1. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
Released: 6/4/82
Usually regarded by most as the best in the Star Trek series, The Wrath of Khan is indeed a science-fiction classic. The sense of camaraderie here may possibly surpass that of the original TV show, and even though the budget was smaller than the first movie, director Nicholas Meyer presents a look and feel that would influence the rest of this series. There isn't a slow moment here, and both William Shatner and Ricardo Montalban turn in triumphantly over-the-top performances. One of my personal all-time favorite movies.
2. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Released: 11/26/86
While The Wrath of Khan is the best of this franchise, The Voyage Home is the most fun. Each crew member of the Enterprise gets their chance to shine as they travel back to 1986 to save the future. The "fish out of water" concept is executed perfectly. This movie had mass appeal. In years gone by, many of those who were never interested in Star Trek would say, "I'm not a Star Trek fan, but I've seen the one with the whales.".
3. Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
Released: 12/6/91
Director Nicholas Meyer, of Star Trek II, returned to give the original Enterprise crew their send-off, and it couldn't have been better. This one has mystery, adventure, and humor all blended together. Christopher Plummer shines as Klingon villain Chang, and the rest of the supporting cast is obviously having a lot of fun. An underrated score highlights the conflict between Starfleet and the Klingon Empire. The Undiscovered Country can easily make one forget about the dismal Star Trek V.
4. Star Trek: First Contact
Released: 11/22/96
The best of the Next Generation films, First Contact has action aplenty, time travel, the Borg, and a new Enterprise. The crew really shines, highlights being an inebriated Troi, Worf's hammy dialogue as he blasts the Borg, Picard with a tommy gun, and "Magic Carpet Ride" blasting from Zefram Cochrane's ship (a precursor to the Beastie Boys song in Beyond?).
5. Star Trek
Released: 5/8/09
Everything old is new again in J.J. Abrams' reboot of one of the biggest franchises in film history. There's no denying it's a grand adventure on an epic scale, especially that opening scene with the birth of James Kirk. And the actors are spot-on as they fill in the shoes of the original crew. However, something about it's resetting of the history of these characters doesn't sit well, and the set-up for original future adventures is just now being realized with the latest entry, Beyond.
6. Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Released: 6/1/84
The middle entry of the "trilogy" that's comprised of Star Trek II-IV, The Search for Spock usually gets a bad rap. On the contrary, it's actually very good. A rousing adventure with some great moments including Christopher Lloyd as Kruge and the destruction of the Enterprise, Star Trek III is an 80's sci-fi classic that stands as one of the best of the series. There is simply no merit to the "odd-numbered curse" that film-goers have placed on this franchise.
7. Star Trek: Nemesis
Released: 12/13/02
Critics were hard on Nemesis, and it didn't fare too well at the box office, ending the Next Generation film series. The movie isn't really bad at all, even though it's probably the darkest of the bunch. Highlights include an early appearance by Tom Hardy as Shinzon, and his ship the Scimitar, as well as Picard racing around in a futuristic dune buggy. Too bad the Next Generation crew didn't get the send-off The Undiscovered Country gave to the original.
8. Star Trek: Generations
Released: 11/18/94
Generations bridges the gap between the original and The Next Generation crews. It was inevitable that Captains Kirk and Picard would meet, and it's fairly satisfying, save for the underwhelming death of Kirk (Oh, my.) toward the end. Data has some good moments, and Malcolm McDowell gives the franchise another great villain. Not a bad way to kick off the Next Generation films, but not a great way, either.
9. Star Trek Into Darkness
Released: 5/16/13
This is perhaps the most divisive film in the series. The love-it-or-hate-it split stems from the similarities between this film and Wrath of Khan. Most see it as unnecessary and poorly executed. Why, after going through the trouble of creating an alternate timeline, would the film-makers copy a previous film? Why would they hire a top-tier actor like Benedict Cumberbatch and put him in the role of Khan? It's unoriginal and infuriating, and while it's not a bad film, it's a bad Star Trek film.
10. Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Released: 12/7/79
The Motion Picture had such promise. The director was Robert Wise (The Day the Earth Stood Still, The Sound of Music), the budget was huge for the time, and the sci-fi genre was a sure bet in the late 70's. The result was instead quite a bore. The movie is slow, with many yawn-inducing scenes of the Enterprise in space dock or moving through the ship V'Ger that just go on and on. It's nice to see the crew getting back together at the beginning, and the practical effects hold up for the most part.
10. Star Trek: Insurrection
Released: 12/11/98
After the triumphant First Contact comes this drivel. Insurrection was nothing more than an overlong episode of The Next Generation. A boring one. Too much political mumbo-jumbo and a plot that just doesn't seem at all important make this the weakest entry for Picard and crew. How critics rate this better than Nemesis is a mystery.
11. Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
Released: 6/9/89
What comes next after the amazing "trilogy" that was Star Trek II-IV? The worst Trek movie of all. The Final Frontier gave William Shatner the chance to direct a Star Trek movie and the result is a mess. Surprise! Spock has a half-brother named Sybok and he hijacks the Enterprise to go to the end of the universe to find God. Only it's not God. It's a mean alien who is a gigantic head. Terrible.
So there you have it. All twelve Star Trek movies.. Anyone not familiar with this franchise who is interested should definitely start with Star Trek's II, III, and IV. Skip Insurrection and The Final Frontier entirely. All of these films of course are available on home video formats, and some of them are available for streaming on Netflix.
