6.
Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
Following up a strong entry into any series is a daunting task, especially when said entry is The Wrath of Khan. But The Search for Spock manages to hold its own quite well, featuring William Shatner's best performance in the series. Spock's resurrection is a bit of a stretch, pushing the realm of Fantasy more than Sci-Fi, but it does work. The most exciting sequence is the theft of the Enterprise while the all-too-brief space battle against the Klingons doesn't hold up to the standard set by The Wrath of Khan.
What holds The Search for Spock back, though, is its rather lackluster villain and its rather predictable outcome especially since the title tells you everything you need to know about the plot of the movie. With a title like The Search for Spock, there's only one way this movie can end! It's also unfortunate that Kirstie Alley did not hold over in the role of Saavik as Robin Curtis is rather bland. Overall though, The Search for Spock is a solid entry into the Star Trek franchise. Full review
Story: 1.5 / 2
Characterization: 1.5 / 2
Acting: 1.5 / 2
Entertainment: 1.5 / 2
Music: .75 / 1
Visuals: 1 / 1
7.75 / 10
Tie-3
5
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Leonard Nimoy's second spin in the director's chair gives us Star Trek's funniest and lightest entry. This fish-out-of-water tale (no pun intended) sees the Enterprise crew in 1986 San Francisco trying to find a pair of humpback whales to save 23rd century Earth. Yes, the story is really that absurd but it's the focus on the crew fumbling around in the past that makes it work. It features some of the cast's finest, most laid back performances. The writing is excellent, bringing fresh and witty dialogue to the whole affair, particularly in the 20th century scenes (reportedly, Nicholas Meyer's biggest contribution to the script). It's one of the franchise's strongest entries. Full review
Story: 1.25 / 2
Characterization: 2 / 2
Acting: 2 / 2
Entertainment: 2 / 2
Music: .5 / 1
Visuals: 1 / 1
8.75 / 10
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
The return of Nicholas Meyer sees the Star Trek film franchise back in form (after the wreck of Star Trek 5) just in time for its 25th anniversary. The cast delivers strong performances for their swan song in a story that's a fitting farewell. The fall of the Klingon Empire is a remarkable parallel to the fall of the Soviet Union which happened not long after the movie was made, especially since the Klingons symbolized the Soviets in the 60s TV series. Cliff Eidelman's brooding and dark score is the series' most unique and the visual effects were the best up to that point, particularly in the climactic battle.
And of course, who can't forgo mentioning Christopher Plummer's mesmerizing turn as General Chang, the one-eyed Shakespeare quoting Klingon who is one of Star Trek's best villains. Nicholas Meyer doesn't ease the film's pace, constantly moving things briskly forward and setting a tone that's quite different from any other entry in the franchise. The biggest gripe that I have is that there are some small plot holes which allow things to fall conveniently into place, but this is very minor. The ending is perfect as the original Star Trek crew is allowed to sail off into the sunset. Full review
Story: 1.5 / 2
Characterization: 1.75 / 2
Acting: 2 / 2
Entertainment: 1.75/ 2
Music: 1 / 1
Visuals: 1 / 1
9.0 / 10
Tie-3
Star Trek
Taking the helm of the floundering franchise, JJ Abrams brings the fun and adventure back in this fast-paced, thrilling entry that successfully reboots the series while acknowledging what's come before it. The most daunting task for this film would be the casting, bringing young actors into some of Science-Fiction's most iconic roles. All around, they nailed it. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are excellent as young Kirk and Spock, making the roles their own. The rest of the cast is also great, particularly Karl Urban in a take that is a wonderful tribute to the late-DeForest Kelley. It's also great to see Leonard Nimoy return as Spock from the future for the first time in nearly 20 years.
The story presses forward with a sense of urgency, never really letting up until the final third of the movie. Unfortunately, that's when the script does make some big leaps of logic to make things work (Kirk coincidently runs into old Spock's cave which is within walking distance from Scotty) but you're so caught up in the fun of it all that you hardly notice. The finale is strong but doesn't measure up against the action in the middle part of the film, particularly the exhilarating space dive. Yet as the crew falls into place at the end and takes their place at the helm of the Enterprise, you can't wait for the next mission to begin. It's a very strong entry yet you can't help but feel like JJ Abrams has yet to bring the best. Full review
Story: 1.5 / 2
Characterization: 1.5 / 2
Acting: 2 / 2
Entertainment: 2 / 2
Music: 1 / 1
Visuals: 1 / 1
9.0 / 10
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