, despite the story flaws.
If I had to choose one as my favorite would be Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, a Trek tale where an audience don't require to do any homework to understand what's going on; it tells a tale which is true to Star Trek, and the film doesn't require too much violence to propel the narrative. Also, the movie was lighthearted and funny, everything about that project felt special. Leonard Nimoy had grown as a director from his first film which sucked royally and found a balance to produce a film which had an inspiring theme, mixed with suspense.
Beyond's obvious sin was destroying the Enterprise because the Captain is stupid. I guess Kirk rebounds from his incompetence by fighting Idris Elba with his fists in zero space, but I fail to see how this makes him a better strategist. A space battle would've been the choice for me... with the Enterprise, but it would've echoed TWOK.
Beyond was the first movie where the narrative wasn't spearheaded by Spock, a clever choice by JJ Abrams, and now it's centered on Kirk. Chris Pine is a decent actor but he's not a star, and can't carry a picture like how Quinto did in the first two movies. I think Karl Urban is the person who shined in that movie; finally not mocking DeForest Kelley and making the character his own--he was THE bright spot in this Fast and Furious-type Star Trek movie.
A shame, the beginning of the movie actually felt like Star Trek, it didn't last.
Why sorry to say??? You like what your heart desires, no shame in that. The one thing that movie has is that bombastic score, a helluva score.
1. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
2. Star Trek Into Darkness
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
4. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
5. Star Trek (2009)
6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
7. Star Trek Beyond
8. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
10. Star Trek: Nemesis
11. Star Trek: Generations
12. Star Trek: First Contact
13. Star Trek: Insurrection
2. Star Trek Into Darkness
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
4. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
5. Star Trek (2009)
6. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
7. Star Trek Beyond
8. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
9. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
10. Star Trek: Nemesis
11. Star Trek: Generations
12. Star Trek: First Contact
13. Star Trek: Insurrection
I'm always an unashamed sucker for this exercise.
Star Trek II- The Wrath of Khan
I recognize it’s unoriginal and cliché to choose this as the top movie. But, it deserves it. I’ve recently had the chance to watch it once or twice with friends who have never seen it before. This experience gives you the effect of “watching it for the first time through someone else’s eyes.” I can tell you that watching it from that vantage point has me convinced that not only is it the best Star Trek movie…but it is one of the franchise’s finest stories ever. The themes of aging, revenge, consequence, family and mortality were the perfect blend of elements for that time in the franchise. Add that to a colorful action / adventure plot with plenty of suspense and drama, and this is the crown jewel.
Star Trek- The Motion Picture
This may be the only true “epic” Star Trek ever produced. It’s odd that in many ways, it is the opposite thematically and from a pure presentation standpoint from TWOK, but yet it holds a spot as a “close second” with regard to my favorite movies in the franchise. The character stories of Kirk and Spock are very well done here (in fact, criminally underrated in my opinion) and interwoven very well with V’Ger’s story. The grandeur, visual appeal, soundtrack etc are all the best of the franchise. It also boasts a very pure sci-fi concept, which most of the franchise films did not.
Star Trek III- The Search for Spock
A very worthy follow-up to TWOK. There was probably no film or episode that did as much to build the world of Star Trek as much as TSFS did. It was a unique story (at the time) with the plot element of having Kirk and crew go rogue and steal the Enterprise. The themes of family and sacrifice ring throughout the picture. Shatner gives his best performance ever as Kirk. Kruge is a great villain and set the tone for 20 years worth of Klingon characters to follow. The destruction of the Enterprise is an iconic moment in cinema. Awesome movie.
Star Trek V- The Final Frontier
Most fans really dislike this film, but it has always been in my upper echelon. This (and TMP) are arguably the most traditional Star Trek stories in the entire film franchise. There are absolutely priceless and precious moments between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy here…and those relationships are one of the primary reasons I call myself a “fan.” The quest plot could have used a re-write or two to iron out some significant unevenness…but this is generally the kind of Star Trek movie I always wanted to see. Sybok is a very compelling character and avoids many standard moustache-twirling villain tropes. There are some genuine moments of awe and wonder in the film that I am always grateful for as well.
Star Trek: First Contact
Easily the best “Next Generation” movie, and certainly the one with the most enduring and “mass audience” appeal. Bringing the Borg to the big screen was a great (although obvious) choice, but interweaving it with a time travel epic about the birth of “Star Trek” as we know it was pretty brilliant. There’s some great performances mixed in throughout that reflect enough heart and drama to make this a really nice film. I think that, with no special effects, no sets, no action, etc…one of the best scenes in the film franchise is simply Picard and Lily confronting each other in the observation lounge. Awesome stuff.
Star Trek (2009)
This movie has its flaws and it’s eye rollers, but it is undeniably the film responsible for giving rebirth to my interest in Star Trek after a long drought of apathy. The opening 5 mins alone pack enough punch to carry the rest of the film. The fun, color and action/adventure of the original series makes a bold return in this film. While the plot itself is pretty pedestrian, it’s the characters, chemistry and performances that hit the mark. The action set pieces are a spectacle to behold as well. I find it easy to digest the ridiculousness of the Kelvinverse films by looking at them the same way I view Trek comics and fan films…very good “what if” type stories featuring characters I know and love.
Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country
I’m happy that to this day, this is viewed as a worthwhile send off for my original and most beloved heroes. It’s a fun movie with some nice character stuff and some cool action scenes, and it has heart and a few good plot twists to boot. That said, something about TUC has just never totally clicked for me. It feels far too rushed and too sloppy for me to take as seriously as some of the other entries.
Star Trek: Nemesis
I don’t hate this movie nearly as much as others do. In fact, if I’m doing a ranking of only TNG movies, this is a close second behind FC. Yes, some of the sequences are cringe-worthy (Kolaris III Mad Max scene, for example), but there is a lot of good stuff in here as well. The final action scene with the Enterprise battling the Scimitar is worth the price of admission, and a lot of the scenes between Picard and Shinzon are well written and well performed. I give Nemesis a ton of credit for at least TRYING to do something cinematic and epic. Even as it stumbled (and was shamelessly derivative)…at least it felt like a major motion picture and not a made-for-TV movie.
Star Trek Beyond
For a while, this was my favorite of the Kelvinverse films, but it doesn’t have the re-watch value I want in a Star Trek film. Lots of heartwarming character moments…far more fun character interplay than the other Kelvin films (and that interplay is far more aligned with the characters we came to know in TOS). It has a beautiful soundtrack and some outstanding visual appeal. But, Idris Elba is wasted as a cut-and-paste villain with questionable motives and when you start to break it down, this is a fun movie that doesn’t make a damn bit of sense, quite honestly. Still I enjoy the heck out of this if/when I turn my brain off and just go with it.
Star Trek IV- The Voyage Home
This is my least-favorite of the TOS films, but that doesn’t mean it’s awful by any stretch. I think it just misses the mark for me personally. I am more a fan of outer space adventure, and most of the “time travel to Earth’s past” stuff in the franchise just never excited me too much. TVH has a ton of heart and character-driven humor and a very Star Trek message built in. But, it’s one of the least-rewatchable of the entire franchise for me.
Star Trek Generations
This is probably the most “TNG-like” of the movies featuring that cast. It has gorgeous cinematography and a very underrated soundtrack. I love the opening scenes with the Enterprise-B and I think there are some great messages / thoughts mixed in about the nature of our mortality and life in general. The bottom line unfortunately is that this ends up being a convoluted mess and a missed opportunity with the Kirk-Picard crossover, and that’s hard to get past.
Star Trek Into Darkness
This is like an absolutely awesome theme park ride that makes you scream and shout while your heart thumps in your chest for the duration of the ride, but then you get off and you’re dizzy, nauseous, and then you vomit your hot dog and Mountain Dew all over the place, vowing that you’ll never get on again. It’s visually stunning, and is an amazing ride from start to finish…and the cast puts forward a wonderful and entertaining performance. But, the plot is so mind-blowingly stupid and inane that it gives me gas just thinking about it. From the moment Spock does his “Khan” yell to the end credits is virtually unwatchable for me (and I LOVE Star Trek)…I literally just don’t watch beyond the “death” of Kirk (which is a great scene).
Star Trek: Insurrection
The only Star Trek movie I actively dislike. As I’ve said several times, there is no greater sin when managing a franchise like Star Trek than to strive for mediocrity with your $60M sci-fi action/adventure major motion picture. INS has the distinction of being more forgettable and unremarkable than ¾ of the one-hour TNG episodes that were made for $1.5M a pop on syndicated TV. That’s inexcusable, and this is a bad film by any measure.
Star Trek II- The Wrath of Khan
I recognize it’s unoriginal and cliché to choose this as the top movie. But, it deserves it. I’ve recently had the chance to watch it once or twice with friends who have never seen it before. This experience gives you the effect of “watching it for the first time through someone else’s eyes.” I can tell you that watching it from that vantage point has me convinced that not only is it the best Star Trek movie…but it is one of the franchise’s finest stories ever. The themes of aging, revenge, consequence, family and mortality were the perfect blend of elements for that time in the franchise. Add that to a colorful action / adventure plot with plenty of suspense and drama, and this is the crown jewel.
Star Trek- The Motion Picture
This may be the only true “epic” Star Trek ever produced. It’s odd that in many ways, it is the opposite thematically and from a pure presentation standpoint from TWOK, but yet it holds a spot as a “close second” with regard to my favorite movies in the franchise. The character stories of Kirk and Spock are very well done here (in fact, criminally underrated in my opinion) and interwoven very well with V’Ger’s story. The grandeur, visual appeal, soundtrack etc are all the best of the franchise. It also boasts a very pure sci-fi concept, which most of the franchise films did not.
Star Trek III- The Search for Spock
A very worthy follow-up to TWOK. There was probably no film or episode that did as much to build the world of Star Trek as much as TSFS did. It was a unique story (at the time) with the plot element of having Kirk and crew go rogue and steal the Enterprise. The themes of family and sacrifice ring throughout the picture. Shatner gives his best performance ever as Kirk. Kruge is a great villain and set the tone for 20 years worth of Klingon characters to follow. The destruction of the Enterprise is an iconic moment in cinema. Awesome movie.
Star Trek V- The Final Frontier
Most fans really dislike this film, but it has always been in my upper echelon. This (and TMP) are arguably the most traditional Star Trek stories in the entire film franchise. There are absolutely priceless and precious moments between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy here…and those relationships are one of the primary reasons I call myself a “fan.” The quest plot could have used a re-write or two to iron out some significant unevenness…but this is generally the kind of Star Trek movie I always wanted to see. Sybok is a very compelling character and avoids many standard moustache-twirling villain tropes. There are some genuine moments of awe and wonder in the film that I am always grateful for as well.
Star Trek: First Contact
Easily the best “Next Generation” movie, and certainly the one with the most enduring and “mass audience” appeal. Bringing the Borg to the big screen was a great (although obvious) choice, but interweaving it with a time travel epic about the birth of “Star Trek” as we know it was pretty brilliant. There’s some great performances mixed in throughout that reflect enough heart and drama to make this a really nice film. I think that, with no special effects, no sets, no action, etc…one of the best scenes in the film franchise is simply Picard and Lily confronting each other in the observation lounge. Awesome stuff.
Star Trek (2009)
This movie has its flaws and it’s eye rollers, but it is undeniably the film responsible for giving rebirth to my interest in Star Trek after a long drought of apathy. The opening 5 mins alone pack enough punch to carry the rest of the film. The fun, color and action/adventure of the original series makes a bold return in this film. While the plot itself is pretty pedestrian, it’s the characters, chemistry and performances that hit the mark. The action set pieces are a spectacle to behold as well. I find it easy to digest the ridiculousness of the Kelvinverse films by looking at them the same way I view Trek comics and fan films…very good “what if” type stories featuring characters I know and love.
Star Trek VI- The Undiscovered Country
I’m happy that to this day, this is viewed as a worthwhile send off for my original and most beloved heroes. It’s a fun movie with some nice character stuff and some cool action scenes, and it has heart and a few good plot twists to boot. That said, something about TUC has just never totally clicked for me. It feels far too rushed and too sloppy for me to take as seriously as some of the other entries.
Star Trek: Nemesis
I don’t hate this movie nearly as much as others do. In fact, if I’m doing a ranking of only TNG movies, this is a close second behind FC. Yes, some of the sequences are cringe-worthy (Kolaris III Mad Max scene, for example), but there is a lot of good stuff in here as well. The final action scene with the Enterprise battling the Scimitar is worth the price of admission, and a lot of the scenes between Picard and Shinzon are well written and well performed. I give Nemesis a ton of credit for at least TRYING to do something cinematic and epic. Even as it stumbled (and was shamelessly derivative)…at least it felt like a major motion picture and not a made-for-TV movie.
Star Trek Beyond
For a while, this was my favorite of the Kelvinverse films, but it doesn’t have the re-watch value I want in a Star Trek film. Lots of heartwarming character moments…far more fun character interplay than the other Kelvin films (and that interplay is far more aligned with the characters we came to know in TOS). It has a beautiful soundtrack and some outstanding visual appeal. But, Idris Elba is wasted as a cut-and-paste villain with questionable motives and when you start to break it down, this is a fun movie that doesn’t make a damn bit of sense, quite honestly. Still I enjoy the heck out of this if/when I turn my brain off and just go with it.
Star Trek IV- The Voyage Home
This is my least-favorite of the TOS films, but that doesn’t mean it’s awful by any stretch. I think it just misses the mark for me personally. I am more a fan of outer space adventure, and most of the “time travel to Earth’s past” stuff in the franchise just never excited me too much. TVH has a ton of heart and character-driven humor and a very Star Trek message built in. But, it’s one of the least-rewatchable of the entire franchise for me.
Star Trek Generations
This is probably the most “TNG-like” of the movies featuring that cast. It has gorgeous cinematography and a very underrated soundtrack. I love the opening scenes with the Enterprise-B and I think there are some great messages / thoughts mixed in about the nature of our mortality and life in general. The bottom line unfortunately is that this ends up being a convoluted mess and a missed opportunity with the Kirk-Picard crossover, and that’s hard to get past.
Star Trek Into Darkness
This is like an absolutely awesome theme park ride that makes you scream and shout while your heart thumps in your chest for the duration of the ride, but then you get off and you’re dizzy, nauseous, and then you vomit your hot dog and Mountain Dew all over the place, vowing that you’ll never get on again. It’s visually stunning, and is an amazing ride from start to finish…and the cast puts forward a wonderful and entertaining performance. But, the plot is so mind-blowingly stupid and inane that it gives me gas just thinking about it. From the moment Spock does his “Khan” yell to the end credits is virtually unwatchable for me (and I LOVE Star Trek)…I literally just don’t watch beyond the “death” of Kirk (which is a great scene).
Star Trek: Insurrection
The only Star Trek movie I actively dislike. As I’ve said several times, there is no greater sin when managing a franchise like Star Trek than to strive for mediocrity with your $60M sci-fi action/adventure major motion picture. INS has the distinction of being more forgettable and unremarkable than ¾ of the one-hour TNG episodes that were made for $1.5M a pop on syndicated TV. That’s inexcusable, and this is a bad film by any measure.
Similar threads
