Trek’s Social Message… Star Trek IV – The Voyage Home (1986)

Roddenberry had always lined TOS and the planned TNG with underlying social messages, but none to the extent with which Nimoy put it on the table. Save the Planet! ’nuff said.

Take out the alien menace, the love interest and the damaged vessel part, and you still have good Trek. Rounding out the ‘Spock Trilogy’, Shatner required a Kirk vehicle, and this film delivered. Originally planned to co-star Eddie Murphy (yeah, The Golden Child was a better choice, right) as the geek whale biologist, this film rebounded to be a better popcorn movie.

Everyone on the crew does their share, and Kirk gets in nearly every scene. Mission complete. Nimoy makes a great directorial save, following ‘Trek III’, and proves he deserved the center seat. The story moves along nicely, even past the opening, and ties together well at the end, introducing the ‘new’ Enterprise designation and giving the opening to TNG Enterprise.

Social message or no, this one ranks as #3 on the best Trek list for me, rounding out II and VI.  Keep in mind, this doesn’t reflect ‘Star Trek’ or ‘Into Darkness’ as then it slides down to #5 (5 out of 11 ain’t bad).

We Need A Little More Action… Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

If not a Trek storytelling film, just a good ole’ fashioned Trek Western. Good guys wear uniforms, bad guys wear black… and they wear uniforms. The lost in the shuffle social message retelling, this one is just good fun.

Our heroes are vibrant, fiesty and ready to rock. Sure, Picard gets a little action and Riker gets a lot more, but it neatly ties up several series loose ends, without even trying. Add in some space faring chase scenes and a riled up commanding officer who is tired of ‘these bastards’… and it just cooks.

Would Roddenberry have approved? Sure, after all, this is wagon train to the stars.  Not quite as involved as it’s predecessor, still a great follow-up effort by Frakes and crew.  Popcorn and no bathroom breaks.

A Little More Epic… Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

With the ‘Generations’ episode out of the way, TNG actually got a film in which to stretch their legs. A nice wide spectrum of battle scenes, drama and action mixed to keep the story going and well paced. The dive into Borg psyche was deep and at the time, unexpected. Stewart’s usually unflappable captain now brooding like Ahab in space was a welcomed change.

Rookie film director Frakes (who it is rumored desired to be written out or off in order to devote more time to the direction) made for a great first effort, having helmed a few episodes and possessing knowledge of the franchise only Nimoy and Shatner before him could have had, but with a better Trek depth of scope. (Nimoy’s Trek IV aside).  Definitely a step up from the previous film and a hard act for the two immediate sequels to follow.

With a wider range of our established characters (This was more of Brent Spiner’s breakout performance than ‘Generations’ was) and a feel of keeping the ‘timeline’ true combined with Jerry Goldsmith’s great sometimes Borg haunting soundtrack, this film works.  Think ‘City on the Edge of Forever’ from TOS, but better. Bring the popcorn and no bathroom breaks.

The Series Finale… Star Trek: Generations (1994)

Literally… this was the final episode to the series. However, execs at Paramount felt it too long and too effects laden to make for television. Even the soundtrack, from series composer Dennis McCarthy, just felt more episodic.

The opening 20 minutes could have been so much better (Rick Berman never one to worry about polluting the timeline), maybe if they left the deleted scenes intact. The TNG part of it made for a cool two-part episode, but then came the ending. With an original scene deemed too graphic a death by test audiences, Shatner was instead dropped off a bridge and pronounced dead. Yeah, guys saves the Universe a few times over… meets big wussy death.

So many places to have gone, so few actual writing ideas at Paramount. As the series finale, it works, as a step in the film series… eh.

“A Far Better Rest I Go To…” Star Trek VI – The Undiscovered Country (1991)

The opening twenty minutes of ‘Generations’ aside, this is the penultimate sendoff for TOS’ crew.  Sure, Scotty and Spock made the leap to TNG and Sulu made a sideways appearance on Voyager… but this is, for me, the retirement mission.

With its meaning rooted in the fall of the Cold War, this film is level with Trek II (also directed by Nicholas Meyer) in movie epic.  Never one to shirk a social message (see various episodes and Trek IV), this one hits hard and heavy.  In my eyes, for the original crew films, this ranks 2nd behind ‘Khan’ but just ahead of ‘Voyage Home’.

The combination of story, action, above average acting from our stalwarts and a little Sherlock Holmes made for a great film, nevermind sci-fi film, and a proper send off into what should have been the Undiscovered Country of TNG.  Bring popcorn, no bathroom breaks.