As Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) states in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3’s “Crisis Point 2: Paradoxus,” if it’s a Starfleet movie, it’s worth doing. Nevertheless, it’s still natural to feel certain Star Trek movies hit a little closer to home than others.
For this week’s Trek Tuesday, and taking inspiration from a column that’s “streets ahead,” we’re ranking the original crew Star Trek movies. Remember, this is subjective, so we want to hear how you’d rank them, too. Can you guess which movie earned the top spot in our ranking?
The Final Frontier
First of all, let’s make this clear right up top: just like Mariner said, any Starfleet movie is worth doing. That includes the somewhat infamous Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, which is at the bottom of our ranking. Nevertheless, it remains an essential chapter in the Star Trek movie story.
RELATED: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds – Brother from Another Planet
Co-written and directed by William Shatner (James T. Kirk), The Final Frontier has a few glaring issues. First, it foregrounds Kirk and, to a lesser degree, Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelley), at the expense of the rest of the ensemble cast. Second, it ignores Spock’s extensive character development over the first four movies. However, it also features one of the best lines in any movie ever: “What does god need with a starship?” What indeed! This entry is best enjoyed with a big pot of beans.
The Search for Spock
In Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, Kirk and the rest of the USS Enterprise crew must rescue a reborn Spock from the Genesis Planet. Directed by Nimoy, this movie also features Christopher Lloyd as a villainous Klingon, Commander Kruge. Furthermore, between Spock placing his katra in McCoy’s brain and the return to Vulcan at the movie’s conclusion, we learn much more about Vulcans in this entry. Plus, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), Sulu (George Takei) and Scotty (James Doohan) all have some nice moments.
However, the third movie in the series has some questionable narrative choices. These include having Saavik (Robin Curtis) assist the reborn Spock with his Pon Farr. Fortunately, a subsequent plotline about Saavik becoming pregnant was dropped from future sequels.
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
The first Star Trek movie, Star Trek: The Motion Picture, was directed by Robert Wise. This is the director behind the sci-fi classic The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). This movie would prove integral to the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds pilot, “Strange New Worlds.”
RELATED: Star Trek: Picard Season 3: 8 Great Trek Movie References
In TMP, an enigmatic entity threatens to destroy Earth (and a lot of the rest of the quadrant). However, the Enterprise crew can eventually communicate with it, leading to some surprising revelations. Spock is treated to an impressive psychedelic light show on the road to those revelations. V’Ger brings some pretty groovy visuals, man. Also, Chekov (Walter Koenig) says “photon torpedoes” in the most memorable manner possible.
The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is a sequel to the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Space Seed.” It features the return of antagonist Khan Noonien-Singh (Ricardo Montalbán). This entry in the Star Trek movie series casts a long shadow, boasting a legacy that influences both the Franchise and movies as a whole.
Director Nicholas Meyer was also responsible for an uncredited rewrite of the script. Meyer was an outsider when he was hired for the job. However, this perspective turned out to be just what the Franchise needed. The Wrath of Khan remains a popular action movie that continues bringing new Trekkies into the fold.
The Undiscovered County
Fun fact: Meyer originally wanted Star Trek II subtitled “The Undiscovered Country.” He learned his subtitle had been replaced when a script draft was returned to him with the new title. But when he returned to write and direct Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, he had the clout to make his Shakespearian title stick.
RELATED: Alas, Poor Garrovick: 10 Shakespearian Star Trek Titles
However, that isn’t the only reference to William Shakespeare in this chapter of the Star Trek movie series. The scene-stealing antagonist, Klingon General Chang (Christopher Plummer), chews up the scenery while slinging Shakespeare quotes. “Captain, have we not heard the chimes at midnight?”
The Voyage Home
In some circles, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home is known as “the one with the whales.” While that may be true, there’s so much more at play in the fourth entry in the movie series. For this reason, it earns the top spot on our ranking of the original crew movies.
Once again directed by Nimoy, this entry sees the Enterprise crew (sans Enterprise) visiting San Francisco in the 1980s. This leads to hilarity. But besides the fish-out-of-water time travel antics, this movie also features a meaningful sci-fi storyline with an important environmental message. Plus, of all the movies featuring the original crew, this one most closely focuses on the friendship between Spock and Kirk. Finally, it’s clear that Doctor Gillian Taylor (Catherine Hicks) is personally responsible for the addition of the Cetacean Ops division to Starfleet. Who says one person can’t make a difference?
All six original crew Star Trek movies are currently available for streaming on Paramount+.
https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/star-trek-episodes-that-take-place-on-earth/
- 7 Powerful Pop Culture Grimoires - September 6, 2024
- STAR TREK Alums (and More) Sign On for Free GEEKS AND NERDS FOR HARRIS Online Event - September 5, 2024
- Art Book Review: MARVEL STUDIOS’ THE INFINITY SAGA – THE ART OF IRON MAN 3 - September 5, 2024
