Rate Star Trek Films In Order of Best to Worst.

[darth_myeek]

No need to explain them all, just rank em Top (awesome) to Bottom (feeder). Maybe a one-liner regarding an element that made your top choice the best. Keep it positive. :thumbsup

Here they are in chronological order:

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)
Star Trek Generations (1994)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1999)
Star Trek Nemesis (2002)
Star Trek (2009)

 

[Larry Young]

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982): The gold standard. Everything I liked about watching the old show on a black and white TV on WPIX on the sly in my parents room at 6 pm when my sister was watching ZOOM and my parents were watching the news or fixing dinner. Except in color and 30 feet wide. I wave my beer at you, KHAN. Salut!

Star Trek (2009): This movie was excellent. Delivered on all levels. Even with the gratuitous use of Old Spock to lube up the fanboys, this one was on the highway to the danger zone. In a good way.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979): I watched this eight times in the theatre because I was so stoked there was a STAR TREK movie for me to watch before I realized it was just sort of OK. Way up in the list because the souped-up director's cut/do-over is excellent. Like Pee-wee Herman falling over on the bike and getting up and saying "I meant to do that."

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991): Super cool for the Pepto-Bismol blood and for getting me on the TNG set via MTV. I will always love this flick for that. Minus: Kim Catrall as a fake Saavik; plus: Christopher Plummer has his eyepatch bolted to his skull.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986): I know everyone loves the whales but the Bay Area geography is so wack I can't deal. The Monterey Bay Aquarium is not at Fort Point, and it doesn't take a couple of minutes to walk from the park to Market and Kearney. Somebody had too much LDS.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989): unfairly maligned

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984): placeholder flick

Star Trek Generations (1994)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
Star Trek: Insurrection (1999): These are all of a piece, to me, but it may be more where I was in my life than any fault of the films. But they are unmemorable to me.

Star Trek Nemesis (2002): No, I did not like this one at all. I know people worked hard to entertain me, but I was not. Entertained. Very glad to have JJ on the scene.

 

[phase pistol]

Ranking the Trek films! This seems to come up every six months or so. But I'll bite. :lol

1) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - What can I say! Probably the most exciting and on-the-mark of the films. Captures the characters and situations that made Trek a fantastic TV series.

2) Star Trek: The Motion Picture - I know, right? But watch the Director's cut that came out in the early 2000s. Robert Wise's final word on the film. With a nip here, a tuck there, and some massaged music and sound effects, the sow's ear becomes a silk purse. Still the most science-fictional of the Trek films (think 2001: a space odyssey).

3) Now it gets difficult! :lol I used to put Star Trek VI: The Undisovered Country in this slot, because it was Nick Meyers again, and it did pack a punch in terms of excitement. But there's a lot of creaky end-of-the-cold-war analogizing going on here. Plus some truly shocking stuff (Kirk a racist bigot?). I'll leave it in third place for now, but it may slip in future lists.

4) Star Trek III: The Search for Spock: Hated it when it came out (it undoes everything that was great about Wrath of Khan! "Needs of the one" my a##...). I like it a little better with time I suppose. Chekov's little jacket is still stupid. And the Excelsior is still a bad joke.

The rest of the list is really hard to rank! The remaining TOS films are mediocre. The TNG films (ALL of them) totally fail to capture the flavor of the TV series, in my book. And the Abrams film is a mixed bag of sweet and crap.

So if I had to rank 'em, I guess I'd go

5 Star Trek First Contact
6 Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
7 Star Trek (2009)
8 ST Generations
9 ST Nemesis
10 STV: The Final Frontier (PAINFUL to watch! why didn't I put it dead last? Well there is one thing worse than cringing with shame, and that is....

11: ST Insurrection - Boring.

 

[DARTH SABER]

Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan - Good revenge adventure yarn . Montalban and Shatner at their best. Plenty of gigantic plot holes, but it was so much fun i didn't care.

Star Trek (2009) - I liked the alternate reality aspect used to create a blank canvas for new adventures during the TOS era, while still preserving the original Trek universe as a separate reality.
The part I enjoyed most is the way the film shows Spock dealing with his halfbreed/emotional control problems while Kirk is dealing with his rebellious problems dealing with authority. Only after they were each able to get a grasp on these issues were they able to successfully work together much like the Spock/Kirk team from TOS.
good fun.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home - The most humorous of the Trek films (IMO). Just had fun watching the crew hanging out in San Fran while trying to accomplish their mission. Spock dealing with 20th century culture was the best.

Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country - Not the typical story layout for a Trek film/show..THis one played out like a murder mystery and did a pretty good job.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture - This is an odd one...On some days I may rank this higher, on others I may rank it lower. The film itself was interesting on every level, but I think it tried too hard to be like 2001: A Space Odyssey, and took itself too seriously for a Trek film.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier - It was OK.


Star Trek III: The Search for Spock- Meh, Didn't really enjoy this one that much.

 

[phase pistol]

It's a short list. :lol

 

[Mercury]

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Most like the TV show Pt1
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Most like the TV show Pt2
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Entertaining
Star Trek: First Contact (1996) The best of the Gen films
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) A decent send off for the original crew.
Star Trek: Insurrection (1999) Not as good as 1st Contact, but good nonetheless.
Star Trek Nemesis (2002) I actually liked this one
Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) Boring but hey, it was the return of Star Trek
Star Trek Generations (1994) The Next Gen big theater training film.
Star Trek (2009) Should be in a separate category. Good generic Sci-Fi movie.
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989) Had those cool assault phasers.

 

[WinstonWolf359]

Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan - Definitely the best of the Trek films, but also a good film in general. Has a great mixture of drama and action that makes watching it over and over an easy thing to do.

Star Trek The Motion Picture - This is the one I find myself wanting to re-watch more than any of the others. The Director's Cut made an easily maligned film quite good.

Star Trek 2009 - I hate origin stories and the plot holes are big enough to fly the new Enterprise through no matter how big the damn thing is supposed to be, but in spite of that I still enjoyed this film a whole lot.

Star Trek VI The Undiscovered Country - There's a lot of things about this film I absolutely love, like the murder mystery plotline and the great interplay among the cast, but the ham-fisted overuse of cold war analogy and Shakespeare pull me out of the fantasy too often.

Star Trek V The Final Frontier - This isn't a good film, but that it ranks fifth on my list speaks more to how awful the remaining films are than to Trek V's strengths. That said I actually do enjoy much of the film. I think Shatner's visual style on this film isn't recognized nearly enough for being as dynamic and interesting as it is. Too many people rush to blame all of the film's other faults on "Shatner's bad directing" without really looking at the actual direction, which is too bad.


Other than Nemesis, the rest of the films are pretty much equal in their mediocrity, and I honestly can't remember the last time I watched any of the TNG films or Star Trek III.

Nemesis, however, is unequaled in its awfulness. It is the Batman and Robin of Trek films.

 

[micdavis]

ST-TMP (I prefer the Changeling over Space Seed)
ST-II (but find it hard to watch now)
ST-V (you just don't get it)
ST-IV (The Trouble with Tribbles of the films)
ST-VI (Klingons, meh!)
ST-III (just because no TNG goes before TOS, but generally a waste of film, except torching the Big E)
First Contact

The rest are all about the same.

 

[Tom Starkiller]

Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Star Trek Generations
Star Trek Nemesis

 

[Jeyl]

The Wrath of Khan
The Search for Spock
The Undiscovered Country
The Voyage Home
The Motion Picture
First Contact
Nemesis
Insurrection
The Final Frontier
Generations
Star Trek

Yeah, I disliked Trek09 like the plague.

 

[JD]

Most of the Next Gen movies just sort of blend in to one another for me... as does anything after ST 3.

Star Trek 2 Wrath of Khan
JJ's Trek

Star Trek 3
Star Trek First Contact (liked the Earth scenes, still not a Borg fan)
The rest of the films
Star Trek 4 (whales - really? just never really got this one, seemed way too corny)

 

[wuher da brewer]

Star Trek IV - I know, not the popular choice, but it's the one I see the most and the one I think the most entertaining. Truly of it's time, it managed to capture lightning in a bottle. Feel good Trek!
Star Trek II - Just the right level of cheese & ham.
Star Trek: First Contact - The only good Next Gen film.
Star Trek
Star Trek VI
Star Trek III
Star Trek: The Motion Picture - Would rate higher with 30 minutes removed. I HATE the multiple long, sweeping shots for each appearance of each Trek item on the screen. Gag! The story feels like a classic television episode, but the style bores me to tears. And yes, I've seen the director's cut.
Star Trek: Insurrection
Star Trek V
Star Trek: Generations
Star Trek: Nemesis

 

[Wes R]

ST 2
ST motion picture
ST 3
ST 2009
first contact
VI
V
Generations
Nemesis
Insurrection
The NG movies showed that they needed new people running the franchise as its gotten stale. I like the 09 movie and am very glad they set it in an alternate universe.

 

[jfitzflynn]

Star Trek II - Greatest thing to happen to original Trek. Making the Enterprise into a submarine-like environment. Oh, yeah, the plot and stuff was good too.

Star Trek First Contact - Arguably the best villain to face the TNG crew brought to the big screen. Despite some minor technical screw-ups and script errors, one of my favorites.

Star Trek VI - The Undiscovered County - Great cast, great story, Shakespeare in Klingon! What's not to like? A great take on the concept of futuristic racism.

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home - A much needed, and unexpected, comedy in a series of rather intense drama.

Star Trek Generations - I really enjoyed this one. Malcolm McDowell rocks, new Enterprise-D bridge was cool.

Star Trek Nemesis - Sort of the retarded twin brother of Wrath of Kahn who didn't quite develop right... like got stuck in the birth canal for a few hours without oxygen. That being said, I enjoyed it. Kinda a crappy send off for TNG, but I didn't think the writing or acting was terrible and there were some fun action sequences.

Trek 09 - I hate to even include this in the list because I don't really think that this was a "Star Trek" movie in the traditional sense. It was a VERY FUN action movie, but I'm pretty sure 'ole Gene Roddenberry wouldn't have approved of a "Budweiser Classic"-induced bar fight on 23rd century earth. That being said, I am very happy this movie came out because the franchise was all but dead and this created a sort of universally accessible movie that reinvigorated the audience (and the franchise). I did like it a lot too.

Star Trek III - I remember this one being ok. Haven't seen it in a while. I liked the Saavik in this movie better than Kirstie Alley.

Star Trek V - Shatner's place is the captain's chair, not the director's chair.

Star Trek The Motion Picture - I don't even know if I can sit through the whole thing.

Star Trek VIII - Insurrection - Garbage. Story could have been wrapped up in a 15 second meeting:

Picard - "Hey, the stuff in your atmosphere can save the lives of billions of people throughout the galaxy. The only problem is we would have to relocate the one hundred of you. But it'd save billions of lives"

Really old, yet young chick - "Wow, billions of lives? Sure, let us go pack"

Boom. Conflict solved, no need to facelift the poor admiral.

 

[Raffles]

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)- Quoteable, good acting and a story with characters who were involving a big improvement on TMP.

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991)

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) - Too much focus on the "isn't this awesome look at the cinematography!" and not enough story. 5 minute panning shots of ships in drydock makes kids bored.

Star Trek Generations (1994) - Would've been higher up if not for poor story and Hammy McDowall.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) - If I was a Vulcan who met those guy's it'd be phasers on kill asap.

Star Trek (2009)

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) - Nuklear wessels.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984)

Star Trek: Insurrection (1999) and
Star Trek Nemesis (2002) - I still have issues telling these apart, one has Picard in a dune buggy when he jumps a space shark the other has people wandering through the californian countryside, they both sucked.

 

[SSgt Burton]

Star Trek II- the really cool one with the villain obsessed with revenge and the super-destructo device (that was originally created for the good of mankind). Spock's death was moving! Saavik was hot! :love

Star Trek TMP- Most in line with the original series of exploration and discovery. Theatrical cut was a bit long but the Director's cut cleans up nicely!

Star Trek IV- A fun romp for our beloved crew breaking out of their usual roles (such as the bus driver and switchboard operator ).

Star Trek III- Some highs and lows. So they used "magic" to bring back Spock... I didn't care- they brought back Spock! (too bad he turned into "Rainman" for the next two films :rolleyes). Saavik (although she had lost weight and completely changed her features) was still hot! :love

Star Trek First Contact- Again an entertaining film for the TNG crew, even if it did continue the trend of Trek equating sci-fi action film.


Now things get a little blurry as to rating them middle to worst...


Star Trek VI- it was enjoyable to see the entire crew together for one last adventure, even being about assassination and conspiracy. Saav--- I mean Valeris was hot! :love

Star Trek V- regardless of how poorly executed this film was, it was still very much in the vein of the original series of discovery and adventure. Could very much have done without "Rainman" Spock- it got old fast.

Star Trek Generations- the one about the Villain obsessed with returning to the Nexus and the super-destructo device. The first 15 minutes are watchable. Kirk's death was not on par with Spock's.

Star Trek Nemesis- the one about the Villain obsessed with revenge and the super-destructo device. Data's death was not on par with Spock's.

Star Trek 2009- what was this about again? Oh yeah: the Villain obsessed with revenge and the super-destructo device (which was originally created for the good of mankind). Haven't they done this plot already? Amanda's death was not on par with Spock's. Poor (planet) Vulcan.

Star Trek Insurrection... Totally unwatchable! :thumbsdown


Kevin

 

[CessnaDriver]

Sadly, few of the films channeled the true core spirit of Star Trek on TV and I mean TOS and TNG there with their better on core message episodes.
Trek on film is a different animal then the better stuff from TV for some reason. Kirk just isn't the same guy.


I could probably sort these differently by different criteria.
So going on what is the most satisfying on film that if it's on TV I leave it on in the background...


Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) Trek got it's Space Opera to compete with SW.

Star Trek: First Contact (1996) Good positive Trek message.

Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) My god bones, what have I done? Klingon bastards!

Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) Back to something good after several bad ones in a row. I hated the idiot whales one.

Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) A bit antiseptic but set the stage.

Star Trek Generations (1994) Almost falls off my list into the below.



The below are just all in a catagory of equally BAD.
I don't care what order they are in much other then maybe Star Trek V having the Kirk "I need my pain" speech which was something right out of TOS to me.

Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989)

Star Trek: Insurrection (1999) Don't remember much other then it sucked.

Star Trek Nemesis (2002) Trying too hard to be some kind of Wrath of Khan for TNG.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986) Situation comedy. I was in shock. It was terrible. Double dumb ass? WTF? I really hated this one. Never understood for one second it's mass appeal.



------------------

Star Trek (2009) Not Star Trek. I don't even put it with the franchise.
Suffice it to say, utter mass appeal garbage wretched up from Abrams into the troughs for the desperate piggies.

 

[Alan Cross]

So, okay, I guess I'll be the first to do it:

1. 2009 J.J. Abrams STAR TREK
2. Wrath Of Khan
3. Voyage Home
4. First Contact


I think the rest of them kind of sucked in varying degrees. Why did I pick J.J.'s Star Trek first? He's the best filmmaker. And he reignited the spirit of Star Trek and liberated the franchise from stale formulaic Trek story-telling. Wrath Of Khan has a good story and a fun, if cheesy villain. Voyage Home was funny. And 1st Contact had the Borg Queen. You can start calling me names now.

Live Long!

Alan

 

[BIKERFETT]

Trek 2009
Wrath of Kahn
Motion Picture
then trash the rest

 

[Alan Cross]

Yeah, I'll give Motion Picture it's due. Amazing special effects (v'ger sequence) and, you know, that message at the end: "The Human Adventure Is Just Beginning." Love that. Summed up the highest aspirations of Star Trek in one line. Brilliant.