Twelve movies – all very different.
Let’s start with the rankings, and then discuss:
Great:
– Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
– Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Good, but flawed in some way:
– Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
– Star Trek Into Darkness
– Star Trek: First Contact
– Star Trek
OK, but not great:
– Star Trek Generations
– Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
– Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Plain and simply bad:
– Star Trek: Insurrection
– Star Trek: Nemesis
– Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
But wait, I hear you say. Didn’t you call the movies just a little down this page ‘not Trek’? True. But the sad fact is that the movies on average are not a great representation of Star Trek. Even the undisputed champion, Wrath of Khan, only barely hangs on to what’s at the core of Trek.
If someone wants to watch some Star Trek, start them with parts of the TV show. The movies are just not the right place.
Which makes it all the more sad that right now TV Trek is dead, and only Movie Trek is around.