Favourite Original Crew Star Trek Movie

[Rob McCow]

NOT COUNTING GENERATIONS!!!!



Which of the original Star Trek movies is the bestest? And why?

[Rob McCow]

In my view they are all magnificent. However the San-Francisco based IV has the best humour, with VI close behind. It might even be VI if you're a purist, because it's more traditionally Star-Trek-ey with it's space-and-Klingons setting.

"What do they mean - Exact change only?" which makes me laugh all the more because exactly the same thing happened to me and Si when we tried to get on a bus in San Francisco....

[Si Hunt]

Generations.

Si.

[SiHart]

I like The Undiscivered Country best of all.

But, I love them all. These films are my favourite incarnation of Star Trek of them all.

[Nyder]

I remember not liking the very first film. It left me cold. Maybe I need to re-watch?

[SiHart]

It's a beautiful if ponderous film. Looks amazing on Blu-ray. has great, great music!

[Andrew Curnow]

I answered this very question (well, without the 'Original') on the QT thread just the other day, so at the risk of repeating myself...

With the qualifier that I've not seen, bizarrely, The Voyage Home (generally considered the best of them I believe?) I'm going to plump for The Final Frontier.

To quickly defend myself, the first one was worthy and a great cinema spectacle but was also, sadly, rather dull and took forever to go nowhere. Khan & Search for Spock are both really good films... but I'd read the books before seeing the films, and the books are even better, expanding on characters who aren't even in the films, or at least only in passing (the Search for Spock book is extraordinary, I wish I still had it); so they pale a little in comparison. Not seen 4, didn't much like 6 even though it's well-regarded (but... what is it about?).

Whereas for all its nonsense and faults, I genuinely like The Final Frontier - in the main, I think, because of the focus on the 'relationship' of the three leads, from the camping start onwards. It's a bit like The Hand of Fear, a slightly dreary story, not made all that well, but redeemed by the depth of the interaction between the main characters.

[Rob McCow]

in the main, I think, because of the focus on the 'relationship' of the three leads, from the camping start onwards.

That's why I think Final Frontier is a lovely, wonderful film. It's not about a journey to the center of the Galaxy to find god, it's about three old guys who have been friends all their lives. They still don't truly understand each other though! In that light, everything that follows in the movie makes sense.

Also - "Do you not know a jailbreak when you see one?!"

[Andrew Curnow]

And also, Final Frontier is the one where Scotty reveals that he always adds extra on to his repair-time estimates, which always makes me chuckle.

(That is in this one, isn't it?)

[Rob McCow]

"I know this ship like the back of my hand (Donk!)"

[Rob McCow]

Today in 1989 Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was released. 24 years later I'm at a Star Trek convention still celebrating the show.

- William Shatner - Today!

[Andrew Curnow]

I'm sure in Trek circles it's considered the worst of the Original films... but I notice in our poll only Search for Spock has failed to scrape a vote so far. That's quite a good one isn't it?!

[SiHart]

It is, but maybe it suffers a little from being part of an ongoing story rather than a film in its own right? It does seem to exist to sort out what happens in The Wrath of Khan, rather than standing out in its own. Shame, because there's lots of good stuff in it.

[Andrew Curnow]

"Klingon bastards killed my son" for example, that's a great Shatner scene. And, erm...

[SiHart]

I was thinking of the sacrifice of The Enterprise. That was rather touchingly done.

[Andrew Curnow]

Oh yes, do you know I'd completely forgotten about that. You're right Si, that is very touchingly done - both in terms of the story, in that Kirk is prepared to make the 'ultimate' sacrifice of his beloved Enterprise in the quest to save his friend's life; and also as a visual, that gorgeous shot of them watching the ship fall across the sky.

Come on somebody vote for III!!

[MacNimon]

I think I'd go for The Voyage Home, although it's a close thing with Wrath Of Khan and TMP. TMP isn't the most exciting of plots but I just love watching it, just chilling out! And I'm maybe a bit over-familiar with Wrath Of Khan for it to be my favourite any more, I think I simply watched it once too often way back in the 80s and sickened myself of it eventually. I love the humour in IV and how the characters react in modern-day San Francisco, and the fact that I haven't watched this quite as many times over the years means that it's the one I look forward to watching again more than any of the others!

My problem with III is the fact that it was quite contrived. Where TWOK was supposed to be Nimoy's swan-song as Spock (at the time, iirc, he was fed up being known mostly as Spock and wanted the character killed off so that he could concentrate on other parts and directing) he had a change of heart and the third film was a pretty contrived effort centered around the resurrection of the character. Although memory often cheats, as they say, it was a long time ago and I may just be recalling that wrong, or picked it up wrong from magazine articles of the time. It doesn't change what I think of the film though...contrived, maybe, but enjoyable!

[Rob McCow]

I don't know if it's that contrived - given that they spent a good quanitity of Star Trek II setting up Spock's return! The whole business with the 'Genesis Missile' and Spock's Marbles (Remember!) were a non-too-subtle way of hinting that he might be back.

It would have been interesting if they'd done a whole film without him, but Nimoy's appearance in Star Trek III is incredibly brief, considering.

[SiHart]

"Jim. Your name is Jim" is lovely.

[Mike Saville]

The Motion Picture was beautiful to look at, and it was very much Star Trek doing a 2001- and for the most part it works. Seen as interminably long at the time, especially with it having such a thin plot (clever device though), it was clearly intended to be a counter to the dogfighty Star Wars. I like it, but can see why many think it'd be a better film with 45 minutes shaved off it.

Wrath of Khan just scrapes it for me. With the exception of only one or two dated effects (the ear worm thingy) this film could have been released only this year (some say it was ). The Moby Dick references juxtaposed with the slow naval battle were sublime at the time, and are still. And how beautiful was that Mutara Nebula? No generic black space with white stars here.

Search for Spock is a fabulous character piece, a subtle movie kind of lost between the two epics. Some describe it as Star Trek's Empire Strikes Back, which I think does this an injustice. A great movie, some poignant moments, just not the blockbuster some wanted it to be.

The Voyage Home is comic genius, and still very much quoted in this household ("Hello computer"). Just drops in behind Khan here, but it was a close run thing.

The Final Frontier was lost on me, and I've nor rewatched it since seeing it in the cinema, so it was right at the bottom of the heap for me. Reading Andrew's review though perhaps I've been harsh, so I shall endeavour to rewatch it soon. :-)

The Undiscovered Country was very watchable, but like many I think the franchise was showing its age and I think had they not sidestepped to Generations I may not have bothered going to the cinema to see an episode 7. Not the fault of this film, probably just me getting bored with it at the time- probably not helped by my poor recollection of Final Frontier.

[MacNimon]

I don't know if it's that contrived - given that they spent a good quanitity of Star Trek II setting up Spock's return! The whole business with the 'Genesis Missile' and Spock's Marbles (Remember!) were a non-too-subtle way of hinting that he might be back.

You're quite right there, of course! And as far as my memory goes, I'm pretty sure I'm NOT wrong in what I said earlier about Nimoy wanting out. Much more likely though is that it would have been pre-publicity for Khan which would have been intended to get more bums on seats to see what was expected to be Spock's final appearance, rather than statements of actual facts.

[Andrew Curnow]

this film could have been released only this year (some say it was ).

Reading Andrew's review though perhaps I've been harsh, so I shall endeavour to rewatch it soon. :-)

Uh-oh, I'm feeling the pressure now, I hope you enjoy it Mike!

[Ralph]

In part to be controversial I'm going to say TMP - but it was the big step in getting Trek back on track after 10 years in the wilderness... it made a stash of cash from the fans going to see it and guaranteed the future of the franchise! Plus I loved 2001 so maybe that's a factor and hated Star Wars. I enjoy the indulgence of the movie in celebrating the splendour of the Enterprise in those various shots that are well played out.

Probably Voyage Home was the most entertaining

From what's being said I should probably check out TMP on Blu-ray!

If Wayne's out there I expect a reply as these are the two he liked least I'm sure!

[Rob McCow]

I can heartily recommend TMP on Blu-Ray. It makes a real difference. The point of that film was the spectacle and you simply lose it on a 4:3 screen with a grainy picture.

[Ralph]

Yes I agree Steve and on that basis it scores full points. It's a definite I need the Blu-ray